# Alternate use for power steering pump



## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

What kind of pressure can I expect to come out of a power steering pump? 
Will the hyd. fluid cause the seals in the pump to break down?


----------



## coup (Feb 28, 2007)

i had a friend tell me once he saw a wood splitter,that used a power steering pump for its hydraulics,,,i didn't go look but friend said it worked good........


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

I have seen them used to lift a smallish snow plow blade on old WWII jeep. 

I guess you could make log splitter, theoretically, sure somebody somewhere has tried it. Power steering pump is usually a cheap vane pump. And it would be single stage so probably gonna be on slow side and you will probably need what... 8 to 10hp engine? Guess depend how desperate you are. New two stage pump not that expensive and will do fine with 5hp.

And power steering fluid or ATF is still basically hydraulic fluid. Just more additives.

Maybe 800 to 1000psi?


----------



## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

With the outlet blocked off the pump should be somewhere near 950 to 1150 PSI. Without a large reservoir and/or a cooling means for the fluid the pump will rapidly overheat if the pump is held in this condition. For a decent log splitter I would want 2000 PSI from a gear pump instead of a vane pump and I would want more volume than a power steering pump would provide.


----------



## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

1150 psi. probably isn't going to do it. I need to raise about 17 or 1800 lb. There will be some mechanical advantage built into the machine.
I can get a gear pump that will run at a max. pressure of 2500 psi. and produce 14.9 gal. per min. @ 492 rpm's. It'll be about $450. 
Just looking for a less expensive way to get it done. 
Since I'm building to sell to another I should probably make it with the ability to readily get replacement parts instead of cheaping it out.


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Why not add a cylinder or two?


----------



## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

CIW said:


> 1150 psi. probably isn't going to do it. I need to raise about 17 or 1800 lb. There will be some mechanical advantage built into the machine.


To lift 1800 lbs with 1150 psi, all you need is about 1.6 sq.in. of cylinder area, or a diameter of about 0.72", not taking into account any mechanical advantage. Doesn't mean a power steering pump is the best tool for the job, but it'll certainly do it.


----------



## flewism (Apr 2, 2007)

backwoodsman7 said:


> To lift 1800 lbs with 1150 psi, all you need is about 1.6 sq.in. of cylinder area, or a diameter of about 0.72", not taking into account any mechanical advantage. Doesn't mean a power steering pump is the best tool for the job, but it'll certainly do it.


I agree completely, but you should have an additional safety factor of 50% and a power steering pump is capable of that also only at a slower speed.
Since we still don't know how fast, often or far you need to move the 1800# there is nothing else to add.


----------



## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Is anyone else curious about what the OP is making?


----------



## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

I once worked on a feed truck that used a power steering pump for operating it hydraulics, 

as far as the psi or GPM I have no idea, 

but one could easily make a larger reservoir if needed, On most pumps one would just need to put a hose on the fill tank and then to a larger tank with a matching size port , and have the return go in to the larger tank.

most of the first tractors Hydralics (in the 50's) were only about 1000 psi,


----------



## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

The unit is ground driven from the wheels. The pump will charge an accumulator. An inline valve will activate @ about 2000 psi letting the additional fluid being pumped, bypass back to the tank. The tank holds 14 gallons of fluid with plenty of space for expansion.
The 3" x 18" cylinder will cycle in and out once. And the 3" x 9" cylinder will plunge out before having any potential for recharging the accumulator.


----------



## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

If the unit is ground driven you could use a hydraulic cylinder and check valves to make a pump. The output may pulsate at slow speed but it could pump high pressure.


----------



## travis91 (Jul 26, 2005)

they work to run a centrifuge for cleaning used motor oil for biodiesel.. they use one off a small block chevy


----------



## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

Agman,
I see what you are saying about using the cylinder but I am a little too far down the road to change my direction. At a later date when I build another I may consider that.


----------



## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

A power steering pump is just a hydraulic pump, you might get 1500psi out of one right out a of car easily enough, most ham can type pumps are set for about 1000-1200psi by the relief bypass valve installed in it because more than that will split a power steering box..

Pressure/flow is controlled by an internal relief valve that is screwed into the output port and controlled by a relief valve spring and orifice, and tuned with thin washers to lower the relief valve spring pressure. More washers=less pressure, less washers = more pressure. At 1200 psi most have one or two washers in the valve.

You might be able to get a lot more pressure out of one than that with a stiffer relief valve spring. Or remove the relief valve and use an external one like most hydraulic systems do.

I just got through tuning one down to 800psi on the power steering conversion I did on my '53 power wagon.

Here's decent descriptive page that shows the pressure/flow bypass/relief valve.

http://westtexasoffroad.homestead.com/powersteering.html


----------

