Power steering rack - can it be rebuilt in place?

[soldave]

Got a leak from the power steering rack on both sides potentially (disappointing only 2 years and 500 miles after a rebuild, but here we are). I see that SJ sell a power rack rebuild kit, but do you know if these kits can be fitted whilst the track is still on the car? I just remember from last time getting the track off was an absolute nightmare.

I'm sorry getting some Lucas Stop Leak I'm the hope I might get lucky, but preparing for that not being the case.

[Grizzly]

Hello

I found this excellent article from Lozza74 on how to dismantle, repair and rebuild a Power Steering Rack

https://www.lotusexcel.net/viewtopic.php?t=12259&p=97040

It gave me the confidence to have a go myself and found it easy to do - well most of it.

My rack was fully installed in the car in a full engine bay. Filling the system with PAS fluid only resulted in me getting wet feet. The driver's side boot was full of fluid too.

I asked around for repair prices but for what I wanted doing (seal replacementonly, not a full refurb) it was too much.

I found Lozza's article and set to removing the rack.Whoever said that the rack would draw out of a wheel well has never tried to do it, because it won't. I managed to get the rack out in one piece through the front of the car, between the body and the top of the anti-roll bar (note to self - repair scratch in body and repaint)

Once out the dismantling was relatively simple, except I have the earlier Elite rack, not the Excel rack, which doesn't have the bolted on side cover but an screwed in cover which required a 28mm Allen Key. They don't exist but I found a 28mm hex head tool (for £16) that is part of something else whgich did the trick.

The existing seals on the rack bar were all dried out. Not wanting to spend £70 plus for a kit from SJ with more than I need I went to Simply Bearing in Leigh, Lancs who had everything I neede for a fraction of the cost - under £20 for the seals.

The rack went back in the same way it came out.

So far, under gravity alone, all is well.

 

Many thanks Lozza. I enjoyed the rebuild and saved myself a load of money too.

 

Brian