If you're considering an ls power steering delete, you've likely reached that point in your project where you're tired of the clutter, the leaks, or just the sheer weight of the factory pump hanging off the side of your engine. It's a classic move for anyone building a dedicated drag car, a simplified drift missile, or even just a clean street rod where "less is more." But while it sounds like a simple weekend job, there's a bit more to it than just tossing the pump in the scrap bin and calling it a day.
Let's be real for a second: the LS engine is an absolute masterpiece of design, but the factory accessory drive can be a bit of an eyesore. Between the bulky alternator bracket and that massive power steering reservoir, things get crowded fast. When you're trying to shove a 6.0L iron block into a chassis that was never meant to hold a V8—like an S10, a Miata, or an old BMW—every inch of clearance matters. Deleting the power steering is often the easiest way to make room for things like turbo piping or just to give your engine bay that minimalist, "all motor" look.
Why Even Bother With a Delete?
The most common reason guys go this route is simplicity. When you remove the pump, the lines, and the cooler, you're getting rid of potential fail points. If you've ever had a high-pressure power steering line burst at the track, you know exactly what a mess it makes—not to mention it's a huge fire hazard if that fluid hits the headers.
Then there's the weight. It's not going to make your car feel like a Carbon Fiber supercar, but dropping 15 to 20 pounds off the very front of the nose isn't nothing. In the world of drag racing, every little bit helps with weight transfer. Plus, you're reclaiming a tiny bit of horsepower. It's probably only 3 to 5 horsepower at most, but in a world where we fight for every pony, we'll take what we can get.
But honestly? Most people do it for the road feel. On a performance car, factory power steering can sometimes feel a bit "numb" or over-assisted. By switching to a manual setup or deleting the assist entirely, you get a direct physical connection to the front tires. You can feel exactly what the grip levels are doing through the steering wheel. Of course, that comes with the trade-off of having to actually use your muscles when you're trying to park at the local grocery store.
The Different Ways to Pull It Off
You can't just cut the belt and drive away. The LS accessory drive is a coordinated system, and if you remove one piece, the rest of the belt might not have enough "wrap" around the water pump or the alternator to stay put. Here are the three main ways people handle an ls power steering delete.
The "Loop the Lines" Method
This is the budget-friendly, "I need it done today" method. You basically leave the power steering rack in the car, but you remove the pump. You then take the high-pressure and low-pressure ports on the rack and connect them to each other with a hose.
A quick tip here: Don't just dry-loop it. You want to leave some fluid in the rack so the internal seals don't turn into dust, but you also need to leave a little bit of air or a small reservoir in the loop to account for fluid expansion as things get hot. If you don't, the rack can actually get "notchy" or even lock up. It's not the most elegant solution, and the steering will be heavier than a true manual rack because you're still pushing fluid through the internal valving, but it works.
The Manual Rack Conversion
If you want to do this the "right" way, you swap the entire steering rack for a manual one. Companies like Flaming River or various aftermarket shops make manual racks specifically for popular swap chassis. This is the gold standard. A true manual rack is geared differently than a power rack, making it much easier to turn at low speeds while still giving you that raw, unassisted feedback. It's more expensive and involves more wrenching, but if the car is a long-term keeper, this is the move.
The Idler/Delete Pulley
If you don't want to mess with finding a new belt length or re-routing everything, you can buy an ls power steering delete pulley. This is just a bracket with a "dummy" pulley that bolts exactly where the old pump used to be. It keeps the belt path identical to the factory setup. It's the easiest way to get the pump out of the way without having to do any "engine math" regarding belt tension and routing.
Dealing with the Belt Routing Nightmare
The biggest headache with an ls power steering delete is usually the belt. The LS water pump is driven by the smooth side of the belt in most configurations, and it relies on the tension from the other accessories to keep it spinning.
If you just take the pump off and try to run a shorter belt, you might find that the belt barely touches the water pump pulley. If it slips, your engine overheats. Not exactly ideal. You'll need to spend some time measuring with a piece of string to find the right belt length.
Also, keep in mind that LS engines have different "spacings" depending on what they came out of. A Corvette, a Camaro (F-Body), and a Silverado all have different accessory offsets. When you're buying a delete kit or a new pulley, make sure you know your offset. If you mix and match, the belt will be slightly crooked, and it'll jump off the tracks the first time you hit 5,000 RPM.
What Is It Actually Like to Drive?
I won't sugarcoat it: parallel parking becomes a legitimate workout. If you have a heavy iron-block LS sitting over the front wheels and you're running wide, sticky tires, you're going to need some serious upper body strength to turn the wheel at a standstill.
However, once the car is moving—even just at 5 or 10 mph—the weight disappears. On the highway, it feels rock solid. There's no twitchiness, and the "on-center" feel is usually much improved. For a weekend car or a canyon carver, it's a blast. For a daily driver that you take to work in city traffic? You might regret it after the third day of fighting with the steering wheel in a parking garage.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One thing people often forget is the belt tensioner. When you change the routing, the factory tensioner might not be in the right "sweet spot" anymore. You want the tensioner to be somewhere in the middle of its travel. If it's bottomed out or stretched to the limit, you're going to be snapping belts or eating up bearings in your alternator.
Another thing is the "empty pump" mistake. Don't think you can just leave the pump on the engine and run it without fluid. Without fluid to lubricate the internals, the pump will overheat, seize up, and eventually shred your belt, leaving you stranded. If the pump stays, it has to have fluid. If you want the delete, the pump has to go.
Final Thoughts
Doing an ls power steering delete is a great way to clean up your engine bay and get that old-school mechanical feel back into your car. Whether you're going for a simple looped-line setup on a budget or a full-blown manual rack conversion, just make sure you've got your belt alignment sorted.
It's one of those mods that really changes the personality of the car. It makes it feel more like a tool and less like a luxury cruiser. Just be prepared for the "arm day" jokes from your friends when they see you struggling to turn the wheels in the staging lanes at the track. It's all part of the process, right? Build it, break it, make it simpler. That's the LS way.