NICK G.

Hi, hows every body doing tonight . I have a question,I just had a rebuilt rack put in my early 944 and they said that they bleed it to get the air out,but on the last couple of cold days this week it screamd like a baby when i first started it.I am going to take it back and have them bleed it again. Does any body have any tricks to get the air out that i can tell them.Know this is a very good friend of mine so the labor isvery resonable and I would not want to insult any of the mechanices by tring to tell them what to do (BUT I WILL WIN IT COMES TO DOING IT WRONG) if you know what i mean.They have done alot of other work on the car that has been perfect.So Iam just looking for a hint or to.thanks alot NICK G.

Dave

I've heard that cranking the wheel all the way from side to side a couple times is all it takes, give it a shot before you take it back.

Rich Sandor

I didn't know you can bleed the rack. anyways..

make sure it's not leaking (look for red drops under the car) and that the fluid reservoir is full. (it will whine if you run out)

mine leaks quite a bit and you have to crank the wheel full lock to either side after adding a bottle of Dextron II before it all gets thru the system.

NICK G.

Tried the turning of the wheel and there is no leaks. Checked the Fluid and it looks good

diskzero

I just replaced a rack a couple of weeks ago and moving the wheel side to side as suggested as above is all it took to bleed the system. The rack itself would not make a screaming sound. Maybe they left a belt lose or too tight and the pump is squeeling.

NICK G.

PS. The reason that I think there is a way to bleed the rack is, they said it mite need to be bleed if the noise stays.

NICK G.

GENE just read your reply and i will defently ask them about that.I guess i could look under there myself, before I take it back. thanks

diskzero

You won't be able to see the rack with the protective plate installed at the bottom. You can see the pump though. If you look through the passenger side wheel well. Maybe you can check and see if the squeeling is coming from there.

NICK G.

I haven't put the protective plate on yet i picked one up on e-bay a little while back.I figured I would put it back on when all the work is done.Just a little history on the car.In the last month I put all new= new front shocks,new front sway bar bushings,new radaitor,new schroud,2 new fans,all new hoses and clamps, new rad. cap,new plugs and cap, new steering rack. Some was to pass emisions and some because it's been getting a little warm to many times.

Travis - sflraver

The racks are self bleeding. There are no little places in there for air to hold up for any length of time. The steering wheel from side to side trick just one time after installation should do the trick.
Is it a squeal or a groan? There is a big difference there. A squeal means its probably your belt needing to be a little bit tighter. A groan would mean that you are getting air in the system before the pump and would have nothing to do with the rack itself. The biggest cause of power steering groan is a loose or cracked pickup line going from the reservoir to the pump. Porsche has even updated this piece.

Peckster

Sounds like there's still a leak in the system that lets air in. Take it back and tell them to fix it.

RMills944

If you really are worried about bleeding it, park on a steep side hill and crank the wheel a few times, then park the other way and do this again. All the air should be gone when you do that. Squealing sounds more like a belt or bearing to me though.

Zero10

There is no way the rack would make a squealing sound, sometimes the rubber boots make a bit of noise as they compress and expand, but never a squeal. I rebuild my rack about 4 months ago, still good *knock on wood*, and when I fired it up, I turned the wheel lock to lock twice, topped up the fluid, and took it out for a drive for 20 mins, came back, added just a tiny bit more, and it's been perfect ever since. if it's squealing, it's definately a belt. However if it's a groan, it's possible that the pump needs rebuilding as well, or I remember hearing that the supply line to the pump often gets kinked, causing a lack of fluid to the pump, and a groan.
If it only squeals when it's just started, 99% sure it's a belt, check the tension, if the squealing stops after a few seconds, then try tightening the belt (check the deflection first, to make sure it's not over-tight), because if they are a little loose, they will 'tension' themselves after a few seconds, but that's only because there is tension on one side of the belt, so it will go away every time you stop the engine. If it started doing it when it got cold, then it is almost certainly the belt.

GOBOGIE

Sounds belt'ish???

Zero10

Oh, I forgot to mention, air in the system would never cause a squeal. If the air was in the rack, you would notice weaker power assistance, and if it was in the pump, you would get a groan from the pump.