With my return line leaking but in place the PS rack was pushing fluid back
and forth with the wheel turning.  Very high turning effort required on the
wheel, hellishly high. Since I cut out that section and dumped all the fluid
the rack action has freed up.  Not a condition I am intending to keep up
mind you, but the steering effort even on a Syncro is low enough that I now
wish I had gone straight to a non-PS rack rather than pay double for a
rebuild.  Malcolm Holser has a non-PS Syncro Kombi, with bearable steering
effort he says.  I can't see the need for PS on a vanagon, given properly
inflated 6ply tires up front, even when parking.  My wife drives the crewcab
with complaint.  Keep it simple?  Tim