[200q20v] power steering hose (rebuilding) question

[Kneale Brownson]

I got the socket with a flex joint (not a flex socket) and two or three 
extensions in place going through the wheelwell, and then substituted  a 
shorter extension for the second long one so I could actually put the 
breakerbar on in the space between the engine and the passenger side 
fender.  This is 1/2-inch drive stuff.   I think if I'd used my swivel head 
3/8-inch drive ratchet to do the loosening, I'd have been taking it back to 
Sears to replace under the lifetime guarantee.   There was lots of room on 
the passenger side of the engine to manipulate the breaker bar and, as I 
noted earlier, the torque wrench when reassembling.

I took out the bracket holding the steel fuel lines so I could budge them 
aside just to get at the assembly.  I couldn't get in there to reinstall 
the banjo bolt with my fingers without taking out that bracket.  It was 
drawing too much blood.

I didn't touch the return line to the reservoir from the rack.

My original HP line had most of the cover worn off where the arm from the 
steering rack goes to the driver side front wheel, so when I was installing 
the new hose, I got the rack banjo bolt started, got the pump bolt started 
and then slid a piece of wood between the hose and the arm before 
tightening both bolts to torque spec.  I looked at the hose the other day 
and there's still some clearance there.




At 09:56 PM 10/23/2000 -0400, Phil Rose wrote:

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