Lord_Galva

I browsed the thread's and didn't see any so....

I noticed a leak from my rack and purchased a rebuild kit for it and the pump.
(leaking from the tower)
I'm seeking tips for the doin it me-self.
Clarks has a good write up however I'm looking for little things that can make this job a little easier.
Also I've heard that Pentosin Hydraulic Fluid is better for our cars racks than Dexron.
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...4184&ppt=C0031

mbardeen

I've done them both. The pump I had no problem with, the rack a bit more.

http://www.arnnworx.com/catalog/inde...d=26&chapter=1


some links to help you along... If you get stuck on something, ask. I might remember

Cloud9...68

I've pretty much taken my car apart stem to stern, including rebuilding the engine, and by far the most troublesome thing I've ever done to it was the steering rack rebuild. Or I should say, "rebuilds", because I ended up having to do it several times...

Maybe I just had bad luck, but the rack contains a bunch of very delicate seals that go around parts that fit in the unit with very tight tolerances. So it's very difficult to get everything back together without breaking one of the seals. Also, the entire assembly is big and awkward, and hard to clamp where you need to hold it still while loosening and tightening things. And several of the seals are quite difficult to remove without just the right type of tool (I had very little luck with picks). I suspect this is why so many of the rebuilt racks leak. After three tries, my rack works OK, and doesn't leak, but the power assist comes in and out, particularly when turning left. No idea why. I hope you have better luck...

Lord_Galva

Mbardeen I hope you respond to this.
I have the rack mostly apart right now however I'm stuck with the bearing removal from the tower. Arnnwork and Clarks are a little vague with (grasp the steering gear and while rotating ccw and pulling up).
1. I'm worried about damaging the splines so where should I grab?
2. Should the rack be forced against the plate (featured at 5:30 in video) while turning? ie to stop the movement and allow force?

Cloud9...68

Which bearing are you referring to? Could you snap a picture and post it? Are you sure you don't mean the seal at the base of the tower? That thing is a bear to get out, but Tamathumper gave me a great recommendation when I was struggling with mine - Harbor Freight makes a seal puller that's just what the doctor ordered:

http://www.harborfreight.com/seal-puller-69025.html

If you haven't gotten to the step to pull that seal, you might want to plan on getting one of these gems, as it turns the job of pulling that seal from nearly impossible to practically trivial.

mbardeen

So you're trying to pull the steering gear out and it's not coming out?

If you have the tensioning plate tightened down all the way, that will probably make it very hard to pull the gear out. Loosen it up a little and it should come out with moderate pressure. If you have the rack centered (there's a little bolt with a tapered end that you can buy to center it, or you can probably make your own without too much effort), you should mark the orientation of the notch on the spline just as you get the gear out of the housing. That will help immensely to get it lined up correctly when reinstalling the gear.

Lord_Galva

Thanks I got it. I ended up putting the tower in a vice and attaching a vice grip to the splines. (had them rapped in an old bike innertube so not to damage the spline) Two taps with a hammer and the whole unit popped out. I was so happy it came out I forgot to mark the center.
Now I get to have fun figuring that out while under the car.
Everything else will go to a machine shop for cleaning.

Also I cannot upload anymore pictures. I've hit my limit

Cloud9...68

Did you get that seal at the base of the tower casting out? That's the one that usually gives people the most trouble.

notthd

I've done a few and found auto zone sells a rack almost as cheap as a rebuild kit with a warranty" when it arrived there are interference issues. When they assembled line orientation was an issue but field fit worked with no issues. Look into it, I was surprised the rack was so cheap...

Cheers, mike

Cloud9...68

Yes, if I could go back in time, I think I would have gone with the Autozone rebuilt rack. Way fewer headaches. But I have heard mixed reviews with them - apparently a fair percentage of them have issues (like leaks).

mbardeen

I've still got one of those waiting in the wings, just in case my reseal job fails. Living so far away from civilization (or so it seems at times), having two racks can't hurt.

Lord_Galva

Well I was able to get away from summer quarter this weekend so I could finish the rack. It went together well however I have no power steeiring.......
Just flat out no power.
Possible mistakes:
1. Wrong fluid. I used Pentosin instead of Dexron 3.
2. Bad rebuild on pump. The circlip inside may have fallen out or something.
3. Bad rebuild on rack? I seriously doubt this just due to the ease of assembly.

My next steps are to test the pump. While doing this I'll disconnect the pressure line from the pump to drain the $45 bucks I should have not spent originally on Pentosin and put back the much cheaper Dex 3. Then I'll test the pump by disconnecting the return line to the reservoir and then running the car to see if I get pressure.

How does my method sound?

mbardeen

Did you tighten the tensioner plate too much? That should be left a little loose.

Lord_Galva

Is that the plate between the tensioner and the pump?

Cloud9...68

The exact same thing happened to me during Round 1 (of several) of my steering rack rebuild saga. If you remove the cap from your reservoir and run your engine, you should clearly be able to see the fluid circulating. If it is, your pump is OK. I doubt the problem is with the pump, as it's such a simple device that's hard to mess up.

Also, I doubt the type of fluid you used is the culprit. The tensioner plate is worth checking, but I don't know about you, but I'm very seldom that lucky.

Most likely, you damaged one of the ridiculously fragile seals as you were putting the rack back together. I did that on two separate occasions - in Round 1, I broke one of those teflon-like seals that go around the assembly that fits inside the tower casting, and in Round 2, I broke on of the seals that goes around that circular fitting that goes around the shaft (don't remember exactly what it's called). Unfortunately, there's no way to test this without taking the rack out and tearing it apart again. So definitely rule out the stuff above first, but if those appear to be OK, become good friends with Travis from Rennbay, as he's the only person I know of who can get the seals separately, without having to buy a complete reseal kit every time you're troubleshooting your rack.

Even after finally getting it put back together without any known major damage, mine still isn't perfect - the power assist intermittently cuts out only during left-hand turns. One of these days, I'm going to de-power it, and install an electric power assist motor. There are several videos on youtube explaining how to do this.