Hello all. I am wondering just how heavy the steering on a 1964 3.8 would be without power steering. The fact that they were able to be purchased that way from Jaguar implies they were quite driveable but not having driven one I would be interested in feedback from others who have. I have read quite a few comments in this forum that poser steering makes them feel like a more modern car to drive and I can see that a lot of posters ask about where to obtain power steering units of one sort or another but I am wondering just how bad (if "bad' is even the right word) the original un powered steering is. How about road feel etc?
Thanks in advance

 

Good Morning 'Wouldbeowner',

I can speak from experience on this matter, having recently rebuilt my MK2, replacing the 2.4 engine with a 4.2 (XJ). My car was never fitted with power steering and, likely, back in the day would have been fitted with thinner crossply tyres. It now has 185 x 15 radials. The 3.4/3.8/4.2 engines essentially use the same block and so weigh the same as each other, whereas the 2.4 was shorter and weighed less - which is why few 2.4's has PAS whilst most 3.4/3.8's did.
I've covered around 200 miles since putting my car back on the road and, whilst on the road the steering is fine, at low parking speeds the steering wheel can be very heavy. I'm in the process of fitting PAS for this very reason (my only worry is the possible loss of 'feel' at higher speeds). Due to a lack of space in the engine bay I'm planning to fit a Burman steering
box, together with associated stronger arms/rods/idler coupled to an electric pump (in place of the dynamo-mounted MK2 pump or fanbelt driven XJ one). I'll have to get the hydraulic pipes made up, but will report back on this forum when it's all completed. The pump I intend using is from a Vauxhall Astra/Zafira. A well-known Jaguar parts supplier appear to use this pump on their steering 'rack' conversion (another option but which, I understand, can be problematic due to the 'Ackerman' efffect, which is to do with the inner wheel turning by a different amount on tight turns ?).

Kind regards - Keith

 

Thanks Keith. What is the conversion going to cost you approximately?

 

Hi again,

To date: Box £165. Idler & adjustment rod £50. Seal kit for box £18. Used Vauxhall Pump/Reservoir £65. I anticipate probably around £50 for hoses ?? I've still got to locate a
used lower column (the PAS one is shorter than the non-PAS one). It certainly comes out a lot less than the alternatives. If you are contemplating such a retro-fit be aware that the later Adwest steering box requires a hollowed-out suspension subframe/crossmember (I'm advised - but cannot guarantee yet - that the earlier boxes do not require the hollow and are a
straightfroward bolt-on replacement ?). Obviously as time passes these used parts will get harder to locate and, therefore, prices will undoubtedly rise.

 

You'll find the steering very heavy at low speeds compared to a modern PAS car. This is with the standard steering box that gives five turns lock to lock. Even with the Burman PS box the turns lock to lock are identical. The later Adwest box using the Marles Varamatic principle of a servo piston to supply the power and the variable ratio by a separate worm and roller with the worm cut logarithmically.

I might be possible to modify the early subframes to take the Marles box. There are also electric steering kits available, but you have to replace the dynamo with an alternator to get the amps.