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Date Posted: 17:10:06 07/04/02 Thu
Author: nn_bob
Subject: Re: Power Steering Rack Seal Replacement ...
In reply to: Brett 's message, "Power Steering Rack Seal Replacement ..." on 11:01:44 07/04/02 Thu

I have not done this myself - here is a reposted article courtesy of Josiah Bartlett:

(Start Quote)
You will need the following parts and tools:

Rack seal kit.
Steel crush washers for hydraulic hoses.
New rack boots and clamps
New tie rod end nuts.
New inner tie rod lock washers.
Tools:
Metric socket wrench set
11mm Flare nut wrench for hydraulic lines
13mm,15mm,19mm,22mm combination wrenches for hydraulic lines
2 27mm combination wrenches OR 2 pipe wrenches
Needle nose or snap ring pliers
Soft faced hammer- brass or rubber
Regular hammer
wood blocks and dowels
carb cleaner or brake cleaner
1 quart Dextron/Mercon type II or III ATF
many clean rags- old underwear or tshirts are good

Message:
It needs to be taken out of the car.

Step by step how to rebuild your ZF steering rack on an E30 BMW:

0. Installing seals is like sex with a virgin. You need to lube up well and be gentle so you don't rip anything.
1. Remove tie rod ends from steering knuckles.
2. Remove hydraulic lines.
3. Remove ujoint shaft by removing rack end bolt and loosening column end bolt and sliding ujoint assembly up and back. It may take a little grunting.
4. Remove two bolts on bottom that hold rack in car, bend tabs slightly downward or lift engine upward and remove rack from bottom.
5. Now that you have the rack out of the car, remove the boots. The outer tie rod ends can be left connected but the inner tie rod ends need to be removed. They are removed by bending the lockwasher flat and unscrewing. They are normal right hand threads and can either be removed by using a 27 mm open end wrench or a pipe wrench. Remember which side was which.
6. Remove the dust seal on the steering column connection and remove the snap ring with a snap ring tool or needle nose plier.
7. Remove the external steel lines using a flare nut wrench (12mm). Remove the rubber line by pulling it.
8. Remove the 22 mm nut on the bottom side of the rack that lines up with the steering shaft.
9. Remove the 13 mm nut on the bottom end of the steering shaft that was under the 22 mm nut.
10. Remove the snap ring on the passenger side of the rack that holds the seal. You can use screwdrivers but be careful not to scratch the rack shaft.
11. Remove the rack tension bearing and spring which is held in place by the plate with 2 13mm bolts on the upper side of the steering shaft portion of the housing.
12. Remove the steering shaft by driving against it with a wooden dowel on the bottom end of it. It will twist and pop out fairly easily. Set it aside and keep it clean.
13. Remove the rack shaft by driving against it with a wooden block from the driver's side. It will take a bit of force. It will pop out on the passenger side along with the seal/bearing assembly.
14. Drive out the driver's side rack seal from the driver's side with a socket that is big enough to bear on the seal surface but small enough to clear the bore of the housing. A few taps and it will fall right out. Note its oreintation.
15. Clean out the rack housing using carb cleaner or brake cleaner and a rag.
16. Locate the new seal that matches the one you took out in step 14. There is a teflon bushing that goes with it. The teflon bushing is installed from the passenger side and it should slide right in. Be careful when installing it that you don't scratch it. The new seal that matches the one you took out in step 14 should be installed with the smooth side facing the driver's side and the spring side facing the passenger side. Lube it up on the inner diameter with some vaseline so that it doesn't get torn up when you install it. (Think sex here). Drive the seal in with a socket that fits in the bore of the rack but won't slide through the seal. Make sure you get it in all the way and that it isn't cocked.
17. On the passenger side of the rack shaft, you will find a seal retainer and housing that you drove out of the rack. Drive out the seal and out will pop the teflon ring and bearing clip. Replace with matching new ones from the kit. The order from outside to inside is teflon ring, seal with flat side facing outward, and bearing clip. There is also an o-ring on the outside of the seal retainer. Replace it with a lubed new one.
18. On the rack shaft, there is a grayish plastic ring. Using a pick, remove it and the o-ring under it. Replace them with parts from the kit after you clean the crust out from under the o-ring. Lube the new o-ring and plastic ring with vaseline and install them.
19. When you removed the steering shaft in step 12, you also removed the seal retainer and bearing that is on the steering column end of the steering shaft. Remove it and carefully drive out the bearing and seal, and replace remembering the orientation. Lube the seal and bearing with vaseline. Replace the o-ring on the outside of the seal retainer with a new lubed one.
20. Carefully replace the white nylon rings and rubber o-rings on the steering shaft with new lubed ones. This shaft contains the valving for the power steering and should be carefully handled. Try not to stretch the new rings any more than necessary to install them. Don't drop set the shaft on anything but a clean rag and don't drop it.
21. Carefully install the rack shaft from the passenger side. Be careful that the rack teeth don't tear the new seal, so put the rack in with them facing up and twist in into alignment after you get all the teeth through the seal. Take it slow. The new piston ring will fit tightly so you can drive it with a block of wood or rubber hammer.
22. Carefully install the steering shaft from the top. It will fit very tightly and you will need to keep an eye on the rings to make sure they don't get mangled. Treat it like you would install a piston but the bore on the rack is tapered so it will slide in. Once the teeth hit the rack it will need to twist in. Some impact force will be necessary so use a wooden block under the hammer. Once it is in install the seal retainer and snap ring and tighen down the nut on the bottom end.
23. Put some bearing grease on the rack teeth to help lube the rack. Pack the 22mm bottom nut with grease and install it until it bottoms. It doesn't need a lot of torque.
24. Install the rack bearing you took out in step 11.
25. Install the rack seal retainer on the passenger side that you took off in step 17. A large socket or piece of pipe makes it easy to drive in. Install the snap ring by pushing it in cockeyed and forcing it in with a hammer and screwdriver until it snaps in the groove.
26. Install the dust seal on the steering shaft.
27. Install the inner tie rods using new lockwashers. Torque them down well and bend the sides of the lockwashers to prevent the tie rods from unscrewing.
28. Install new rack boots but don't clamp them yet. Install the steel lines with new o-rings on the ends.
29. Install the rack back in the vehicle in the reverse order you took it out. The tie rod ends are easier to torque back in if you use new nuts and put a jack under the tie rod end to keep the tapered bolt from spinning. Replace the crush washers that connect the hydraulic lines to the rack.
30. Fill the steering system back up and start the engine. Run the steering back and forth to the stops while you keep the reservior full. It will need about a quart of Dextron/Mercon type II or III ATF.
31. Put the wheels on and take it for a drive. Come back and check for leaks, especially from the boots. They should not fill up with fluid. If they do, one of your seals didn't seal. If they don't fill up, put new clamps on the boots and have the alignment checked. If you did it right, it should still be right on.
I hope this helps. I claim authorship of this how-to but not liability for errors or your mistakes. I am just shooting from the memory of how I did it. Good luck.

-Josiah Bartlett

(End Quote)

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Replies:

  • Re: Power Steering Rack Seal Replacement ... -- francis, 09:42:02 07/05/02 Fri
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