[V8] V8 Steering Rack R&R

[urq]

Engine out???  BTDT on the rack with engine out ... not boot however ... if
you've got the motor out the rack will be a piece of cake ... 

The weird thing about the V8 rack is that the assist cylinder and drive
pinion are on opposite sides of the connection to the steering linkage,
which means that if you want to replace the boot you need to pull the
hydraulic lines that run from one side of the rack to the other.  

I would strongly recommend that you have the rack rebuilt.  Another
characteristic of the V8 rack is that once the boot falls apart, grime
collects on the surface the seal rides over.  If the boot has been bad for a
while there's a good chance the seal is damaged.  

Caveats ... make sure you get the supply and return lines connected
correctly before applying hydraulic pressure (it is kinda cool to watch the
rack spin to the stop, but having the housing crack was a complete bummer)
... 

I would also recommend connecting the supply and return lines before bolting
the rack all the way in.  They sit against the firewall and attach to a
vertical surface ... and can be a bit of a PITA to keep the crush ring on
the banjo bolt while trying to start the threads ... 

Steve Buchholz

-----Original Message-----

I need to replace das boot on both my  V8s Steering racks. I'll be doing it
with the engine out, and was wondering if anyone can shed any light on what
is the best/easiest way to do the job, and if there's anything I should pay
special attention to when I do the job.

I've read other threads that have mentioned things about the sensor
connection but what else should I look out for?

Thanks,

ProfessorGT