[200q20v] power steering hose (rebuilding) question

[Phil Rose]

The passenger wheelwell access is an interesting idea, but m'gosh what a
lonnnng extension that would require (3 ft or more?) I assume you coupled
several together? It doesn't appear that the wheelwell (tie-rod) opening
really gives a line-of-sight over to that bolt. So I assume you still
needed to use flex joints?

Seems to me that the biggest problem with working the bolt from  the front
(or from above) is the steel fuel line that (in my car at least) passes
down the firewall and is pretty close to the bolt; it really limits the
space for (prevents?) using a  socket  (well, maybe a socket will fit, but
not with a drive handle attached).  I've got a flexhead 3/8" ratchet, but
it can't solve the problem--as far as _I_ can see (so far).

That same damn fuel line also seems to prevent any useful movement (swing)
of a boxend wrench that I have managed to get onto the bolt. My boxend
wrench is an offset style, and I think that maybe I'd get a bit more
clearance by using a non-offset variety. But of course even then I don't
know if I'll have enough leverage.  First I need to get a few degrees of
freedom to swing the wrench.  I've been able to get a short open-end wrench
in there, but there's a brake line (running horizontally) that limits its
movement. I wonder if a crowsfoot wrench would be useful?

An Audi mechanic (small independent shop) I know claims he does the job
using a flex-head socket wrench with a pipe extension for added leverage.
But he's never tried this on a '91 200q. Heck, he's never even seen a '91
200 other than mine.

Also, is it necessary (or useful) to remove  the "return hose" to the rack
(i.e., the other nearby fitting?) It seems it may obstruct being able to
pull the old hose out and/or hamper installation of the new one.

So many questions....

Phil

At 8:33 PM -0400 10/23/00, Kneale Brownson wrote:

>I found someone's suggestion to reach the bolt by using long extensions and
>going in through the passenger wheelwell  worked for me.  I could get on
>the bolt with a flexsocket and or with a short extension, flex joint and
>socket, but I couldn't get enough leverage to break the bolt loose.  With
>long extensions, I could put a breaker bar on the end and have all the
>leverage I needed.  Also helped for getting room to swing the torquewrench
>when reinstalling.  Especially helpful was the neighbor who came to see
>what all the cussing was about and helped to guide the socket onto the
>bolthead.
>
>
>At 03:31 PM 10/23/2000 -0400, Phil Rose wrote:
>
>>I decided to take the advice of Paul W. (and others), and so I spoke to
>>Didi at Carlsen about ordering the hose in question. She has several in
>>stock (the right p/n for the '91 model) and swears up and down that it's
>>the Audi gen-YOU-WHINE oem part. The better bit of news is price--much less
>>than I expected: a "mere" $140. Actually I was anticipating close to (or
>>even over) $200. So it'll be here in a coupla days. And if I ever get the
>>old hose removed, I may even get to use it.
>>
>>A couple of people have recommended using a flex-head socket wrench for
>>this job.


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*  Phil & Judy Rose           Rochester, NY  *
*        mailto:pjrose at frontiernet.net       *
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