Porsche 944 - Power Steering System Overview: Parts, Issues, & Costs 

Yeah man! Many of these 944s wouldn’t be on the road without some DIY support. Glad you found it helpful!

Yeah the tie rod mounts are like peened into a little notch on the rack and need to be tapped back out before they’re loosened. The whole thing is a little annoying to deal with quite honestly. 😂 The system takes a beating and catches a bunch of water when driving in wet conditions, really locks things up down there. I’m glad you were able to get yours swapped out!

Thanks John!

Only if you come and work at said shop… having a bending robot on hand could prove to be useful. 😂

@@NC944er u r a pure talent man. Keep up the great videos.

@@jakehennessy9172 Very cool! A lot of stuff on the channel here is transferable to the 924S.

Thank you!

That’s awesome man, congrats on your purchase! Lots of fun to be had on the maintenance as well as the driving side. 😂 Let me know if you get stuck on anything and need some tips, I’m happy to help if it’s something I’ve dealt with before. Cheers!

Thank you! The ‘88 is a great year to have with all of its updates over the earlier cars and fewer electrical gremlins. 👍🏼

Haha! No problem! 👍🏼

Nice! The pump rebuild is fairly easy, but I have seen them closed back up with one or more seals not seated correctly. Surprises from prior owners are always interesting. My car was missing something like 26 random parts from the engine bay when I bought it and there were a number of loose bolts in various locations. 😂

@@NC944er Interesting that you say that - my car had several random loose and missing bolts as well. I did some easy work on the car but took it to a trusted shop to get the clutch done. When they were there they found lots of here and there items that needed to be addressed.

You too Eddie, thank you!

Oh man, that stuff is nasty too! That sucks. Luckily most of the power steering components are reasonably priced, except the rack itself. Hoping is just a hose or something…

@@NC944er - I got lucky! It's just a hose that slipped off the hard line that runs along the crossmember. It's going to be a challenge with my big hands, may need to drop the rack to replace the hose... but at least the rack is OK!

@@jergervasi3331 Wells that’s good! There is a small line clamp on the top of the crossmember for that particular hydraulic line, sandwiched between the oil pan. I once removed that one with a small wrench by feel, because you can’t really see it with the space in there, but it’s doable. Good luck! 👍

@@NC944er I finally replaced my power steering return line (it was a bad line after all) and took the car for a spin today! yay! I never have free time, so repairs take me forever to get to, as you can see. Now I'm going to start planning to tear all that junk out and do the manual conversion anyway! hahahaha... That Martin Willis system in your other video looks sweet. And I still have a shelf full of parts I bought but haven't installed, as I started a new job that has me traveling around the country most of the time: Rennline fire extinguisher and phone mounts, a new odometer gear, the F9 DME with fuel pump prime, new anti-sway bar bushings, new instrument panel circuit boards and LED lights, speakers, some interior trim parts, assorted weatherstripping and molding, and random other stuff that was missing from my car when I bought it, like the rear hatch release motor and arms (!), the entire windshield washer system (!), a Porsche script door handle for the driver's door (it has a VW replacement on it now, for whatever reason)... etc. Damn. I'd better stop typing and hop to it. LOL... Thanks again for all your help.

@@jergervasi3331 Glad you got it done! No issues with the manual steering after breaking it in, all good, just takes a little bit to get used to the slightly harder turns at really low speeds.

Yeah, I’m always balancing between things I’d “like” to do and things I “have” to do, and since work and family schedules have picked up recently, I haven’t had as much time to put content together. After setup, shooting, editing, and processing the videos, it takes 3-4 times longer than it normally would to complete the actual work on the car. I hadn’t initially planned on posting any video of the steering system stuff because I really just needed to get in there and get it done, but I had enough footage to put together a fairly comprehensive overview, so that’s what I did.

@@NC944er I totally get it man, and you're doing a fantastic job. Wasn't criticizing, just hoping for more help! Did you remove the rack with the engine in the car?

@@Berkes944 Yeah, the rack removal process is pretty straightforward, just messy in disconnecting the lines and draining of fluid. After removing the front sway bar and draining the system, loosen the nuts on the tie rod ends and pop them down with a tie rod removal tool, loosen the steering shaft from the steering gear at the top of the rack tower, then there are just four mounting bolts on the front brackets that hold the rack to the cross member. Due to oxidation, the steering shaft can cause the most frustration. The write-up on Clark’s is helpful, steps 2.0-5.0, just no pictures - www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/steer-01.htm

Hey Robert! I pulled the control arms and cross member from the car when replacing the rod bearings and oil pan gasket. While the parts were off the car, I had them glass bead blasted and coated in a satin clear. It turned out pretty well and was a good opportunity to rebuild the ball joints and replace the boots while I was at it. 👍🏼

Yeah, most people end up going the other direction. 😂 The power steering does make the wheel a little easier to turn, but it’s not over-assisted or super easy like systems in most modern cars, really it’s just a notch above a true manual system on these cars.

Spot on

Hey! There may still be some old fluid in the steering rack and lines. You could do a bit of a flush by filling it with Dex3, then turning the rack lock to lock while running the pump to circulate things. Then drain the pump and reservoir a second time before a final refill with Dex3.

Dry ice blasting is the secret, if you're lucky to get one or have someone around your area to do it for you.

@@johncary4302 I’ve watched some dry ice cleaning videos on P-cars and the process is amazing with stunning results! In my case, I had the control arms and cross member glass bead blasted while they were off the car and then coated in a satin clear.

@@NC944er Right on. I'm currently restoring my S and glass bead blasting all the aluminum I can. I hadn't thought about coating it though...I suppose that would really preserve it for a long time.

@@johncary4302 Be careful, it’s addictive! 😂 Especially powder coating, the parts looks so good after. I’ve found that the glass leaves the aluminum a bit porous and then it easily picks up and retains dirt and oils without some kind of coating on it.

same… my obsession of perfection after watching these videos :)

Hey Todd, thank you for sharing those comments… that’s great information to consider! I have seen a few examples of people having switched to the Pentosin fluid without causing any issues in the 944’s system, given it’s application in later ZF steering systems. I haven’t personally tried it though, so I wasn’t able to provide a first hand recommendation, but you may be right about my right, front bushing. I caught the pump fairly early in its failure and rebuilt it before it started to dump excessive fluid. I do know that bushing has had a good bath in motor oil from a failing oil pressure sending unit. 🤣 I’m currently eyeing a true manual steering option for my car, which would eliminate at least one future fluid consideration. 👍🏼

@@NC944er I've definitely thought about the manual rack conversion as well. The question of whether that project ends up as a modified, properly de-powered rack or an actual manual one with more turns lock-to-lock remains, but I'm leaning towards manual as I already run a smaller diameter steering wheel. I look forward to another well-made video on the subject if that's where your car takes you!

@@laglord Soooo… I went to replace the swollen front sway bar bushing and come to find it’s the part number for the 26.8mm variant… car didn’t come with the sport suspension package though. I checked the other side and it’s the 25.5mm part. 😂 Measured the bar and it matches at 25.5mm, which appears to be the Turbo bar, since 87- NA came with 21.5mm. So I’m guessing that someone swapped in a Turbo bar at some point, but also improperly replaced the right bushing. Just when you think you’ve seen all the surprises. 🤣

@@happycampersminnesota7526 Check out Power Steering Line - Rack to Return Line, part number: 944-347-449-07

The Allen key banjo bolts can be a pain. There a few approaches you can take on a stripped fitting: 1. Sometimes you can hammer in an Allen key that is one size larger and get enough bite to loosen the bolt. 2. Tack welding a hex head nut on top of the bolt almost always works. 3. Notches can be cut in the bolt head using a Dremel or small grinding wheel to accommodate a flat head or Philips screwdriver. 4. You may be able to grip the edges of the bolt with a good set of vice-grips to break it loose. 5. I would reserve drilling out the bolt as a last resort given the potential to damage the threads in the steering rack. 6. My favorite - scrap the whole rack and hoses in favor of all new parts. 😂

And as always, excellent content and detailed explanation. Keep it up.

Hey! Yeah, pretty much for the reasons you mentioned… I grew tired of chasing down leaks and the manual steering fit well with my intent of creating a true analog driving experience for the car. I looked at some rebuilt power racks, but I was seeing quite a few owner examples where rebuilt racks were failing within 1-2 years. I will say that a true manual rack is a little easier to turn than a “de-powered” power steering rack because the ratio is different. I’ve found this setup pretty manageable at lower speeds and it offers great feedback through the wheel. At a complete standstill, two arms are often required, but as long as the car is rolling, it’s not too bad.

Hey! If you don’t have any service history on the car, I’d probably do both since the reservoir and the seal kit aren’t terribly expensive. I’d also want to ensure the fluid level is topped up, the fluid is clean, and there are no air bubbles in the reservoir fluid after running the car. Replacing the reservoir is a little easier than rebuilding the pump, so if you wanted to start there, you may see an improvement if the filter is really clogged up. Let me know what you find.

Too funny! They all suffer similar ailments. 😂

On an old 944, the next thing you have to check is everything. Even the things you just checked.

@@NC944er Any insight on shocks/struts? I have what I believe we're factory option Koni Yellows that are shot. Can I just drop in a new insert? Or B6s? If so, how is it performed? No pressure to answer, just endlessly curious.

@@Cam-pe3nd Sure, if you check your options sticker in the back and find either codes M030 or M474, then Konis would have come with your factory build. If that’s the case, replacing them with new Konis would help maintain its originality and its value. Cars from 1983-1986 will feature the front shock insert setup and those can be easily swapped out. Cars from 1987 and later feature sealed struts and because the Koni sealed struts are no longer in production, the existing struts would have to be cut and converted to accept the inserts. Konis have a benefit over the Bilstein B6 in that the damping is adjustable, which is useful when moving from street to track situations, but otherwise people usually just set them to “street” and forget about it. The general consensus on the forums is that Konis hold up better over time and offer a more comfortable ride. To swap front inserts or perform the conversion, you’ll need to remove the struts from the car and have a spring compressor to remove the top hats. Outside of that, the inserts are secured by one bolt at the bottom of the strut housing and then they can be reassembled and reinstalled, finishing off with an alignment. The rears are super easy because they are just shocks, two bolts in and out, and done. This write-up from Paragon shows how the conversion and inserts are setup - www.paragon-products.com/kb_results.asp?ID=50

@@NC944er Oh boy, I have an 87. Having to cut and drill might be a bigger undertaking than I'm capable of. Who designed these cars? 😂

Hey John, I included four links in the last comment, which includes the manual steering conversion video as well as a link to buy the steering kit on eBay from the same seller I used.

Manual Steering Conversion - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y7dDLdYPS-Y.html Manual Steering Kit - www.ebay.com/itm/115532024809?hash=item1ae63ecbe9:g:LeEAAOSw-iZcESTx Machine Shop Website - mwthemachineshop.com/

@@NC944er so that (eBay item) is all i will need to do the switch? love that conversion...

@@johndeltoro7990 Yep, it’s a complete kit with new bushings. You can re-use the original rack mounts and the bolts for the intermediate shaft. In my case I replaced those since my old ones were a little rusty.

Thanks! The power steering offers a pretty good road feel on the 944, it’s definitely not over-assisted or super vague like the power steering on most modern cars, but is obviously a bit easier than the manual rack for low speeds/parking/etc. I’m shopping a manual rack solution at the moment, thinking about changing things up.

@@NC944er Oh man! I wish I would have known that. I just unloaded a perfect manual rack. Your videos are helpful, thorough and excellent. Especially the fluid ones. I recently switched to that Valvoline oil.

@@P1983sche Nooooooo! Haha! 😂 No worries… they are hard to come by though.

How does the fluid look now? If it’s clean and bright red, probably no need to flush. If it’s brown and cloudy, I’d do a flush. You can drain from the input line on top of the pump or use a baster syringe to extract the fluid from the reservoir. Once you’ve got it topped up, run the engine and turn the wheels lock to lock to move fluid through the rack. Then stop the car, empty the reservoir again, and top it back up with fresh fluid. It may take 2-3 cycles of this to get it looking clean again.

@@NC944er it looks like coffee lol. I'll prob just do a few cycles with a syringe to get it clean, though I do have a leak around the pump I have to trace down. Started squealing on start up this winter so new fluid and tension the belt a bit.

@@GratefulNPC LOL! Mine was basically a chocolate milk shake when I got the car as well. The syringe method will be the least messy option and there will be plenty of other opportunities to dump fluid down the road given the plethora of pump reliability issues. 😂

Sweet! I need him to come help me out. 😂

LOL! A wise choice… 😂

@@NC944er my rack dumps out the reservoir in about two weeks of just sitting

@@liamflynn6929 Oh wow! Yeah, maybe time for a change.

@@NC944er I work at an auto parts store and my manager found a source for a manual rack for $150-200 so I think it'd be worth it. I'd have to also source a steering shaft and euro tie rods since I have a late offset, but much better than a huge puddle

@@liamflynn6929 Nice! It’s looking like some of the early ‘83 manual racks can be sourced (rebuilt), but for over $1,000. I’m looking at a custom kit built from VW parts that may fit the bill, we’ll see how it goes.