dr bob

Most groaning and whining, at least the noises from the steering rack, are caused by entrained air in the fluid. Give it a day, top off the fluid again. Call me in the morning if the condition persists...

Seriously though, the rubber rack bushinsg are there to provide a little isolation for the rack so it doesn't transmit hydraulic noises to the frame and crossmember. Replace them with aluminum pieces as we just did, and you run the risk of hearing every bit of oil that finds its way through the servo spool valve and through the rack.

Had I been smarter, I would have saved my old PS reservoir cap. Wait a minute... You still have your old one! We need to drill a hole through from the top where the little vent hole is. Hole big enough to fit a section of 3/16" brake line, with a coating of eposxy adhesive on it to seal the tube in the hole. Use the steel brake tube cuz it will last in storage, while copper piece will bend, crimp, and eventually break off. Anyway, you car deaerate the fluid with some vacuum on the tube. You can use a vacuum pump if you have one, or connect the hose to manifold vacuum and let the idling engine do the work for you.

Rob Edwards

Bob-


Trust me, this groaning is more than just a little more NVH being transmitted from the solid bushings. (The steering felt awesome for the first mile, even with the old tie rods.....)

I hope the groaning is just trapped air, I can't imagine why the pump would give up the ghost tonight (though maybe blowing air through a 16 year old pump might just be its death knell. We'll see!)

I fished the reservoir and cap out of the trash. I'll make up a fitting for the cap.

-Rob.

ROG100

Rob,
Worst case with the pump, get a seal kit from Rennbay.
$20 + 20 mins after you remove the pump - good as new.
Hope that is not the problem.
Roger