Restoration of 2358R

[Certified Lotus]

Seems someone previously had this steering rack apart as the capture nuts and the large spacer nuts where loctite on. Took a torch to unthread them. I doubt they came from the factory that way......

A number of the internal parts had some rust on them and everything had a black gooey thick grease on it.

Everything is now stripped apart and cleaned.  The sleeve bushing at the end of the rack housing looks ok so I'm not going to replace it. The rack housing needed some more media blasting before painting.  As I had spent an hour getting the inside of the housing very clean in my parts cleaner, I masked off all the openings before putting inside my media blaster. 

[dakazman]

 That’s really coming along , very nice work.
Dakazman

[surfguitar58]

All I know about the steering rack is what I see in Serge's excellent video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi_UhwxRnMs [although I have to say, we should all pitch in and buy him a proper arbor press and a gear puller and ask him to put away that damn hammer]). I don't see the need for air to transit the rack tube as dakazman suggests. It seems to me that runny lube would just ooze out of the steering box and end up collecting in the bellows at either end. I stand to be corrected, but wouldn't a waxy grease have better staying power where it's needed - the rack and pinion interface?

[jbcollier]

If you pack a rack tight with thick grease, as the rack moves through its range, one boot will blow up like a balloon and the other collapse.  I suppose you could leave the clamps loose and then you would suck outside material into the rack.

[BDA]

I have seen a rack on a race car that had a tube between the belloows for that reason.

[4129R]

Took a torch to unthread them. I doubt they came from the factory that way......

All 4 of the ones I have pulled apart needed heat. Factory glued.

[dakazman]

Surfguitar ...?). I don't see the need for air to transit the rack tube as dakazman suggests.
Who said what?

Dakazman

[Certified Lotus]

It was JB who said to thin the grease so air could move from one side of the rack to the other. Makes sense as it’s a close tolerance fit.

Got some painting of steering rack parts done last night.

[Certified Lotus]

Of course it’s always a part needed that holds up the reassembly. I tried to be very careful in bending back the tabs on the lock rings that hold the threaded spacers in place with the lock nut on the rack. Unfortunately one tab broke off on one and on the other the tabs are cracked. Will order replacements.

4129R, good to know that loctite was used from the factory. I didn’t see it mentioned in the shop manual regarding reassembly.

[Certified Lotus]

Yahoo! Just realized that 500 posts makes me a hero member 

Guess I’ll have to sharpen up my level of work now that I have some status........

[BDA]

All right! Another Hero member!!!

[Certified Lotus]

I’ve got a long way to go to catch up to you BDA. Glad to be part of the Europa community!

[dakazman]

  Congratulations 

dakazman

[buzzer]

Yep I needed heat too to get them apart as I swapped the extension pieces over from a LH rack to a RH rack.

And only another 20 posts to go before I become a Hero! 

[BDA]

Go for it, buzzer!