Cerbera Vauxhall Zafira power steering pump swap (WIP)
Status — test-fitted, not final. Mount still to be designed.
The Cerbera’s OEM belt-driven power steering pump takes up more engine-bay space than it needs to and adds parasitic load to the AJP V8. A Vauxhall Zafira / Astra electric-hydraulic power steering pump is small, self-contained, runs on 12 V, and lives in the engine bay of a lot of donor cars — meaning UK breakers usually have one within a short drive.
This page tracks the swap as a work-in-progress.
Why this pump
Section titled “Why this pump”- Electric-hydraulic — motor drives the hydraulic pump. No engine drive belt required. Runs on demand, drops parasitic load.
- Compact — package roughly a big shoe box, fits in the lower valance area of the Cerbera engine bay.
- Cheap — donor availability from Zafira B / Astra H breakers. UK eBay prices in the £30–£80 range typical.
Test-fit notes
Section titled “Test-fit notes”Sneaked a physical test-fit into the engine bay during a paint drying window (see PT10 — First paint around the 9:00 mark):
- Rear mount chopped off — the OEM Zafira mount tab isn’t needed and got in the way. Cut it clean.
- Small nick in the lower valance where the pump sits closer to the panel than expected — small cutout will be tidied with a grille later.
- Snug fit — the pump sits close to the front cross-member, but there’s clearance for lines and cable routing.
- Mount still to be designed — probably 3D-printed prototype first to figure out the geometry, then either metal-fabricate or print in engineering-grade filament for the real thing.
What’s still open
Section titled “What’s still open”| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Physical clearance | Confirmed test-fit |
| Mount bracket design | Not started — 3D-printed prototype next |
| Hydraulic lines routing | Not started |
| Electrical — power + signal wiring | Not started |
| Reservoir siting | Not started |
| Controller / RPM signal | Depends on donor — some Zafira pumps expect a CAN speed signal, some are speed-independent |
Compatibility notes
Section titled “Compatibility notes”Not all Zafira / Astra pumps are interchangeable — there are at least two generations with different connectors and electrical requirements. Verify the donor pump variant against the wiring diagram before you commit — some need a live speed reference to modulate assist, some don’t.
Watch the build
Section titled “Watch the build”- PT10 — First paint on the door shuts (with sneaky Zafira pump test fit) — the test fit is around the 9-minute mark, during paint drying downtime.
Related on this wiki: Cerbera model overview · Cerbera fly-by-wire throttle.
Compiled from in-progress build notes. This is an experimental mod — the pump is fitted but not commissioned on a running engine. If you’re building your own, verify electrical + hydraulic compatibility with your donor generation and get a hydraulic engineer to sign off before road use.