type 44 steering rack replacement

[Keith Lawyer]

Update, since I know the whole list is waiting w baited breath (read: if you have anything remotely better to do just delete now).  I took a good look at the car last nite and I definitely think the rack is leaking.

The boot is torn on both sides.  There's a pool of Pentosin over on the passenger side on a little triangular flat area (which may be part of the rack, don't know).  This is also how it makes it down to the exhaust and burns off.  The entire bottom of the tranny/diff is coated in Pentosin.  I see no evidence of any leaks where the lines themselves attach.  It appears the leak is coming from the ram(s) and running out of the torn boots.

Got started on the teardown last nite.  The line from the pump to the reservoir really didn't want to let go of the reservoir LOL, but the heat gun plus lots of cursing finally worked.

Got the lock plate bent back easy enough w a huge straight blade screwdriver.  The driver's side tie rod bolt was easy enough, but the angle for the passenger side tie rod bolt required I come straight at it from the front of the car with a long extension and wobble on the impact gun - or at least thats' how I solved the problem.

Tried to get the high pressure line off the rack but I see no earthly way to do so..... I could almost get a socket on there but there was no way to turn it.  This *is* 19mm, no?  I've searched the archives per Kneale's suggestion but it almost seems to me parameters for the search engine have changed, seems all I get anymore is the huge archives that are 200 or 300k no matter how many or few terms I search for.

The plan at this point is to figure out what I need to do under the dash and then get the whole rack loose w the lines attached.  Once the rack is loose I can theoretically rotate it to access the lines better, I'm thinking come from the passenger side wheelwell, and with the impact there's no reason the rack has to be securely anchored to the car to break the banjo bolts............or at least that's the theory.

So I just gotta find a source for some more o-rings.......considering the nearest dealer is 4 hours away.

Keith L

>>> Kneale Brownson <kneale at coslink.net> 6/20/2005 12:59:37 PM >>>
Get to the lines from above.  Do one at a time so you don't plug them into
the wrong places.   Lots of postings in the archives about replacing them.
Best tricks I've seen:  Use long extensions and go at the hose bolts from
the passenger wheelwell;  and wind some thread around the bolt so you can
pull on it to turn the bolt back into the rack while holding a little
finger pressure on it.  

The racket could be from the high pressure hose.

At 11:25 AM 6/20/2005 -0600, Keith Lawyer wrote:
>No, it could just be a line.  But I get quite a racket when turning the 
>wheel, lots of moaning and groaning which I assume is from the 
>rack.............seems only other thing that might cause such symptoms would 
>be upper strut bearings?  I suppose I could figure it out by turning the 
>wheel w the motor off?
>
>So between the noise and the high mileage I figure this rack is due
regardless?
>
>However this brings up a point I've been wondering about:  is it best to get 
>at the lines from the engine compartment or under the car?
>
>Keith L