Electric Power Steering (EPS) for your Alpine

[DanR]

Now available, Power steering for your Alpine.

No messy hydraulic fluid leaks, No pump & Fan belts to adjust or hoses, and No Loss of power from the engine, nice, clean, quite, and easy driving, just a touch of an adjustment knob to set the "feel" you want for parking or down the road driving

I finalized the EPS wiring and made a deal to have a wiring harness made for the EPS which will complete the kit for the Power Steering.

A tentative sell price is $1050.00 which will be:

1. The modified upper steering column w/telescoping capability (as original)
2. An EPS motor with warranty; a separate wiring harness
3. Fittings for installation
4. Instructions to modify your lower steering column.

You can use your original components such as horn, turn signals, steering wheel, etc....

My test car, unlike the earlier Series, is a '67 SV Alpine equipped with fresh air ducts. After much study, trial and error I was finally able to retain the fresh air duct even thought it is very tight. The defroster vent is also left unmolested.

The Electric Power Steering unit for the Alpine, as I have designed sits the ECM behind the passenger kick panel. The wiring harness will run from the Motor (main power and ground) to the ECM, from the ECM with the power and ground to the Battery box with a main inline fuse, the Controller to (Ign Switch) and Adjustment knob from the ECM to the Dash panel (You select a location).

A good serviceable "Core" will be required for the upper portion of the steering column.

To keep the cost as low as possible I will provide instructions for you (or your machine shop) to modify the lower portion of the steering assembly which I refer to as the "outer column and steering box".

DO NOT DISASSEMBLE the outer column from the steering box unless you like to deal with lots of "small things" like ball bearings etc.... Besides it is not required for the conversion!

If you are in the process of restoring your Alpine, doing engine, or radiator work, the removal of the steering column and box is fairly simple and can be changed out easily for modifying to the EPS.

While the steering box is out of the car would be a good time to replace the rubber O ring that seals the lubricant.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions please do so,

DanR

P.S. Of course you can DIY..... I'm a bit slow, so it only took me a couple years

 

[MikeH]

Is the manual steering still in use in the event of a failure (i.e. blown fuse)?

 

[DanR]

Manual Steering with EPS?

Yes, Mike! You still have normal steering if the electric motor fails. That is one of the best safety measures over the Hyd system.

DanR

 

[cdk84]

This is a very exciting option!

Huge thanks for working this out: we all stand to benefit from your creativity --unless there's anyone in the club who's getting younger...

Thanks so much, and best of luck with this,

David

 

[DanR]

David, Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. It takes a lot of effort to get through some of the ideas I have tried to put to possible use for me as well as others....The Others is what started me on the EPS

It was a few years ago when one of our Fellow SAOCA Members was having trouble driving (steering) his Alpine due to the loss of strength in his hands.

Having just learned of the EPS capability from a friend that had installed one in his ’47 Plymouth Hot Rod my mind was running pretty fast on how I could apply the EPS to an Alpine.

I was thinking primarily of Nick O'Dell, wanting to help him continue driving Matilda a few more years. Before I could get things together, He sold his love!

So, after chasing that dream, I zero’d in on one of my Alpines.
Not wanting to cut or butcher the Alpine, it can be a real chore to come up with a workable solution.

I believe my EPS will make the Alpine a really driving pleasure.

It was during the restoration of Commodore Blue (powered by the 1725) that Vintage Air w/Heat was installed It is now powered by FORD Hopefully this winter it gets the EPS.

 

[Greggers]

Posting Photos on DanR's behalf...

1st PIC Alpine Steering Box with the column running thru the firewall.
2nd PIC Electric Power Steering (EPS) Motor Assy connected to the Alpine Steering Column thru the firewall to the Steering Box in the engine compartment.
3rd PIC EPS Mounted in the Original Alpine Steering Bracket (will be behind the Dash).
4th PIC Alpine Upper Steering Telescoping Unit fitted to the EPS Motor assy. More than adequate foot clearance.
5th PIC A good view of the EPS with the Alpine Telescoping piece/steering wheel nut -mounted in original position with all functions such as the turn signals/flasher/horn/ etc.

 

[Greggers]

Posting more photos on DanR's behalf...

6th PIC EPS Steering mounted, with the ECM located on the firewall where the Kick Panel will hide it. The wiring harness has sufficient wire to run to the necessary connections such as the Battery Box and the Controller to the Motor assembly; the ignition switch and the Adjustment Knob to the Dash.
7th PIC Is the Positive & Ground wires from the ECM to the Battery Box. Routing is recommended along the inside sill.
8th PIC Continuation of the Power Source and ground from the ECM to the Battery.
9th PIC End of Line: From the ECM to Battery. An inline fuse comes with the Harness.
10th PIC: This one shows the EPS assembly minus the Alpine parts.

 

[DanR]

Thanks Greggers for the NICE Pictures

 

[Greggers]

Thanks Greggers for the NICE Pictures

And here are more nice ones.

 

[RHFG]

Is the unit applicable to RHD cars? What about Tigers?

 

[DanR]

Applicable to what Alpines

RHFG, There is a link for the TIGER power steering posted by another Gent. I have it some where and will post as soon as I find it for you.

As for whether or not it will fit a RHD Alpine, I see not reason why to believe it would not fit as well as for the LHD Alpine.

That is an interesting question that I have not confronted. Perhaps I can give a better answer after this weekend. I will be attending the British Car Fayve in Norcross, Georgia Sept 9th. If there are none of the RHD Alpines available I will see some surely in Virginia at the UNITED XXXVI Sept 22-24th.

My design does not effect the steering of the Alpine in any way other than to provide a power assist. The steering box will remain in place. The lower column from the steering box upward through the firewall will remain. I recommend the outer column and inner shaft be cut smoothly and evenly at approximately 10" from the flange that fastens to the gear box, then the outer column "ONLY" be cut at 7 1/2" leaving the inner shaft at 10". From this point upper ward all inside/under dash connects to the motor assembly. The upper portion of the Alpine components are modified to fit the EPS motor, retaining all of the stock functions such as turn signal, horn, OD, Flasher etc.,....

Hope this helps. In the mean time I will verify if it is a fit to the RHD's.

DanR

P.S. I had a great experience back in 1963 during a visit to your Beautiful Country. I had the greatest of pleasures to spend several months in Christchurch, New Zealand.... Great people, Beautiful places, Best hunting and fishing a person could ask for

 

[65sunbeam]

Dan-I have a RHD S5 Alpine you can study next time you visit! Eric

 

[DanR]

Will do Eric....

DanR

 

[alsalp]

Dan,
Do you have issues with the steering self centering?
I converted mine using a 2007 Saturn VUE column and the ebay module.
It works great to adjust the assist though mine won't self center anymore
Al

 

[DanR]

Do you know why it stopped selfcentering?

Do you have the Black plastic ECM box or the Metal one?

What position is the adjustable knob when it does not self center?

Perhaps we should ask Bruno?

DanR

 

[DanR]

EPS Link

This is new for my Electrical Power Steering (EPS).

http://danr.mhartman.net/electrical-power-steering


While I need to put more pictures for a better display of the system, this is hopefully a good start,

DanR

 

[chubby]

This sounds interesting. Any RHD adopters yet?

 

[Jeff Howarth]

Is the unit applicable to RHD cars? What about Tigers?

the electric power steering units for Tigers are handed to clear obstacles under the dash - they come form the same car but LH or RH version. As the Alpine is all but the same under the dash, the same may apply.

 

[65beam]

But you don't find many RHD cars in the states which is Dan's market area. What car was the EPS unit used on? I may have heard but it wasn't important enough to remember so it was forgotten. I will say that our one Malibu has EPS. I don't like it but my understanding is that it's part of the rack.

 

[Bill Blue]

A lot of cars are equipped with EPS. Some use an electric motor to drive a pump, others are completely electric. Some are integrated into the rack, others are a part of the steering wheel assembly. Most are tied into the computer system in one fashion or another. Some units are more suitable than others for what Dan is doing, to say nothing about donor/recipient fitability.

And that's all I've got to say about that.

Bill