Jack Worstell

If anyone is interested in knowing more about this project and info on how we are going about this ( pictures etc etc ) contact me via email. Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com

Another thing...the EPS motor can pull a lot of amps. If you turn the steering wheel hard ….and fast....it will pull 30 amps and maybe a little more. But this heavy current is brief. Going "straight down the road" the unit only pulls about 0.5 amps. We used 10 ga wire to the motor...wanted only very minimal voltage drop. I wasn't sure the lawn tractor battery with the boost converter ( whose 12V output with 8V input is only in the 5-10 amp range) would be enough. However after our ( admittedly brief ) testing I think this will work out after all. ….but it's something we need more confidence in via more complete testing. Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com

Here's an addendum to the previous post above I did about 40 minutes ago. There's a lot more on the internet than just the three I listed above...…..some Internet/Utube searches along the lines "EPS Installation" will bring up more stuff. If you should go down this road the first thing you will have to decide is between a GM ( Saturn Vue/Equinox) type unit or an Asian type unit. The Asian unit is a little easier to install and doesn't require an add-on module....but you can't adjust boost level. The GM unit is a little more difficult to install and requires an a small add-on module ( buy off of eBay for about $50 ) but with it you can adjust boost level. So far we have $35 in a used Saturn Vue ( 2005) EPS unit about $50 for a add-on module off of eBay and about $30 for the converter to recharge the 12V battery. The battery cost us nothing...off of a used lawn tractor. And maybe $50 for wire and misc. We needed a modest amount of machine work but my buddy has a machine shop so no cost here For the three of us working two afternoons a week this has been a two month project. Sounds like a lot but we are in no hurry and also there has been a lot of trial and error as we learned about EPS units etc etc. Someone learning off our experience could do it faster Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com

Ben and Don No it will be a while before we are confident. We will probably road test it next week for the first time. This week we will finish adding the "boost converter" which will take 8V and boost it to 12V ( to keep the 12V lawn and tractor battery charged up....this 12V battery powers the EPS motor ) And we have found that we need to add some support to the EPS motor unit. To install this we had to cut out part of both the outer steering column and the inner steering column tube......and installed the EPS motor unit...which is a bit heavy...…...in the space we cut out. We lost a little rigidity here and we have to get it back with some bracing of some sort. You can figure on having toe remove the complete steering column.....along with the steering box since you can't separate them We garage tested the unit again today and again it gave plenty of boost to the steering. In the interim....there's a fair amount of info on the internet and UTube if you want to get familiar with this. Then later....if I'm successful...I can add the "1937 Special" aspect. It will be hard to describe what we have done if you haven't already reviewed some of the stuff on the internet/UTube stuff for example https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/1848775-35-electric-power-steering-fail-safe-no-ebay-module-no-caster-issues.html#post19425307 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4TYQ_KJSpc http://www.epowersteering.com/ Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com

I thought several of you might want to know that we just installed an EPS out of a 2005 Saturn Vue in our 1937 Special. We have a lot more testing to do...but at this point it looks good. We mounted the motor part in the engine compartment and the ECM box under the dash ( all examples I've seen on the internet is everything under the dash...but we think our set-up will work ) We wrapped the exhaust pipe coming off the exhaust manifold with some insulating material so as to give some temperature protection to the unit. Our Special is 8V ( changed to 8V battery and 8V alternator a while back ) and the EPS needs 12v. So we added a small 12V lawn tractor battery in the engine compartment ……..passenger side and we will keep this charged with a small "boost converter" ( $30). This will provide the 12V for the EPS unit. We didn't have any example to go by ( except post WW II examples on the internet ) so there was some trial and error. At this point it looks like we made the right guesses. Asian EPS units are somewhat easier to deal with in this regard ….but with a Saturn/Equinox unit it is possible to adjust "boost". Whether or not this extra versatility is worth the extra effort we can't say at this point. Again …..we just ran the first brief test today. W e have yet to do a road test. It will be a while before we have full confidence. Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com

Just guess and hook them up.. If the ammeter shows discharge when the engine is running then things are backwards... .........so switch them the other way.. This only works if the charging system is working Ammeters are dumb......if current is going thru them they will show deflection one way or the other. If the wires are hooked up backwards on an ammeter....your car will still run just fine but the meter reading "backwards" will be distracting Jack Worstell

Larry OK I see my mistake....and I have since exchanged several emails and a phone call with Don. He has been extremely helpful. My buddy has had one shoulder repaired about two years ago...it didn't work out. Now he also has trouble with the other shoulder but since the previous repair on the first shoulder didn't work out he won't let a doctor work on the second one. Translation...he really needs power steering. Jack

Larry there are two things in your photo we don't have 1 The little "ball bearing" 2 The ring. But we do have the little short cylinder with the raised rim on one end Funny....even so the ignition lock had been working OK previously' We had taken the steering column out of the Buick so as to install electric power steering using a used unit out of a 2005 Saturn Vue. I'm fairly certain that during all of this we did not lose these two little parts. Yes...I know...we are departing from originality …..but me and my two buddies who are working on the Buick are all 80+ old guys. We need to make concessions that in years past we wouldn't have done. Thanks again Jack

Thanks Larry...I will check this out. Jack

The ignition lock isn't working right. The "tang" doesn't retract as far as it should. It retracts far enough that the inner steering shaft will turn but we're concerned that. given it isn't totally right that it will slip some more such that it will accidently engage the inner shaft....locking steering. while driving...…...a disaster. Has anyone encountered this situation before and if so....what caused this and how did you correct it ? Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com

Thanks Gary Jack

Bloo ...we all do crazy things with these old cars. The old car hobby is a bit crazy to begin with. Jack

Matt....we are exploring adding Electric Power Steering. using a unit out of a Saturn Vue. This would require making modifications to the steering column both the inner shaft and the outer tube. We added overdrive awhile back....great improvement. But it sure is hard to steer and we would like to improve this too. Jack Jack

Matt...is it possible to remove the steering column without removing the steering box ? The column by itself is what I want to remove. Jack

…..anyone have this info ?

Any help ?

Does anyone know the diameter of the inner shaft of the steering column in a 1937 Special? And how does the bottom end of the inner shaft engage the steering box ? Splined connection ? Keyway connection ? Or ? Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com

The procedure for removing the steering column in a 1937 Special ? Thanks Jack Worstell

Don Yes it is a PITA. I don't know why GM engineers ever bothered with this. Far too much trouble for so little benefit. A waste. The "cross beam" feature especially caused confusion But since this is how the Buick came from the factory....we'll wade thru it. Jack

Gary...thanks. That's what I what to know. I'll wire the dash lights to terminal #5 and then when the headlight switch is in' any of the three "operating" positions then the dash lights will be on. Jack

Thanks Gary. I sent Dave a PM Jack

Gary FOOTNOTE....when I say "three positions" I;m not including "off" What I am trying to say is these three: "park" "conventional" "passing"

Thanks Gary. My buddy wanted me to wire his dash lights ( 1937 Special) such that they would come on whenever the headlight knob was pulled out to any of the three positions. From your reply....I'd say that this cannot be done....there is no terminal that is always hot no matter which of the three positions ( the terminals that are hot when the knob is pushed all of the way in can't be used or the dash lights would always be on even when the car was parked} …….…..Am I reading your reply correctly ?……….. Also....do you have the answer to the second question I posed in my initial post ? Thanks Jack

I dimly recall that about a year or so ago someone on this forum said they had a spare pair of reflectors that had been re=silvered ( or restored using UVIRA...I can't remember which ) Does anyone recall this ? Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com

Fig 12-36 above shows that there are 12 terminals on the switch. And the photo shows three triangular sets of contacts ( three contact points on each triangle.) for a total of 9 contact points. Question does anyone know, for each of the three positions of the pull knob on the switch, which of the 12 terminals show continuity with each other ?? And....of all of the 12 terminals....is any of the 12 "hot" no matter which of the three positions the pull knob is in ? There have been plenty of discussions about this switch but I've never seen the answers to these two questions posted. Jack Worstell jlwmaster@aol.com