Power steering line length??

[FLYNAVY30]

Is there any down side to having an unusually long power steering pressure line between the pump and the steering box??

I've talked to some friends, called Detroit Speed, and nobody can give a real definitely downside as far as degraded performance of the system or longevity of the pump.

I'm running a GM type II pump, and in an effort to route the pressure line cleanly, and away from suspension and headers, I end up with just short of 70" end to end.

My thinking is, and I may be way off.....its a constant output pump....3.0-3.5 GPM or 2.0-2.5 GPM depending on which fitting you run. So if the output is constant, the pump should be working the same whether the fluid circuit is short or long. I wouldn't think there would be any pressure drop in the system because your total system volume would be increased.

So by my uneducated calculations, the only downside to a longer pressure line is more money for the longer line. On the upside, the increased system volume should help keep temps down.

If I'm way off, someone please chime in. Thanks!!!

[damnyankee36]

I'm gonna treat this like I do electricity/current flow. Since you can use the water and electron similarity for troubleshooting I would say you are risking a pressure drop unless you use a bigger hose.

Just like when you place the battery at the rear of a vehicle you need to increase the cable guage.

For the cooling part you may be gaining a bit of an advantage there although the hose won't transfer heat as well as a steel line. My 83 Camaro has a steel line going across the core support and back again for a bit of a cooling effect.

[FLYNAVY30]

I dont think that analogy is entirely accurate. In doing some more research, and talking to my buddy who is a test pilot with a fair bit of experience in fluid dynamics, a loss in pressure in a hydraulic system is due to friction in the line, and friction in any fittings along the way. There are formulas and calculators available but the measurements are made in PSI loss per 100 foot of tube. Essentially, when you're talking about the PSI of a power steering system, and the short distance of the circuit, even a 100% increase in circuit length would result in a negligible PSI reduction at the pump.

[damnyankee36]

It will be interesting to see the results. Will you be able to do a before and after comparison? The detail that caught my eye was the new line will be 5-6 times longer than the factory length.

That long length of line on my camaro I mentioned was on the return side. Curious if that makes a difference as opposed to placing it on the pressure side.