New/recon Steering racks?

[Dilated 0]

I have a leaky power steering rack ('95 VR6). It has leaked since I bought the car, and now it's got to the point where i have to top it up every 3-4 days as it's pissed most of it out onto the driveway.

 

I need to get this sorted asap.

Does anyone have any tips on where to get one from, what sorta prices i'm looking at and if it would be worth getting one from say, a mark 3 golf from the scrappers (if they are the same part!)

 

Thanks people!

Chris

[Supercharged 2]

£400 from the dealer, are you sure its the rack and not just a gaitor?

[dr_mat 0]

ECP have the original for 369 + VAT, or a "recond" unit for £180 IIRC.

I can't vouch for the quality or source of either.

*do* let us know how you get on, I have a feeling my rack is a little sloppy myself (though I'm not losing any fluid).

[markTTC 0]

I had a recon rack from ECP fitted to my C in December 2003 at Yaash motorsport - £180 for the rack and £100 to fit. 3 months later it was leaking badly from the gaiters (losing about 1/2 litre of fluid a week!). Got straight back to Yaash and they sorted out a replacement one from ECP, and they recovered the refit costs from ECP as well - top guys at Yaash!

 

New rack feels fine, nice and tight and direct steering.

Just beware the quality on the recon ones can vary!

 

HTH

 

Cheers

Mark

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I've heard some recon racks merely have the body painted black and new seals put in. What they *should* be doing is replacing the seals, the pinion and the rack. But £369 for a new one, plus the VAT and the fitting leaves us with little option but to go with a recon. I'll do some investigating into which reconners are the best.

 

K

[Dilated 0]

That'd be fantastic Kev. I'd assume it's got to be leaking from the seals, so surely i'd be able to either a) get the seals from somewhere and fit them, or b) just take it to my local VW specialists and get them to replace the seals rather than the whole rack?

 

I have searched the forum for info on this problem and from what I gathered the only viable option is to replace the rack, is this the only option?

 

I only just bought the car, insured it and don't really wanna have to shell out another small fortune to fix this straight away!

 

Cheers guys.

[Dilated 0]

Actually just had a though - with me not knowing enough about my C just yet, maybe you guys have an opinion on this.

 

*do* let us know how you get on, I have a feeling my rack is a little sloppy myself (though I'm not losing any fluid).

 

My steering seems absolutely cock on and sharp as a knife, it's just pissing out fluid from somewhere. Do I only really need to replace the rack when the steering starts to feel sloppy, and get new seals/gaitors fitted now (hopefully solving the problem) or is it a new rack job anyway, seeing as though it is leaking?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Probably best to replace the rack since the old one has to come off replace the seals anyway, but if the steering feels OK then you can probably get away with just doing the seals, depends on budget really.

 

K

[Dilated 0]

Well this last month has hurt my wallet, so I'll give the garage a buzz tommorow and ask them if they can/weill do it and approx how much.

 

Will report back when I sort something out.

 

Cheers for everyones help =]

[monVR6 0]

Sounds like there's a few of us with dodgy feeling racks. I've spent hundreds recently trying to sort my handling - is there a sure-fire way to check if my steering rack needs replacing? I'd hate to spend another few hundred and find its still not sorted . .

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Sounds like there's a few of us with dodgy feeling racks. I've spent hundreds recently trying to sort my handling - is there a sure-fire way to check if my steering rack needs replacing? I'd hate to spend another few hundred and find its still not sorted . .

 

The normal way to check is to confirm the slightest movement of the steering wheel is mirrored by the road wheels, assuming the track rods are not worn out. But that only indicates lateral play, and not vertical play which is what causes the clonking.

 

I don't know about the rest of you but over most bumps I get a resonanace through the column (wobble) and sometimes a clonk. Not sure if it's the bottom Column bearing and or the top one.

 

I would be surprised if a VW rack is completely knackered before 100K as they normally last forever.....but....don't forget how much weight the VR6 has at the front and how wide the tyres are.

 

K

[dr_mat 0]

I get stuff like that Kev too, not necessarily a wobble, but I get the occasional clunk from the front end that I can't explain any other way..

Don't forget these cars get caned, from day1. It's what they were built for, and that takes it's toll.

The biggest issue with my steering is the straight-ahead. It just feels a bit vague. On the twisties it's fine, precise, full of feedback, but on the straight-ahead it's vague, and that gets MUCH worse over bumps. I remember one time I had a flat spot on one front wheel, and at speed it really felt like the rack was slapping back+forth due to the vibration, it no longer felt as tightly "connected" to the steering. Hard to explain, but I suspect I'm not the only one who finds that...?

[dr_mat 0]

You know, thinking about it, I remember a garage telling me once that "there was a little bit of play in the steering column". I assumed he meant the tilting wheel adjustment, which moves slightly due to it probably always having been left in the same spot..

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You know, thinking about it, I remember a garage telling me once that "there was a little bit of play in the steering column". I assumed he meant the tilting wheel adjustment, which moves slightly due to it probably always having been left in the same spot..

 

The play is because of worn column bearings, just the top if you're lucky, bottom one aswell if you're not so lucky. The actual tilting mechanism is solid, no movement there at all, other than the up and down tilting.

 

If the bottom bearing is gone, you'll get a clonk from the feet area and if the top bearing is gone, the steering wheel will wobble slightly in your hands over bumps, but the worn bottom bearing would also contribute to that.

 

Both of mine need doing but I really cannot be arsed to pull the column out!

 

K

[dr_mat 0]

Ick, sounds like a labour intensive job. Which means £££.

Great.

So, we reckon the steering racks are ok then? Damn it. That's the bit that's easy to change..

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Ick, sounds like a labour intensive job. Which means £££.

Great.

So, we reckon the steering racks are ok then? Damn it. That's the bit that's easy to change..

 

As Sherlock said, once you've exhausted the easiest and most likely causes, what ever is left is the culprit. So do the bearings first, and then the rack. I don't know what the bearings are like for wearing on Corrados but the MK2 was certainly known for it.

 

K

[dr_mat 0]

So - how painful are they to replace, ££ wise..?

(And who makes them - presumably they are VW-only parts...)

[Supercharged 2]

As Sherlock said, once you've exhausted the easiest and most likely causes, what ever is left is the culprit. So do the bearings first, and then the rack. I don't know what the bearings are like for wearing on Corrados but the MK2 was certainly known for it.

 

The Corrado suspension setup is alot stiffer than the mk2's, maybe this increases the wear rate of some components, the other problem being most parts were not actually made specifically for the C.

[Andy T 0]

power steering leaks can fail MOT, as I found out in my last car! The fluid tends to end up in the wishbone bushes too which can't do them any good...

 

Looking back at the receipts, my C G60 had the rack replaced at 55k because of play in the rack - its got a GSF rack on it now. And yes, I leaks a bit but is quite slow.

 

My local VW specialist doesnt rate recon racks either, because they soon leak.

[Dilated 0]

Anyone know whether the power steering rack and pump from a 1990 corrado 1.8 16v are the same as the VR's?

[Andy T 0]

They're not, its a different part number.

 

I think the VR might share the same rack and pump as some mk3 golf/pasat/vento though.

[markTTC 0]

My 2.0 16V has the same rack as the VR - more £££ than the 1.8 16V one :roll:

I'm not sure about the pump though!

[Andy T 0]

Had a look on Etka - It lists 2 racks (models not specified) and 3 other racks labelled 'VR6'

 

192 422 061 P .... Up to 1992 (upto chassis 50-N-011487)

 

192 422 061 K .... 1992 Onwards (Chassis 50-N-011488 onwards)

 

1H2 422 061 A .... 'VR6'

 

#1H2 422 061 AX .... 'VR6'

 

#1H2 422 061 AV .... 'VR6'

 

 

So its looks like they're not compatible. Maybe your 2.0 16v rack is the 1992 onwards one?

 

PAS pumps are different numbers for The KR, PG, 9A and VR6 engines, too many to list. The VR6 has a different pulley spacing so won't fit other models.

[Dilated 0]

3 Different racks for the VR??

 

Do you think i'm gonna be okay buying a rack from a '94 VR6, when I have a '95 VR6?

One hopefully going cheap you see, so I was gonna buy it, then i can strip it down and see how it works - replace the seals etc. The guy says it is in good working condition and no leaks, but I want to make sure it'll last!

[Dilated 0]

I was hoping someone might have answered this by now - but only because I already put a bid on one on ebay!

 

The auction just ended and I bagged myself a power steering rack from a '94 VR6 "alledgedly" in perfect condition, for £40!!

Gonna strip it down and change the seals and get it pristine, then fit it to the car.

 

ROCK ON!

Sorry, rather chuffed! thought it was gonna cost me a fortune to get this leaky rack sorted! :)