dmn23

Just purchased my 1990 S2 slightly less than a month ago. The only major item that came up during the PPI was a steering fluid leak. The inspecting shop said a new steering rack was in my not-too-distant future. I live in Nashville, and this particular shop was in Birmingham, so they didn't have anything to gain by leading me astray -- they couldn't reasonably expect that they'd be the ones performing the replacement when the time came. With that in mind, their quote was a little over $1K -- closer to $1,200 if I remember correctly. They did say that they use only genuine Porsche parts.

My questions:

1. Is this price out of line?
2. As I recall, the parts cost was somewhere in the high $600 range. 944-Online sells a refurb unit for less than $400. Is there any compelling reason to go with a brand new, genuine Porsche unit?
3. Is it dangerously unsafe to let this go for a while? I asked how long I can expect to go before this becomes a "must-do" item, and they said probably up to a year.
4. As the problem becomes worse, what are the symptoms I need to look for?
5. After I've been driving a while, I hear an intermittent "wooooooooo", particularly at low speeds. Is this tied to the steering issue?

Thanks in advance for your help.

josephsc

First of all, welcome to Rennlist!

1. I don't know if it's out of line, but I think it's in the ballpark -- the quote does not surprise me. The cost is the #1 reason why many of us start turning our own wrenches.

2. Personally, I have nothing against rebuilt units -- as long as it comes from a reputable source. Many shops, on the other hand, have issues with customer supplied parts b/c it eats into their revenue. One potential problem with a rebuilt unit is the rebuilder may have made a mistake. If you trust yourself, you can also buy a rebuild kit ~$65 and do-it-yourself.

3. Not at all -- just make sure that you keep the PS reservoir full since the fluid also provides lubrication. Remember: use ATF (automatic transmission fluid) and NOT "Power Steering fluid" -- it should say Dextron on it.

If it seriously gets bad, you can just disable it completely and go manual steering mode. When PS fails, you just lose power but not steering -- some of us prefer w/o power to give us track feedback.

4. Loss of fluid gets faster.

5. If it gets louder when you turn the steering wheel -- yes. The power steering only really helps at low speeds anyways. But that sound could be coming from the PS pump instead of the rack...

One final note -- how did the shop determine it was the PS rack? There are other components in there known for frequent failure -- like the PS pump, PS reservoir and the clamp attaching the hose to it, PS hoses (especially the high-pressure side). You don't want to replace the rack and find out the problem was elsewhere.

dmn23

Thanks for the detailed reply -- I can breathe a little easier now.

When they had the car up on the rack, they pointed to one of these boots. The inside edge of the boot was clearly old and a little cracked, and a bit of fluid was visible. This, of course, means nothing to me. They could have told me I was looking at my flywheel, pressure plate and throwout bearing and I probably wouldn't have known the difference.

As much as I'd dearly love to start turning my own wrench, my mechanical aptitude is close to nil and I'm reasonably convinced I'd screw something up. On the other hand, I write code for a living so there's at least some part of me that appreciates structure and problem solving. How did you guys get started in the fix-it-yourself game? The best I've ever done was change a starter motor on a '76 280Z, and I thought I was God for a couple of hours...

kennycoulter

you can buy the boots even on napa! buy the rennbay kit, theres a write up on the site. www.rennbay.com and maybe buy a cheapo rack to install the pieces and then swap in one day, or have the car in the air for a few. i got the copper washers from napa, but the size wasnt exact, i went one size smaller i.d., and opened them up. make sure you tighen all the clamps all the way, and ask for tips when you get stuck. many posts with me and legoland goign back and forth with info. good luck with it, even if you cant do the work yourself, im sure a rennlister would be willign to help.

kennycoulter

http://www.rennbay.com/psrsealkitfull.html

dmn23

Forgot to elaborate on your points regarding the odd noise -- no, it doesn't get louder or softer as I turn the wheel. Matter of fact, it doesn't seem to matter whether the car's turning at all. It's mostly at parking lot speeds, and it only seems to start after I've been driving the car for a while.

As an example, I don't hear the sound on my 25 mile drive to and from work. In the afternoon, my routine is to drive home, change clothes and then head to the gym without much of a break at the house. By the time I get to the gym (25 miles from work to home + a short break + 4 miles to the gym) the noise starts to become audible as I'm pulling into the parking lot. I guess it sounds a little like a belt, but it's a pretty unique noise. As I slip into neutral while I'm pulling into a parking spot, it almost always disappears. Just a midrange "Whooooooooooo". Think of a sustained owl hoot...

dmn23

Well, obviously $70 and some sweat beats the hell out of > $1K...

Does anyone else second this diagnosis (i.e. that doing a rack reseal is probably all I need)? You guys have to remember I'm a complete novice. It would be helpful to either have the diagnosis reinforced or hear a few voices of dissent before I jump into the deep end of the pool.

mavfan

yeah thats your problem, you need to reseal the rack. all of this is doable, just takes time, so if you think you have the patience for it, then go for it.

here is the link that will help you out with resealing the rack: http://clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/steer-03.htm

this is how you get it out and back in: http://clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/steer-01.htm

again all this is doable, it just takes time.

kennycoulter

the moaning sounds liek when the fluid level gets low. i would say at highway speeds, youre not turnign the wheel enough to make it howl. mine had this only when the fluid was low(mine leaked really fast), then would do it all the time, then stopped doign it completely. i ran without fluid for about 1 year(not many miles) before i resealed mine. the only problem i had was lining up the steel lines....but withthe newer ones, it is supposed to be easier. not hard at all, but when lookign in the write up, youll see using a punch with a hammer to turn a giant nut that holds the body to he rack. the steel nut is a little soft, i would say see if you can get a spanner wrench that fits it.

Red1

Doing a rack reseal is probably all you will need.

Having said that, my experience was the rack reseal was good for about a year. Then it leaked again. Taking the rack in and out isn't my favorite job. Doing it twice in twelve months didn't thrill me. I bought a remanufactured rack from Griffith and it's been fine.

OTOH, the rennbay reseal kit for the p/s pump has been faultless. That's a simple job and you can't beat that deal.

There is a large variety of experience on this board. For me personally, the p/s rack is a tremendous PITA. If you asked me to do a clutch or a p/s rack on a 944, I'd choose the clutch as the easier of the two. Not many people would probably agree with me, but for some reason getting my steering shaft to hook up to the rack and get the hoses properly tightened was about the biggest single PITA I've ever dealt with on any 944. The clutch is more involved, but less maddening.

YMMV, of course.

mavfan

really Red1? you think the clutch is easier than the ps rack? that gives me hope! i've done the rack and didn't think it was all that bad! maybe i will do the clutch myself then.

Red1

The clutch isn't rocket science, but there is a big learning curve. Everything you need for instruction is available on the net. The first time can take awhile as you figure out what you're doing. I really don't find the job distasteful at all. Whereas with the p/s rack, getting the steering shaft to connect back onto the rack's splined shaft was the single biggest PITA I've ever experienced with 944s. Just thinking about that is pissing me off.

gregeast

I'll second that Brian, now I'm pissed off too!

Mighty Shilling

REVIVAL!!! anyone know where those 2 little O-rings go?

Travis - sflraver

The little plastic fittings that connect that external regulator hose from side to side. Pull them out and the little O rings go on where they push into the rack.