[SYT_Shadow]

Some comments from Theodore

Minor suggestions for the DIY:

1. Add in the necessity of a 12mm 12 point socket for the OEM rod bolt removal.

Extra tips and time savers:

1. Use a piece of piece of thick tape, placed on the steering column across the joint, and then use a box cutter to slice the tape right at the joint. The 3 dimensional marker works great and makes lining things up afterwards super easy.

2. To create more of a production line type efficiency, consider buying 3 inexpensive 3/8" 12 point sockets for the ARP bolt install

3. Bought the Stahlwille 46-12 Steel Extra Deep Bi-Hexagon Socket, 3/8" Drive and it is a much tighter fit than my regular 12 point 12mm socket on the OEM rod bolts. Highly recommended for this job.

4. Lots of people finish this job, bolt it up and then find oil leaking onto the floor. This is because when you remove the oil pan, oil starts dripping into the bellhousing and then leaks out later. Make sure you use a towel to soak up any oil that's on its way back there!


More comments, this time from Mmachines

I'm not sure if some of my thoughts below are covered elsewhere in this thread but wanted to put out there a few FYI's

1) This is better with a friend who knows their tools and can hand you stuff. That was a huge inefficiency but I survived just fine.

2) In addition to the tools mentioned in the DIY, things I needed that weren't standard within any of my kits include (and maybe I'm dense and missed it):
-16mm wrench
-E socket set (for E10 and E12)
-E wrench for where the socket doesn't fit, I got a dual sided E10/E12 (can't remember which I needed)

3) I zip tied through 2 holes the oil pan gasket to the pan while getting it positioned, got a few bolts started, cut the zip ties.

4) car positioning, put it higher than you think is good. I lifted front and rear but once that subframe is dropped it gets tight. I also pulled up close to a pole in my garage and it was constantly in my way. With the bottom of the front bumper at 16" high, I had 8" between the subframe and the floor.

5) My HID angle sensor would NOT plug in. 1 drop of lube worked around the seal with a toothpick and slid right in.

6) I prestarted my steering rack bolt for reassembly to not have to fight with it later. lol. It doesn't work like that, take it out. There's lots of play in this linkage it doesn't have to slide on as subframe is raised. I put the subframe up and put a few bolts in a few threads on passenger side, jacked subframe more to the point where it looks too high for the steering linkage then reached in and it slid right on about 1/4". I kept raising subframe and pryed it on the rest of the way. First try took me an hour with no success. Second try was maybe 5 minutes.





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Update 6/27/2018

Apparently we have had a failure due to improper installation.

Please note the bearings have notches which 'fit' into the cap and into the rod. So the cap bearing has a notch that fits inside the cap and the rod bearing has a notch that fits into the rod.
It is essential for the bearings to be fully seated. They have to be seated and level on both sides of the cap and the rod.