Removing an EPS From an Equinox/Vue

[JJ in Cbus]

The Electric Power Steering seems to becoming a more and more popular mod and I do want to install this in my MK3.1 this off season. I see there are several donors available at my local Pull A Part. What I have not been able to find is any info on removing them from the donor? Those of you that have pulled them from a Vue or Equinox, how difficult was it and is there anything tool wise other than sockets, combination wrenches, screw drivers and of course hammer that I will need to bring with me to pull this EPS? Any info or reference to links would be appreciated.

Also, I have read to make sure to get all the wiring connectors and as much of the harness as possible. Is there any other parts that I make sure I get with the unit?

Thanks

jj

[frankb]

You will find the EPS under the dash pad, behind the instrument panel. Take sockets, open/box end wrenches, philips and flat screwdrivers and hex wrenches...all metric, of course. It took me about 40 min to remove mine, but the dash pad and instruments were already gone. I suggest you also buy the mating spline for the input shaft as it will make adaptation to the FFR steering rod much easier if you place the unit in the engine compartment. Also, cut the heavy electrical feed wires leaving yourself at least 6" of pigtail. You will need the connector to make the power connection. Be sure the EPS has the metal ECU box!

[frankb]

You may also wish to keep the output shaft u-joints...
BTW, you won't need the small gauge (22 ga) wire connector as this is supplied with the Epowersteering.com controller.

[mike223]

Take a hacksaw too - this way you can get the piece of tubing going toward the driver while just paying the pullapart price for the EPS.

Without a hacksaw you'll either have to leave that piece behind or pay (additional) for steering column + EPS.

[JJ in Cbus]

OK, I had a couple of vacation days to burn before the end of the year so while the weather was still decent I made a trip to U Part It today to pull a 2005 Equinox EPS unit. All in all a pretty painless operation. All I needed were 3 sockets a 7mm, 10mm, and a 13mm, a flat blade screw driver only used as a pry bar, and a ball peen hammer.

The column was still in tact but someone had already removed the top column cover.
97051

There is a panel above the drivers footwell that needs to be removed. There are 4 - 7mm bolts that hold it in. One on the front left side, one in the back of the little cubby hole on the lower left side of the dash, one on the right front side, and the last just behind the bolt on the right side but coming up from underneath.
97050

Once you pull the 4 - 7mm bolts the lower dash fascia and the bottom panel can removed.
970529705397054

I found a little bonus when I removed the dash panels. This fell out from behind the dash. We'll see if there is anything left on it?
97061

[JJ in Cbus]

Remove the top 2 plugs into the EPS unit, the bottom plug is from the motor on the EPS so it does not need to be removed.
There is a long 13mm bolt that hold the EPS unit to the frame that is located on the left side of the unit at the top. I could not get a good shot of it but it was not too difficult to get my meat hooks up in there to remove it. Once the long bolt has been removed the whole steering column center section will be loose.
97055

Remove the 2 - 13mm bolts that mount the steering column to the dash support.
97056

Then remove the 3 - 10mm bolts that hold the steering column tube
to the EPS unit. Once those 3 bolts are removed the steering column can be pulled from the EPS unit.
9705797058

There is a 13mm bolt that holds the intermediary steering shaft to the output side of the EPS. I removed the bolt and pried the fitting open a little and pulled the EPS out of the vehicle. I also unhooked the wire harnes clips from under the dash and was able to get about 24" of the power lead from the Equinox's harness. I clipped the wires and reconnected the plugs into the EPS.
97059

The intermediary steering shaft put up a little more fight. The vehicle was up on a rack and the front suspension had already been removed, so access through the driverside wheel well was easy. There is another 13mm bolt on the double D connector of the intermediary steering shaft and the steering rack. I removed the bolt and took the best swings I could to get the fitting to back off the DD shaft. 100 to 200 taps later(there is no room to swing the hammer) the fitting finally came free.
97060

So all in all it took me about an hour to remove the EPS and Intermediary Shaft. If I had the correct prybar and a bigger hammer I could probably cut that in half next time.

Now on to blowing the car a part for the off season mods that I have planned.

[frankb]

Great documentation, JJ! Looking back, I should have done this to help others when I removed mine! Good luck with your installation!

Frank B

[Joe Campbell]

Great stuff, thanks. This is on my winter upgrade list.

[WIS89]

JJ-

Great detail, and great pictures as well! Thanks for taking the time to work through all the specifics, as well as setting expectations for those who will follow!

I look forward to seeing it get set-up in your ride, as well as hearing your thoughts on the finished product. Good luck with the rest of it!

Regards,

Steve

[mike223]

Then remove the 3 - 10mm bolts that hold the steering column tube
to the EPS unit. Once those 3 bolts are removed the steering column can be pulled from the EPS unit.
9705797058

There is a 13mm bolt that holds the intermediary steering shaft to the output side of the EPS. I removed the bolt and pried the fitting open a little and pulled the EPS out of the vehicle. I also unhooked the wire harnes clips from under the dash and was able to get about 24" of the power lead from the Equinox's harness. I clipped the wires and reconnected the plugs into the EPS.
97059

The intermediary steering shaft put up a little more fight. The vehicle was up on a rack and the front suspension had already been removed, so access through the driverside wheel well was easy. There is another 13mm bolt on the double D connector of the intermediary steering shaft and the steering rack. I removed the bolt and took the best swings I could to get the fitting to back off the DD shaft. 100 to 200 taps later(there is no room to swing the hammer) the fitting finally came free.
97060

So all in all it took me about an hour to remove the EPS and Intermediary Shaft. If I had the correct prybar and a bigger hammer I could probably cut that in half next time.




A couple of notes:

Picture 1 + 2: I take along a hacksaw so I can harvest part of the tube (3-10mm bolts) at the bottom of the steering column without taking the rest of the steering column - then you can use that as a column to come through the dash (if you put it where I put mine).

I did not find any of the intermediary steering shaft parts to be useful in my installation - I used a C114 (17mm-36) coupling from woodwardsteering.com and built from there - no room for the stock intermediary steering shaft parts behind dash (especially the u-joint in the neighborhood of the 2" x 2" tubing - front edge)


Mk-4-Pull-A-Part-EPAS (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?28241-Mk-4-Pull-A-Part-EPAS)