olliecampbell

iTrader: (3)

And dont say the steering rack!

Got the unit with new track rod ends, cheers Flloyd.

Im guessing power steering fluid, anything else advisable whilst im doing it?

Any tips for doing it?

911

Just done mine:

Fluid (halfords)/track rod separator/flare spanners (one is unusually large so got mine from halfords at the same time.)

The rest are ordinary tools.

To do it:
Jack front of car well up and remove both wheels
Remove the jacking plate on the front crossmember.
Crack/open the two hydraulic hoses on the rack body (easy to see) and get a catch jar under them. With engine OFF turn the steering wheel from full lock to full lock so expelling the fluid out of the rack.
I did mine for 20 times before it all stopped. Do the pipes back up tight.

Get well under the car and undo both knuckle UJ bolts off the rack/column
Remove the pesky small pipe clamp just invisible by the pipes. Feel your way to that one!

Remove both track rod ends off the rack or off the steering arms if you must.
Mine popped stright off!

Undo the 4 bolts holding the rack to the subframe. The rack will flop everywhere now. Pull it down gently to expose the 2 pipes that go into the rack (that the small pipe clip holds togeter) and undo them out of the rack (here is where the flare spanners are really needed.)

The rack will now drop on your head so watch it!
Also watch for the 2 SMALL O rings off the pipe ends. They could be in the rack (lucky) or come off the pipe end flares (like mine) These are essential!

The new rack can now be installed in roughly the reverse order. Getting the pipes (and O rings) into the rack is a real sod, but the right language fixed it in the end.

Finally bleed the system. Add new fluid to the pump reservoir and start the engine. Turn the steering wheel full lock to full lock etc till the reservoir will take no more. Note there is a cold and hot level on the dip stick.

Roughly put as much in as you drained out, that is why you place a catch can under there and to stop the inflammable fluid getting over the exhaust...

There will be gurgles etc while the air is dispersed progressively, especially as the rack reaches the travel stops (hissing etc).

There you go.

Have fun and remember to get the rack central before you install:
Half a turn to the left and 2 turns to the right is not good.

Graham.

olliecampbell

iTrader: (3)

Excellent just what i needed

I havent ever gone as far as taking a whole steering rack off but....

The new rack already has track rod ends on, does that mean i wont need the track rod seperator?

911

If you want and the existing TRends are in good nick you can save the grief of getting them out of the steering arms by simply undoing the 19mm AF lock nuts on the tir rods and unscrewing the old rack rod out. They are threaded in about 20mm each side. On the new rack remove the existing rod ends and screw the arns into the old rod ends.

Everything will need tracking anyway whatever you do.

Doing the above means you do not need a separator.

Graham.

geoffroberts

iTrader: (3)

Thanks also for that advice Graham, have decided to fit the quick rack to my sti instead of selling it so advice will be handy!

911

Brit_in_Japan

Graham, have you ever had to replace a power steering pump? Mine has been noisy ever since I got it and I've done about 30,000 miles since then. But recently I've occasionally been getting a sort of vibration from the power steering at low speeds and Powerstation gave me an "advisory" on it.

I'm hoping it will be fine for the hill climb in 2 weeks and I'll change it afterwards, but I was wondering what type of job it was if the worst comes to the worst!

Cheers,
Gary

dan_rowland

I'd appreciate some help if poss... I am in the process of doing this and the rack is flopping about, I can't pull the rack down through the hole in the floor pan to access the feed and return pipes. I hope this makes sense. I'm wiggling and twisting it about and the hole is not quite big enough. I dont have sufficient access to reach where the pipes connect to the rack to undo them, so I am stuck.. Has anyone got any advice for me? I'd like to get it done before it gets dark!!

Thanks!!!!

dan_rowland

i mean the hole in the crossmember or whatever it is called. I cannot pull it through to reach the pipes as the steering column casing is at a different angle and they won't both pull through...

911

Just spotted this thread.

There is a small almost hidden pipe clip ABOVE the cross member stopping the feed/return pipes vibrating. If you remove that (not slacken) the pipes j u s t come through.
I found i needed the correct large flare spanners to undo the pipes from the rack.
It is even more awkward to re-fit!

Remember to watch for the 'O' ring seals off the pipes!
Graham

dan_rowland

Thanks for your response Graham, I did wonder if that was the case (from reading your instructions - thanks by the way). Its just that I didn't see how that would help as they will still not fit through the hole. I will give it a go though.

Cheers!!

911

They do not pull right through!

They get though just enough to get one in, then the other.
It is very fiddly to say the least but doable with patience and the right tools.
A simple open ended spanner will not work.

dan_rowland

Hi matey,

Thanks for all your help, i've done it now ... Only thing is that its juddering a lot when you approach full lock. I'm hoping that this is just because there is some air in there somewhere and it needs bleeding out.. Does this sound likely?

Thanks again

911

Yes.
Jack the car up, check/fill the PAS tank up to the cold mark. Run the engine.
Twiddle the steering from full lock to full lock time and again (takes ages) and dwell for a few seconds on the ends of the strokes. Some hissing/noises will slowly ebb away.
When that happens (mine took about 30 'lock-to-locks) check oil in PAS and for leaks. Top up to the hot mark if you need to.

When it is silent you know all is done and well.

Graham.