Huh...Less effort I'm guessing? Low speed,high speed all around?

Yes less effort. I would imagine mostly at low speed, but seeing as I never looped the lines and just depowered it properly, I can't really say.

Properly???

Has anyone tried looped and with the seals blown out? I'm not willing to do it but it would be neat to see a real world comparison.

It's pretty light looped. My wife drives this car too. She says her dads 74 RSR is harder to steer then the Miata. She's driven them both and doesn't like moving the RSR out of the trailer or around the paddock area because of the steering effort. Says they're the same once you get rolling.

I can't even think of a time there would be enough fluid moving to slow steering response. On jack stands I can easily move the steering side to side by moving the actual tire (holding it at 3 and 9 o'clock) and when I do the steering wheel is turning faster lock to lock then I could/would turn it, so there is no way I could move it that quickly driving.

Air flows more easily but I like the idea of some sort of lubrication and I don't feel resistance with the fluid in there.

There is no hydraulic assist either way so I imagine the effort is the same at 0 speed, especially since you really can't turn the steering wheel fast enough to cause restriction. It would be different if you just plugged the rack and didn't allow the fluid to move.

Plus with the loop I can just add the bracket pump and lines if needed/wanted.

Eh.. say whatever you want. If you are happy with it, that's fine, it's your car. I'll take my rack with plugged lines, removed seal and slathered in synthetic grease. It doesn't really matter either way if you are happy with it.

/threadjack

Don't forget to weld the pinion input shaft. I does flex even though it feels tight to the bare hands. Others have tried it both ways and say it makes a big difference. I did it the first time so I can't give a before/after.
-hyde

like my crappy iphone pic in post #2?

Yes, just like that. I've seen that picture around in many of these threads - you are famous! :bowdown: Welding the pinion is often skipped because people fail to understand how it works - they give it a twist with their hands and assume it is solid. I'm just suggesting a serious track guy would want to do the full monty and weld the pinion. ;)
-h

weld the pinion shaft, it makes a difference. You can leave the "directional head" out (part with all the grooves and white ring seals) there is a bearing and seal in the top of the pinion housing, pack the bearings with some grease, thats all they need.

I started putting everything together yesterday, but I was overcome by confusion:
It seems there are multiple steering rack shafts and apparently the shaft from the rack's u-joint to the fire wall does not have a "bolted coupler" at the firewall. Is this correct? There are grooves in the shaft for two bolts, but I don't see where these bolts would go...it slides in and out until bolted to the rack's u-joint.

I have this thing together now and there is some very minor plan in the pinion. I have ~1mm from the driver's seat. I can feel the play at the u-joint/pinion housing. I tightened up the lower pinion bolt a bit more, and added some tension on the spring and it's better but still there. Is that slight slop fixable?

Did you weld the pinion shaft? If not, that is your 1mm.
-h

.

I just depowered a FD RX7 rack for a guy a couple of weeks ago and just last night he mentioned reading about welding the pinion shaft. I had never done this before as it wasn't in the FM instructions. He's bringing it to the house tonight and we are going to weld the pinion. Interesting to see that here as well. Never knew about it.

I put it on the ground and drove it yesterday, trying to load up the wheel as much as possible and it felt pretty good. It seems to hold steering angle better than ever before. I already have a lot of pressure/resistance on the little spring loader guy, but I think I'm going to add a touch more to get that heavy, Porsche feel. I think more resistance will help me hold steering angle better and not react so much/saw the wheel mid corner.

Thanks to everyone who provided input, and no thanks to anyone who drives a Bauce 302...however I appreciated the late-night sexting.

You need 245/45/17s in the front for the real Porsche feel. ;)

not sure what resistance would do to change steering input. if you needed to do that to keep the rear inline and you stopped doing that, the rear will come around. if your just turning the wheel back and forth for no reason, your wierd. lol...