I thought it would be easiest to start a new thread on my electronic power steering conversion for the WD and WD45 Tractors. I am currently restoring my 1953 WD in this thread: 

http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/a-story-about-allie-the-1953-wd_topic183867.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/a-story-about-allie-the-1953-wd_topic183867.html

the thought was to keep this separated for future use and general info for the modification. 

The unit I will be using is as shown below. this one is particularly from a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox. this is not an electronic unit that makes a certain amount of turns before locking but rather a 12V torque generator that assists a worm gear internal to the unit once the torque sensors see shaft movement. it has unlimited turns left and right. perfect for these types of projects. 

This is the EPS Journey. Stay tuned for updates. 

5/8" coupler ( one needed, I bought 2 for trials) 

http://www.princessauto.com/en/shaft-couplers/product/PA1000001373?skuId=8594012" rel="nofollow - http://www.princessauto.com/en/shaft-couplers/product/PA1000001373?skuId=8594012

3/4" keyed steering u-joint

http://https://www.princessauto.com/en/3-4-in-r-x-3-4-in-r-universal-joint/product/PA0008087157" rel="nofollow - http://https://www.princessauto.com/en/3-4-in-r-x-3-4-in-r-universal-joint/product/PA0008087157

Go Kart Axle - Steps down from 1" to 7/8" to 3/4" keyed.

http://www.princessauto.com/en/go-kart-rear-axle/product/PA0008955825" rel="nofollow - http://www.princessauto.com/en/go-kart-rear-axle/product/PA0008955825

tie rod boot for water seal on input to unit. 

/ http://https://stores.djstractorparts.com/tie-rod-boot-fd-337d/" rel="nofollow - http://https://stores.djstractorparts.com/tie-rod-boot-fd-337d/

50A circuit breaker

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07WTLTLP6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1" rel="nofollow - http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07WTLTLP6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

10AWG wire (enough to go back to the battery box)

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0756TDXJ9/?coliid=I3KLIUVB46E6VG&colid=1JHQOCNZ6FT8O&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1" rel="nofollow - http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0756TDXJ9/?coliid=I3KLIUVB46E6VG&colid=1JHQOCNZ6FT8O&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

Bruno Steering EPS controller (to trick the ECU into providing feedback) 

http://www.brunosteering.com/product/saturn-vue-chevy-equinox-electric-power-steering-electronic-controller-box-epas/" rel="nofollow - http://www.brunosteering.com/product/saturn-vue-chevy-equinox-electric-power-steering-electronic-controller-box-epas/

You will also need 3/16" (roughly 6"x6") plate steel and 2x2 or 1x1 angle iron (1 ft) to complete the fabrication. 

Since i am changing U-joint sizes, I had to adapt the steering shaft to 3/4" which involved shortening the original shaft by about 5.625" to fit this adapter. I Used the Go-Kart axle for this, Cut the threads off the end and cut the correct length off the shaft. Next will be to weld it to the steering shaft for a perfect fit length wise, and a nice tapered step down to 3/4" for the new u-joint. 

 Hey JTaylor,,,this sounds like a great project that many will look into,,,,including ME,!!! I been dreading having to dismante the PS system on my D14 to repair it,,,IF the parts can even be found,,!  I'll be following your project, so, keep the info and pics coming,,,,

 Hey B26240 ,,what is the address of the "red Power" tractor site you refer to,,? TIA.

Red Power; https://redpowermagazine.com/" rel="nofollow - https://redpowermagazine.com/

Great site! Similar expertise as here for all things Red.

B26240 wrote: Joe The article was in the Red Power bi-monthly magazine,  There is articles by the "Tractor Doctor" there version of our Dr. Allis.  He installed it on if I remember correctly a Farmall A or 100 with a mower deck that his wife cuts grass with.  Article included pictures, he mounted unit about where the PS unit mounts on a WD45.     Mark

I remember that article, it was awhile back. Probably more than a year? "Tractor Doctor" is my favorite part of the magazine!

I removed the original steering shaft from the front bolster. I previously marked the shaft in a rough spot to cut. double measured and cut the original steering shaft to make fit! no turning back now.. 

I ended up with 1 3/16" shaft protruding from the bolster bolt plate. 

I took my coupler adapter and welded it onto the stub shaft. I have yet to find a smaller coupler to allow the bolster plate to be removed once this shaft is welded. so, in that case (and so it was in my case) replace the bearings on the worm gear or make sure they are good prior to welding this on. 

Once welded into place, I was able to grease the bearings and reinstall the worm gear into the bolster. the worm gear is much easier to fit in once its 2 feet shorter! 

I slid the power steering unit onto the coupler for a test fit. It fit rather well with some minor adjustments. It has roughly 1/4-3/8" between itself and the front crank pulley. 

I used a rubber tie rod boot (part number from DJS Tractor) to keep water away from the torque sensors on the unit. 

Here is the unit placement in the frame rails. More space then you think but at the same time less space than you think! 

Steering shaft comes through the original area under the engine. tight space but no different than the original. I do still have an extension I need to make to mate to the u-joint that will be 3.25" long and made out of the remaining stepped portion of the go kart shaft. 

I assume the unit was from a scrapped Saturn that you had access to. Are there any other vehicles (that you know of) that have a similar setup for parts?

My specific unit came from a 2007 chevrolet equinox. but, saturn vue and ion do work as long as it is a metal (grey) box for the ECU. if it is the black box, it will not work with any controller correctly due to a computer issue inside the unit. 

There is a few other units that do the same purpose (toyota prius, nissan cube, kia soul etc) but none that were as tightly compacted as this setup. 

I picked my power steering motor and ECU up for the tune of $60 at the local auto wreckers. 

Honestly, 

I think i currently have about $175 into the conversion as it sits. Including the odds and ends that i thought i would need that i never used. i should be right around the $250 mark when completed. 

 Well,, a lot more and more of us Have to go this route due to these very rare parts no longer available and if you do find the parts,,they are super expensive!!  Most owners would like to keep their tractors original,,AND their cars, trks,,just bout everything any more and eventually we all wind up like ole JTaylor and look for other ways to get our work done. Great job, JTaylor,,,keep up the great work and keep them pics coming,,,,

engine speed, ground speed, wheel effort have no input to "the box"..?

 Hey JTaylor,,did you consider getting the worm gear shaft and the coupler machined for a keyway,,thereby making it removable for later repairs,.,?? Just thinking,,,,,,,

I will definitely be breaking it down once i figure it all out for myself! 

I did have this thought, And There could be some improvements in other versions. with the proper access to a good machine shop would yield a better, removable coupler on the steering box side. I verified all my bearings were good and did not think we would run into any issues over the next 50 years so i was not overly concerned for my tractor. I would think someone who had the perfect resources and could spend a few bucks could make it happen.. although i wanted to keep within a certain budget and the local machine shop wanted $310 for the custom coupler and keyed shaft. that was my reasoning for the way i did it.. 

 WHOA,,,$310,,,!!!  OK, I see your point now and prolly what I would of done myself,,,, you know ole Shameless don't call me cheep for nuttin,,,,,,

here is the 3/4" section of go kart shaft i cut out to fit. 

Welded onto the original shaft without cutting

Total length of the shaft now is as followed: 

I put the assembly into the frame once again to double check. it looks like it lines up perfect! I will very likely be re-using the original shaft support as well with a 1" to 3.4" bushing. 

 Looking Good, Justin,,Looking good,,!! Beautiful weld too,,,,,mig or tig,,?

thanks! That shaft was MIG welded. 

That load is peak, it is roughly 30-40 amps while assisting, less if idling. your standard GM one wire alternator will handle this load just fine. You could also convert a ford 3G to one wire and get just over 120amps. 

this is the info pulled from some EPS enthusiests sites; 

"The EPS motor is a 12 volt brushed DC reversible motor with a 65 amp rating" 

From all the sources i have read, 80 ft lbs is the norm... the saturn vue weighs in at 4894 lbs gross weight. with 60% of the weight being at the front of the car, you have 2936lbs roughly over the front wheels that the EPS needs to overcome. 

the WD45 weight varies but consider 4000lbs as a rough number. exclude rear wheel weight and maybe 40% of overall tractor weight on the rear tires? you would have a front axle weight of roughly 2400lbs. about 500 lbs less than the saturn car. 

I would think we would be okay from a simple math standpoint.. only time will tell! 

I think that is the best test for it. Unfortunately my tractor will not have the loader on it, although im sure someone will do the same to their machine with a loader on at some point.. Would be a great test! 

I would want one...but truth be told my wants far outstrips my means.... 

DrAllis wrote: My WD-45 wide front/no weights/no fluid weighs 3600 lbs.  1200 lbs on the front is pretty close. A loader or front wheels in the mud would add to that steering pressure. You'll probably be just fine.

  Well, Dr. Allis,,,I'm sure glad you tackled that issue on the practicality of installing one of these EPS on a tractor with a loader as I am very interested in Justin's upgrading his tractor's power steering. I'm not sure what one bundle of shingles weighs but we were putting 8 at a time in the bucket and it was all it wanted,,!!    I'm not having any luck locating some of the parts I may need for the power steering issue on my D14, The guy at ASAP wished me luck on finding a salvageable pump and even AGCO does not have any of the RV parts and I think those parts would be key for a complete rebuild. I would much rather overhaul the original PS unit but if parts are not available you gpt to improvise,,,

A guy I know did this to a Farmall B.

He said to make sure to change the plug wires from copper to graphite to avoid EMF issues with the control module.

This might be the one mentioned on page 1 about the tractor in Red Power mag, but it was a Farmall B for sure.

DJ, a bundle of shingles weigh about 80 pounds, same as a 24x30 patio stone...They get heavier though ,the older we get !

BTW a 'bundle' will kinda cover a sheet of plywood, 3 bundles make a 'square' (100 sqft)

EMF could be an issue, It would not be uncommon, Although with the way i have the ECU setup, we should be good for EMF. The ECU is located on the other side of the tractor and away from the distributor. time will tell though! 

Onto making a bracket to hold the unit from twisting. This bracket will be interesting. Looking into a few different ways to mount it that will allow the unit to be removed if ever required without disassembly of the tractor to do so. 

 Hey Gatz,,,I did go and join the Red Power site and got on their archives section and I went all the way back to 2019 and found a few articles about use of an ESM, but not the actual article,,,,, Gonna post a "request" for some info,,,maybe I can zero in some more. I got my Buddy that owns a wrecking yard looking me for a unit out of one of them cars that Justin used,,,,,

 I ain't wanting to disassemble this tractor until I either locate all the Allis parts  or find one of the ESM units and see how ole Justin comes out with his,,,,,

 Well,,,you got that right,Jay,,them sobs got heavier and heavier as we went and I know the D14 wasn't liking em any more than we did,,,, I was having so many problems trying to get into close quarters in back yard with the dang PS sometimes working and more times NOT working I finally had to take a 20 foot section of the wood fence down to get other access to different part of the house,,,which left me more work that still needs to get done,,,,,

https://www.farmshow.com/view_articles.php?a_id=1677" rel="nofollow - https://www.farmshow.com/view_articles.php?a_id=1677

this article in Farm Show is much the same, but may provide a few more bits of info for you.....   Ken was nice enough to give permission to post the article.

 Hey Steve and Gatz,,,,I just LOVE "American Enginuity",,don't ya;ll,,,?? It "IS" what made America SO great,,,,!!

 I am on my way to my Buddy's yard in the Alien Town to get a Saturn PS unit that he says he has,,,,

 The thing different bout my application is that I will have to drain and block off the Present PS system as it is presently contaminating the engine oil by leaking thru the PS pump (see previous statements by Dr Allis) The engine oil level HAS come up a little with only bout 2 hours of tractor operation,,,,Ya'll think ONLY the ESM system would be plenty good for the D14 WITH the loader??? Sure hope so,,,,,,

 Well,,I went to my Buddy's yard in The Alien Town and fount a 2005 Saturn Vue,,,I did not know they were made by GM,,,,? The engine was still in the car,,,and,,,,and,,That almost scairt me off the project as for all the hoses, engine pieces and chit,,,heck,,you can't even SEE the dang steering mechanism,,,I can see one little piece of the rack and Pinion, so I know the rest of it is in there,,!!! Charlie's yard hand came by check on me and the conversation finally got around to how to get it out,,,? He tells me, "Charlie wants me to help you get it out so," I did a brandon and whispered to him, I'll give you a $20 on top of what Charlie pays you,,,,and,,,and,,,he broke and run to go get his tools,,,!! Sure glad I had that Jackson in my pocket cause I cannot work on my belly or my back either,,!!

 Susspossed to go pick it up tamarrow,,,

I gots a question for ole Justin,,I think in your first pic,,you had an ECM laying there,,,Is the ESM  gonna require the computor and how to program,,???

Glad you found one! lots out there! 

The ECM is required to control the unit. When it is removed from the vehicle, it should be on the same unit with a little metal bracket. make sure you keep it. also make sure it is a silver case and not the black case units. 

you will still need another module found online (i will post the link shortly) to trick the ECU into thinking it is seeing vehicle speed. Once you get this unit, it is all plug and play. no computer programming of any sorts. 

if you have the option with your buddy at the yard, get him to cut a good section of power cable that plugs into the ecm. That plug is $6 if you went new plus the crimping which is a pain. the wire side would give you a head start into splicing the wiring rather than crimping connections and purchasing new connectors.  

Our main goal here is to only support the twisting motion of the unit, since it is in line with the rest of the shaft and we are utilizing the original shaft support there is no need to build a monster bracket to assist with holding it up. just something simple that keeps it from twisting when turning. I also want the mount to be removable in the event the steering assist needs to be removed for any reason. 

I started out with a cardboard template rough cut for a general idea of the shape. 

Once i was happy with the rough shape i was able to transfer it to the steel plate. Cut it out with the angle grinder and smooth the rough shape. 

I then cut the angle iron and fit into the frame as a rough fitment. this is how it should look, Once welded i will have a better photo to show of the completed bracket. 

Thanks for following along! 

 Well,,at the risk of upsetting those that are against any modifications to the originality of these tractors,,,it IS something that will HAVE to eventually be addressed by most, due to extreme lack of parts ,,if we expect to keep this equipment operating. I DO appreciate that ,,so far, there have not been any negative comments of this thread due to the necessity of doing what needs to get done.

 I am just surprised that some enterprising young fellar has not already taken this idea and developed a prototype unit for the most popular group of tractors such as the D series or the WD's , the B's C's,,,chit all of them,,,,!!!

 Another thing,,,Those Saturn cars (made by GM) must of not had very reliable engines or transmissions as my buddies "Small" yard has bout 10 of them with the newest  being a smallish 2006 Ion,,,,?

The plan here is for me to give all the info needed to do the conversion yourself, I did it for the simplicity that i wanted something to look as factory as possible without the need for leaking fluids. by the time we are finished, you won't even see the unit without looking closely. its a win win. 

I also have the plan to make a few kits ready to install with limited fabrication work for these WD series tractors. I do have a local farmer that has a couple of the D series tractors that will likely need power steering at some point. maybe another venture for me? who knows.. 

The Saturn vehicles were never superior. Lots of electrical gremlins got to them. I remember the auto wrecker i worked in a few years back had over 20 of them.. they were never strong vehicles but there was a TON of them sold! 

The D series may not have enough room for the GM unit;  stock components already are crowded in limited spaces.

It'd be interesting to see someone do it, tho'

BTW, the long 'tube' through the ears of the aluminum casting; was that the original mount?

Your mount, and also the one for the Farmall B make use of the 3 bolts on the input shaft side.

Can that & the ears be eliminated?  I'd take those off........might free up some real estate.

I don't Suspect you would gain too much real estate with them not being mounted that way. The only other way you can mount to this style pump is to mount through the right side hole with a long bolt. you still run the risk of a sloppy steering once it starts to wear or if the bolt size just isn't correct. 

I think the 3 small bolts is your best bet. My mount once finished will be very "slimming" and will not take up much space at all. 

They are very popular in hot rod applications. very common in mazda miata, suzuki samurai and mustang swaps. its really the best win win for keeping horsepower, not maintaining fluid levels and ultra quiet. 

here is a couple of photos

LEFT BLANK BECAUSE OF INCORRECT INFORMATION 

Morpar55 wrote: May not be able to use the GM unit for the D series, but this thread could cause some enterprising person to see what other units will work and develop the controls to do so. My Challenger has electric power steering, Subarus do too. I would presume most (if not all) newer vehicles are that way to avoid dealing with the extra drag on the engine of the power steering pump and the extra room needed under the hood. Controlling the electric unit with some sort of stand alone box could be the bigger challenge, but I can see it quickly morphing into being used in the automotive hobby too. For all I know there may already be a stand alone controller out there!

 Hey Morpar,,what are your concerns that this particular model may not work on the D series tractors? like ole Justin, I'm a firm believer in a cutting torch or grinder and a mig welder,,,tell us more. My thoughts are likewise in that most vehicles are prolly now standard with ESM units and,,,the heavier cars or maybe trks would most likely have the more powerful ESM's,,,??  The owner of the wrecking yard I went to did not KNOW if any of the units were any bigger or more powerful than others,,,,??

When they are cheaper than grade 5 bolts, why not! I would hate to have a grade 8 bolt failure on a 2lb ECU! 

 You making it look easy peasy! Very good documentation! Thank you! Power sterring is so nice on one of these tractors! Helps compensate for the very poor ergonomics of the drivers area!

Regards,

 Chris

There is enough clearance for the fan belt to come on and off as required but not much more then that. you would definitely need to make sure the clearance is in this area prior to installing. you may be better with the unit mounted around the fuel tank further up the steering shaft.. it will not look as concealed but will function the same. 

 

I am sure there is.. I have not attempted because i wanted the tractor to remain as "factory looking" as possible with it being hidden. I would assume you would need to fabricate a bracket in pace of the char-lynn setup

The news i did not want to hear about happened... The auto wrecker sold me the incorrect year of power steering unit. They ended up selling me a late 2007-2010 equinox EPS unit.. Not the correct one as it uses Datalink communication to work.. 

hopefully (fingers crossed) the hard work is not totally for nothing yet.. the correct unit looks to have the correct power steering mounting pattern, just a different connection and a different main assembly.. 

On another note, The final pieces came in for the unit to control this system from Bruno steering in Portugal. 

I will be posting some photos of the switchover as well as updated progress once it is working. 

 Hey Justin,,,,Looking Good,,!  Is the last pic you posted of the unit still in the car?  I had a big FU myself, as I told the yard guy at my friend's yard to get me a complete unit plus ECM from a 2000 to 2006 Saturn Vue,,,,,but,,,,but that car does NOT have an EPS unit,,,it uses an engine driven pump,,,!!  Why didn't I look in engine compartment to make sure before that poor guy spent 3 hours Manhandling the whole steering column,,only to find it don't have EPS,,,,,!!

 My little parts chaser car 2006 HHR DOES have EPS and I happen to have an extra parts car but I looked on the parts car and I can't see where the unit might be on the steering column,,,??

 

 What year and model EPS did you wind up with?

 OK, I'ma gonna go tamarrow to where the HHR parts car is  to look at the EPS unit,,,,

 Hey Steve and Justin,,do either of you know if that unit will work??

  I took another "walk around" on the D14,,,and there is just NOT too much extra room from the steering shaft to the block OR to the frame rail,,,,!!

 

 I feel as tho I HAVE to do these mods to the PS on my D14 as when I rebuilt the whole tractor, I bought a complete engine and the Great Allis Express (Dave Kamp brought the engine from SE Iowa all the way to The Alien Town just 40 miles from me,,,,,!!!

 " What ever happened with " The Allis Express",,,,?? I just don't hear any more on it,,,?

 During the rebuild of the engine,, I distinctly remember ole AJ,,,(Remember him,?) telling me to make damn sure I replaced the seal between the PS pump and the engine. I'm pretty sure and Dr Allis agrees with me that that same seal has failed again and is how the PS oil is getting from PS into the engine. I checked the oil level in PS and is VERY low, after filling PS system just last week,,!! That premature failure of the seal makes me think the registers in the pump are out of spec and installing another seal ain't gonna help any.

 What to do,,,,what to do,,,??

DesertJoe, The newest unit came from a 2005 equinox. the HHR MAY work but you will need to verify that it looks exactly like the unit i just posted. it needs to be a metal ECU case with black connectors. (the DC motor to ECU is likely going to be a blue connector and that is perfectly okay) engine driven pumps were not as common but were around for a few years. both units i pulled these EPS units from were from 3400 series engines. sounds crude, but if you go in and yank on the plastic panel below the steering wheel (knee guard) it pops right off and the eps is right in plain sight. 

I grabbed 2 units, took me all of 20 minutes to pull both of them out.. It is a very easy job with a 10mm and 13mm socket as well as some wire cutters. 

Here is the new template made up for the mount. 

And the bracket finished back up. I was able to cut the original mount off and reweld this one in place. it will still use the existing 2 bolts as the original mount did. 

I cut my old shaft extension off and installed it onto this unit. simple process that just requires a bit of grinding to make the weld look better. 

I also was able to thin down the steering box side to the same size as before. I drilled a hole for a 1/4-20 bolt to pass through with a nut on the other side. 

I did need to cut the wires for the torque sensors to extend them. i just took photos to remember what went where! the ECU will be mounted on the left frame rail so they will need to be extended roughly 18 inches or so. 

I had to extend the torque sensor wires 24" to get back to the ECU that i mounted on the left frame rail. 

i also purchased a 50A circuit breaker for the power side rather than a fuse. this should work well if it ever decided to overload. 

Here is the ECU mounted on the left frame rail, I was able to put the circuit breaker in place just behind it with access to the studs from above. 

The new motor setup in place and bolted together

And both items in the same photo. 

I still have some wiring to clean up and get into spot, Should be finished up in the next couple of days. 

Are these power steering units weather proof?

I see they were originally mounted under the dash, inside the cabin.

On their own, without modification they are not totally weatherproof. I have added a seal to the input shaft to keep water out of the torque sensors, the wiring for those sensors run from a different area and needs to be silicone up to be water tight. 

Keep in mind the location of where i placed this unit is under both the hood and grille / radiator area. very well protected from the elements. 

These units have been used in many buggy applications with great success out in the elements. 

This EPS unit is virtually silent. I cannot hear it even while sitting over top of it and running. 

 wow,,jUSTIN YOU GOT THAT THING LOOKING GREAT,,!!

 I got a question, with the other guys using different units from different cars,,I'm kinda curious did you'll use a particular car unit because of it's electrical function OR is it just what was available,,??  I've read many articles and some people use the Toyota Prius, the Saturn Vue, one used a "Sports Car" unit and even a volkswagon,,,??  Reason is,, I have a 2006 Chevy HHR parts car with a good EPS unit that I'm getting it taken out as we speak. What you think??

The only issue with the HHR EPS is it should be the same as the unit i had to begin with, It will not power up without canbus connections which we do not have on the tractor of course. you need to be sure you have the correct unit. 

The other units will work, the Saturn EPS was the most common swap to begin with and the info on the web is a lot more extensive. the nice part about the newer different model swaps is they have a built in failsafe to give you assisted steering in the event of canbus failure. this allows the unit to be solely installed without the need for a conversion box as i had to purchase. downfall, The units are typically larger in size as the saturn/equinox units are among the smallest. not a crazy amount smaller. The area i was working with I wanted to be sure it was well hidden. 

The tractor is still in the rebuild stage of its restoration.. I have run it back and fourth for short periods at a time. this steering works great! it is really simple to use and makes a very light feeling steering wheel.