Electric power steering retrofit?

You guys seen online where people bolt up power steering assist motors from newer FWD GM vehicles onto steering columns of vehicles with ‘traditional’ hydraulic P.S. systems? Google ‘Saturn Vue electric steering’. There’s companies that sell systems to upgrade vintage cars for big $$. But if you obtain a junkyard unit from a Vue or cobalt, and buy a $50 module off eBay to communicate with assist Motor, you can pull the P.S. pump off, and just loop a small hose connecting the inlet and outlet of the gearbox. Looks promising, I just don’t have the time (or courage) to dive into my daily driver. Anybody here do it yet?

i would wonder if a saturn unit would have enough grunt to turn a pair of 255-50-17's on the front of a 4500lb car at a dead stop.

What exactly would you do with the serpentine belt now that you don't need the PS pump?

Find a shorter serp belt? I donno, I was just kicking the idea around. I know the ‘redline’ edition Saturn Vue had tires about that wide from the factory (was a Saturn mech a lifetime ago)
Cool thing is, from a safety standpoint, if there is a failure of the assist Motor, your car ‘reverts’ to manual steering. Stiff at low speeds but always connected to the factory gearbox. The questions I have more along the lines of, ‘does the shaft have the same diameter/spine count?’ and ‘underdash mounting issues?’
Pretty sure a couple Ford Falcon & classic mustang have done the swap already.
I was curious if any of you EWP-loving guys have looked into this mod.
OCC is my ride to work 6 days a week. And my ADHD prevents me from EVER completing a project
So I’m a lil weary to dive into this one....

Swaggerwagon wrote:

Find a shorter serp belt?

Not happening. Have a look at the belt diagram, you'll understand.

my hhr has electric steering. it has 17 wheels on it from factory and the hhr ss has 18 wheels. as for the p/s pump you could probably find a idler pulley to replace the pump