Today I installed the Taarks power steering bracket as planned. This moves the power steering pump down to a lower spot where the air conditioning compressor would normally be. Why do this mod?

Firstly, it creates more room around the turbo and inlet piping. While I don’t need this now, if the turbo were to be changed in future, it might well be quite handy. Secondly, the bracket is about half the weight of the stock item, saving just over a kilogram. Every bit counts.

Installation was straight forward. I followed the online PDF supplied by Taarks and everything went to plan. Almost all of the job can be done from the top of the engine bay. It is slightly easier to tension the new bracket from underneath, however. This part is a little strange because turning the arm lengthens and then shortens the distance from the pump to the engine. You have to turn it to get it in the sweet spot and ensure sufficient tension.

Underneath the old bracket was the remnants of the enormous previous oil leak that I first discovered when removing the AC compressor. I took a little extra time to do some degreasing.

The finished kit it pretty neat. Access to the turbo is improved, including the braided oil and water lines.

I have also spent some time reading through the Nistune documentation. I took the car for a short drive with data logging on. Replaying the file tells me where the ECU is reading from on the fuel and ignition maps. Over time I hope to become more adept with the workings of the ECU and how Nistune is used to tune it.