Power Steering Filter??

[badazz81z28]

Who here runs one and why? I have a new CR radiator and would hate for any PS issue to clog and damage the integrated cooler. Is this a real concern or am I thinking about it wrong? I honestly prefer not to run one due to space and complexity.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

First off, I would not use the "cooler" inside the radiator for power steering. The fluid will always be the same temperature as the radiator, never cooler....and 180°+ for p/s fluid isn't something to shoot for.

That said, I don't think it's worth bothering with a filter, but I do suggest running a standalone cooler.

[badazz81z28]

I’m no engineer, but it’s a heat exchanger. There isn’t enough time in the unit for the fluids to obtain equilibrium. The coolant may be sitting at 200 degrees, but much hotter power steering fluid won’t become 200 degrees by flowing through it. When it comes to a air to liquid heat exchanger, the ambient air temp could cause greater issues. Say the ambient air is 40-50 degrees, it could very much chill the power steering fluid well below 200 degrees. A liquid to liquid cooler at least gives it warmth no matter the ambient? My engine oil system does have a thermostat.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I expect the radiator to pass heat to the power steering system, I do not see how it wouldn't, given how that cooler is situated within the radiator. Perhaps they will not be entirely equal, but I see the power steering side of this equation to be a liquid-to-liquid cooler. Yes, the bottom tank [in most installations] is going to be much cooler than what is coming in from the engine at the top, but it will be quite hot nonetheless.

I'm not planning on dusting off my Thermo books to provide any math behind it, but that's just my engineering judgement. For whatever it's worth, my car has a radiator trans cooler that is unused and a divorced power steering cooler.

[dhutton]

Don’t 4th gen F body power steering cooler have engine coolant flowing through them? Pretty sure they do. Power steering fluid can get a lot hotter than radiator coolant as far as I know...

Don

[TonyV]

I highly recommend a P/S cooler if you're going to track your car. my first config i didn't run a cooler and i slowly lost my P/S on the track due to temp exceeding 260. I then bought a radiator with a P/S built in and never looked back. Multiple track days in Az and never had an issue. I also didn't have to find a remote location to mount an external cooler either.