Fitting PS lines to rack

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Thu May 31, 2007 8:09 pm

I've been struggling with trying to fit the power steering lines upto the steering rack.

I've got one in, but I can't get the other one started (the front one)
Why do they have to cross:mad: , especially when you can't see what you're doing with the turbo, up pipe etc, in the way.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:19 pm

I made the same mistake (not fitting them before putting the engine in).
It was an absolute **** but I just kept at it being very careful not to munt the thread. Eventually got it, I had to take the lines out a few times and tweak them at the bends to improve the angle.

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:31 pm

My problem is that I didn't think to check whether the rack was ok before I put the engine in.

Does it make it easier if the engine is lifted slightly off its mounts?

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:52 pm

Yeah I guess it would, whatever gives you more room....might be an idea to find somebody with a spare EA rack sitting around and test the threads in there.

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:57 pm

Like the one I pulled out, or the one from the donor car, or the Legacy speed sensitive one, or...

But I will check, that's a good idea.

If anyone wants any free racks that require rebuilding, let me know.

Suby Wan Kenobi · Post by **Suby Wan Kenobi** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 7:47 pm

Put the inner one in first but only done up loosly then fit the outer. If you come at then from the drivers side wheels arch by taking the wheel off and bending the splash guard up out of the way you will have plenty of room.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:08 am

i not tried this for rack acces, but would dropping crossmember on its bolts an inch or so help ? maybe also undo engine mount bolts and lift engine a tad

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 1:58 pm

jono wrote:i not tried this for rack acces, but would dropping crossmember on its bolts an inch or so help ? maybe also undo engine mount bolts and lift engine a tad

that should help i would think seen as things are gettin moved away form the rack which hopefully gives more access

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 4:10 pm

Lifting engine isn't really an option at the moment. Nor is dropping the crossmember away from the engine.
I can't (rather I don't want to) bend that metal because the front part of the car has been resprayed & I don't want to wreck the paint before I've even got the car on the road)

I have undone the bracket that holds the 2 lines together, or is that a mistake?

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 4:41 pm

whatever it takes to get the threads to take. Are you accessing it from under the drivers side guard?

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 5:31 pm

No, I'm doing it from behind the crossmember. The opposote corner of the car is only sitting on a chassis stand, so I'm not really prepared to jack up this corner.
BTW, the turbo dump pipe & steering uni joint are both not installed ATM.

subanator · Post by **subanator** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:00 pm

When I repaired my rack, I came unstuck with this problem too. Got on top of it by purchasing a set of metric crowsfoot 3/8 drive sockets. Still difficult, but still doable. Kinchrome make a set, fairly reasonable price.

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:19 pm

I'm not understanding what you mean by these sockets.
How do you fit a socket over a nut with a pipe sticking out of it?

I've got a set of pipe spanners I've had for 10 years & protect my life with them, but I can't even get the thread started & I don't want to strip it or cross thread it.

BlackMale · Post by **BlackMale** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:50 am

I hear you buddy. Did mine on the wkd and I almost logged on to see what this thread had to offer. MAJOR pain in the butt!!! How did I do mine a MASSIVE amount of persistence (remember I do have a 3” dump pipe in the way).

Basically after a few hours of frustration (and hooking 1 line up and not the other) I decided to separate the lines and attempted to engage them 1 at a time. I had the front end in the air, fed the rack in and then looking through the to hole in the cross member reached over the cv and dropped the front line in and did it up as finger tight as I could. Then to do the rear line the I had the drives side wheel off (I do not have the splash guards on the 4WD – water splashes at speed kept pulling them down onto the tyre) inserted the other line, finger tight and then, back under the car to do the front line at with spanner before doing the rear.

1 of the biggest pain in the ass jobs I have done for a while.

Oh and I should add that my steering extension is different to most and it was being difficult to realign I was that pissed I just moved the shaft a little to get it to reseat only realised when I got back into the car that I had rotated the wheel and it was now out by 180 degrees (completely up side down) – what can I say… I am a dump ass.

subanator · Post by **subanator** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:43 pm

wagonist wrote:I'm not understanding what you mean by these sockets.
How do you fit a socket over a nut with a pipe sticking out of it?

I've got a set of pipe spanners I've had for 10 years & protect my life with them, but I can't even get the thread started & I don't want to strip it or cross thread it.

I came across them again in the shed, here is a pic of Crowsfoot sockets, suit 3/8 drive.

timmo · Post by **timmo** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:52 pm

thanks for posting that I always wondered what these so called "crowsfeet" sockets were. BTW i found the only way I could get the lines hooked up to the rack recently was by dropping the engine crossmember. I wished i'd done it before wasting an hour. Just put a jack under the trans undo a few bolts & ur there

timmo