Steering Rack leak

This was relatively easy job...but just takes time. Setup, tools, removing parts, etc.

*Jack up the vehicle and remove both front wheels
*Remove tie rods from steering knuckles
*Remove air box assembly, radiator fan
*Gain access to power steering cooler -- remove and drain into suitable drain-pan (might as well get as most old fluid out)
*Take cap off of power steering reservoir -- find a way to "suck out" all fluid in reservoir (mine was completely dark)
*Find the location of the upper pinch bolt for the steering shaft -- attempt to mark accordingly with paint pen
*Move the steering shaft around to gain access to the E10 bolt so that the "slit" is towards the top -- use screwdriver to help "pry" open the pinch bolt
*Go inside car and wrap seatbelt around steering wheel as to NOT MOVE CLOCKSPRING OUT OF LOCATION
*Note the orientation of the rack (wheels slightly left or right...whichever)
*Release hard-lines on the rack itself -- note the aluminum sealing washers on both ends of banjo bolt -- get drain pan
*Release two E12 bolts with 16mm nut on lower subframe
*Try and move rack around and get joint removed by steering shaft shifting "upward"
*Get rack out

Now you can operate on the rack. Do take care of the position the pinion is in relative to the body! I paint pen this. It's imperative to have the rack go back into the relatively same position. Being off a spline-tooth of two isn't TOO big of a deal, BUT the joint is supposed to be keyed.

*Clean rack as best as you can externally
*Remove two 10mm bolts that hold on heat-shield
*Remove the intermediate shaft -- DO NOTE the orientation of the intermediate shaft to the splines on the rack pinion--this is NOT keyed except by the plastic cover
*Loosen the TORX that holds on the hard-lines to the rack body -- move them out of the way
*Loosen the Allen bolts that hold on the main body
*CAREFULLY remove the pinion body upwards taking care of the *PLASTIC* keyed dust cover -- make sure to note this orientation on the splines!
*Slide out of the body and note the offending, leaking seal
*Get a 18mm socket with extension and place the rack body on something soft -- use a deadblow and lightly tap out old seal
*Get a beer and crack open -- hum&haw about how this seal caused so much grief
*Clean the rack body internal (wipe down) and inspect the sealing surface on the input pinion
*Get a 7/8 socket and turn around with an extension opposite to use as a driving force for new seal -- PERHAPS lube the seal with grease to help aid with installation of pinion
*CAREFULLY place the body back on the input pinion -- tighten the two Allen fasteners along with TORX for the hard-lines
*THEN take the plastic keyed spline dust-cover and place in same exact position on pinion splines
*Then take intermediate shaft and place back on rack with tightening the pinion E10
*Reinstall heatshield
*Installation is about the same as the reverse of removal

RocketyMan,

Thanks for posting the explanation above. I am going to attempt to do this in 2 weeks or so. I have a few questions as I prepare. Below is an abbreviated outline of how I was planning to do a couple of the key steps. Can you let me know what you think?

1)Undo the pinch bolt securing the bottom intermediate shaft U joint to the steering rack splined spindle. I was planning on turning the steering wheel / shaft it into position to access the E12 bolt via the hole in driver wheel well as outlined on the first page.

2)Then after loosening the bolt I was going to return the steering wheel back to being centered and remove the rack from there based on previous posts about steering wheel needing to be centered. Perhaps this is mistaken. I've read about securing steering wheel centered but I don't quite know how one gets to the bolt that way unless it accessible after removing the airbox.

3)Replace with new rack, making sure to recreate / align the centering tab triangle on the black plastic cover on the new rack with the old rack's triangle position if the steering wheel isn't centered. If the steering wheel is centered then my understanding is to align the triangle with the metal tab / bump on the rack housing that indicates the rack being centered.

3)Somehow get the intermediate shaft u joint to slip back onto the new steering rack (this is the part I am most unsure about - did you hold it from below as you slid the rack into place?).

4)Turn steering wheel / steering shaft back into position where E12 bolt can be accessed if required. This assumes that once the U joint and steering rack spindle are joined they will move with each other prior to the bolt being tightened down.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you might have.

For3 wrote

RocketyMan,

Thanks for posting the explanation above. I am going to attempt to do this in 2 weeks or so. I have a few questions as I prepare. Below is an abbreviated outline of how I was planning to do a couple of the key steps. Can you let me know what you think?

1)Undo the pinch bolt securing the bottom intermediate shaft U joint to the steering rack splined spindle. I was planning on turning the steering wheel / shaft it into position to access the E12 bolt via the hole in driver wheel well as outlined on the first page.

2)Then after loosening the bolt I was going to return the steering wheel back to being centered and remove the rack from there based on previous posts about steering wheel needing to be centered. Perhaps this is mistaken. I've read about securing steering wheel centered but I don't quite know how one gets to the bolt that way unless it accessible after removing the airbox.

3)Replace with new rack, making sure to recreate / align the centering tab triangle on the black plastic cover on the new rack with the old rack's triangle position if the steering wheel isn't centered. If the steering wheel is centered then my understanding is to align the triangle with the metal tab / bump on the rack housing that indicates the rack being centered.

3)Somehow get the intermediate shaft u joint to slip back onto the new steering rack (this is the part I am most unsure about - did you hold it from below as you slid the rack into place?).

4)Turn steering wheel / steering shaft back into position where E12 bolt can be accessed if required. This assumes that once the U joint and steering rack spindle are joined they will move with each other prior to the bolt being tightened down.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you might have.

Okay.

The intermediate shaft splines that go into the pinch U-joint is technically keyed.

Take the steering wheel and make it "as straight as it can go WITH ACCESS TO THE PINCH U-JOINT." Then what you can do is take your seatbelt on the driver side and WRAP IT AROUND the steering wheel and BUCKLE IT. You want to make sure the steering wheel doesn't move AND it gives you something solid to push onto the keyed splines from the intermediate shaft.

For the old steering rack, try and mark on the casing where that plastic spline key is. Use a paint-pen. On your new steering rack, try and make sure it is as center as you can get it and GUESSTIMATE the location of the plastic key.. IT IS OKAY if you are off a spline or two. You want to be in the "ballpark" as your tie-rods will adjust any slack.

(I'm not sure if your new steering rack comes with the plastic key on the rack's pinion.)

The steering shaft "telescopes" up as the pinch u-joint is removed from the intermediate shaft's splines. I find it is easiest for me to access on the top with the airbox completely removed.

Did I answer your question?

Yes that is helpful. Thank you very much for your response!

Amazon links no longer work. Should we just go with the dimensions mentioned by takrdown ?

iamthestig_91 wrote

Amazon links no longer work. Should we just go with the dimensions mentioned by takrdown ?

probably too late but for any others I found the EAI 20X30X5mm pinion seal here on amazon:
https://amzn.to/4dHsSG1

But as mentioned earlier, I would prefer to use the CORTECO 01016544B seal if you can find it.

I am still looking for clarification on what the best larger o-ring to use on the base of the servo body from the video is.

takrdown wrote

I have time to kill, so here are some of the parts you will probably want outside of the o-ring thing I talked about above:

-Upper(larger) banjo bolt: 32416852470
-Lower(smaller) banjo bolt: 32416781261

-(x1) Torx head bolt for steering rack column to coupling: 32306778609

-(x2) Gasket rings for smaller banjo bolt: 07119906464
-(x2) Gasket rings for larger banjo bolt: 07119906463

-(x2) Hex nut for mounting steering rack: 31356757707
-(x2) Torx Bolt for mounting steering rack: 32106773068

-(x2) Hex nut for mounting outer tie rod to wheel hub: 31106768886

The fit is tight, but outside of a new alignment, it's is very straight forward.

I want to thank you from the future. Your comment just saved me DAYS of research.