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Variotronic Power Steering Pump vs Standard

midtownjack

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Have heard rumour that the Statesman/Calais (Variotronic) Power Steering Pumps differ to the Standard Commodore ones. The AC Delco catalogue seems to confirm this with different part number listed for Standard/Variotronic Pumps.
Can anyone confirm this?

Issues is VS Statesman 5L: The Variotronic steering is working but the minute the motor gets rev'd up the steering gets super heavy for the rest of the drive. Trying to work out if the Solenoid is going or if something else is at fault.

Cheers
 

EYY

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Probably the solenoid. The difference is that the fitting in the back of the pump has a restrictor in it for the non-variatronic design. For the variatronic system, the pump doesn't use the restrictor, and flow is controlled by the solenoid. If you use a variatronic pump with a standard rack, steering will be extremely light.
 

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^^^ What he said.

How old is the fluid? We were having issues with our variatronic steering solenoid, flushing clean fluid through the system seems to have solved the issue.
 

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Probably the solenoid. The difference is that the fitting in the back of the pump has a restrictor in it for the non-variatronic design. For the variatronic system, the pump doesn't use the restrictor, and flow is controlled by the solenoid. If you use a variatronic pump with a standard rack, steering will be extremely light.

Would a non variotronic pump in a variotronic setup car cause issue?

How old is the fluid? We were having issues with our variatronic steering solenoid, flushing clean fluid through the system seems to have solved the issue.

New fluid went in 6 months ago with the rack.

Basically: Car had no variotronic steering + leaky rack - replaced rack with one from a car with known good variotronic system - rack now works and is super light but once the steering goes heavy it doesn't generally like to lighten back up. Sometimes does randomly, but generally stiff. Am trying to rule out EVERY possible problem before hunting for another solenoid.
Is there anything else in the system that can cause issues?
 

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Yes as the standard pump has a pressure control valve where the variatronic PS pump doesn't as the pressure is controlled by the solenoid in the rack.
 

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Yes as the standard pump has a pressure control valve where the variatronic PS pump doesn't as the pressure is controlled by the solenoid in the rack.

Shall purchase a Variotronic style pump and pray that fixes the issue. The idea of hunting for another solenoid makes my wallet burn! Will post back after the swap

Thanks for the help guys!
 

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Maybe you can just remove the valve from the pump you have now.
 

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One time when I was in a hurry I assembled the valve wrong and had no PS pressure, I figure that if you assemble it in such a way it gives full pressure it will do the same as the standard variotronic PS pump.
 

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Use the fitting from the variatronic pump, it should just unscrew. Try to find a good second hand rack, I got one from pick a part for $50 with warranty including the solenoid.

I've used a non variatronic pump and it worked as it should. Not sure if it would do any damage in the long term though - I didn't run it like that for long (maybe 20,000km)

These pumps can fail though and still work intermittently - have had this problem on my Hj for a fair while and have been putting up with it lol
 
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