Steering Rack Question
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
Steering Rack Question
I noticed drips on the garage floor shortly after changing my opti, so I feared the worst that I had goofed up either the waterpump or opti drive shaft seals. Well, I finally crawled under the car and found the leak to be coming from the steering rack. It's hard to get a good visual with it all crammed up in there, but it looks to me that the rubber telescoping boot on the drivers side is ripped on the bottom, and it is all wet. My question is will repacing the boot fix the problem? Looking in the service manual, I'm not so sure there is even supposed to be a that much fluid inside of the boot to be able to leak like it is. So maybe I have another problem internal to the rack. Has anybody had one of these apart?
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 646
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From: Santee Ca
That boot is really just to keep dust and other objects away from the internal parts of the rack. I think you have a seal going out and it will probably just get worse. The new boot may help for a bit but just long enough til the boot fills up and starts leaking by the outer tie rod end.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,337
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From: Brighton, MI
Thanks for the info. That's odd because the previous owner supposedly put a brand new steering rack on just before I bought the car because the old one was "making a noise". There is only 13k on the odo now.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 454
Likes: 1
From: Lompoc CA
Originally Posted by 93Quasar
Thanks for the info. That's odd because the previous owner supposedly put a brand new steering rack on just before I bought the car because the old one was "making a noise". There is only 13k on the odo now.
Thanks
Richard
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,337
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From: Brighton, MI
I don't think I'm going to know completely what happened. If what you said is true, then some of the blame could be me. I'm assuming the rack was a DIY by the previous owner. I bought the car as a project car, with no engine in the car. So, it is very possible that the rack had just been installed and never driven prior to me purchasing it because the engine was out. But I wouldn't know for sure without contacting the seller. So, if the rack was truly brand new and empty of fluid, then it would have been my responsibility to bleed it properly when I put the motor in. However, the ps pump and reservoir were both hooked up to the rack and laying in the engine bay when I trailered the car home. I assumed it was functioning, but maybe I shouldn't have. Once I got the engine running, I just filled the reservoir up and p/s worked fine. Maybe I should have spent more time bleeding it or something. Regardless, it looks like a b*tch to change now with the engine in.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Fort Knox, KY
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Check your metal rack-to-resovoir pipe, too. Mine went bad and leaked much in the manner you're describing.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
Yeah, the pipe is wet too. But so is the whole front of the engine. That is why I thought it was oil. But with the rack wet also, and in front of the motor, I think it is coming from the rack/boot and blowing back onto the motor at highway speeds.
