power steering help

[cptkirk 10]

ive got a pas leak....its not a constant leak when the engine is running, but i was left for a few days, ive turned the rack with the engine off and quite a bit of fluid came out, seems to be collecting in the boot.....

 

am i best to get a used rack or can i fix it...

 

i havent 100% confirmed its the rack yet but seems to be the problem so far...also its got the red fuild in not the green....

[floppyman 0]

Dont forget that if the bottle of the pas is to full, when you turn the steering with the engine off it will spill fluid trought the bottle

[cptkirk 10]

i think i need to look into it a little more...the level drops slowly, 1 cm lower a week....theres fluid dripping off the pipes that go from the bottle so i thoght that was it but today i moved the rack while taking the calipers off an i heard a bubbling coming from the rack and fluid dripping....i think its the air inside the boot making the bubbling not the rack but the rack must be leaking if theres fluid inside in the boot....

 

if i leave the car running theres no drips, if move the rack side to side theres no leaks lol....its a werid one

[floppyman 0]

I did replace my steering rack some years ago, cant remember exacly why but probably the same as yours

[cptkirk 10]

was it a straight forward swap

[davidwort 0]

If fluid is collecting in the boot then the rack seal is shot, you can get a repair kit for the seals if you fancy having a go. Might make more sense to get a complete recon rack though.

Subframe drop job to change the rack, so you need an engine support beam or crane really if it's being done without the aid of a garage lift.

I'd also consider fitting new complete track rods and ends while the rack is out, then you'll need wheel alignment once it's back together.

[cptkirk 10]

seems a big job..what you think of these additives to stop the leaks?

[floppyman 0]

seems a big job..what you think of these additives to stop the leaks?

 

Nooooooooooooooooooooo.... Thats not how you treat a Corrado... Ok its not like changing the engine oil filter but its not that hard. If you have some skills and some tools... And you probably have the most important one... Hammer.

[cptkirk 10]

lol...ive got a rack for 50 delivered..is that cheap??

 

theres no point me doing all this work to her if im gunna bodge the rack..ill replace it then get her off the axle stands and get some pics up

[floppyman 0]

What second hand or recon?!?!?

[floppyman 0]

Put the front end on stands, inside the car loose the steering column from the rack. On the bonnet loose both of the rear engine and gearbox mounts (13mm)... Go under the car, put the jack on the sump, put a block of wood in beetwen. Lift the engine just a little bit. Loose the power steering pipes (2 pipes) and let the fluid drain... While its draining remove the front wheels and loose the track rod ends on both sides( ussualy 16mm or 17mm) beffore removing the nuts its a good idea to wire brush the threads and put some wd40. Once the nuts are off put the back only slight hand tight... Now bring the hammer and hit the hub where the rod goes in... After a few good hits it should pop off.

Once thats done loose the steering rack ussualy 4 13mm bolts, and then loose the subframe dependa what engine you have but ussualy theres 6bolts 4 big and 2 smaller 13mm at the back... By now the subframe should have dropped enought to remove the steering rack from the driver side, if not then you might have to loose the anti roll bar drop links.

I thinks that covers the most basics of it... Hope it helps

[cptkirk 10]

just second hand...ganuteed for 6 months tho.

 

do i have to use the green stuff

[floppyman 0]

Ok thats good... Yesb use the green stuff its not expensive from a vw dealer

[cptkirk 10]

whats the difference tho???..how hard is it to replace the seals in a rack??

[davidwort 0]

A corrado rack and pump should run green LHM type hydraulic fluid, the red stuff is Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF), only older mk2 golfs used that.

Even if your corrado has a red cap on the PAS header tank it should still run on the green hydraulic fluid.

If yours has been run on ATF then that might be part of the reason it's leaking :(

 

As for changing the seals, I don't think it's too bad, not done one myself, I think boostmonkey on here did his with a repair kit, have a look at his gallery/build thread, you'll need the VW suspension strut tool (big hex) to fully strip down the rack I think.

Edited February 8, 2012 by davidwort

[cptkirk 10]

A corrado rack and pump should run green LHM type hydraulic fluid, the red stuff is Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF), only older mk2 golfs used that.

Even if your corrado has a red cap on the PAS header tank it should still run on the green hydraulic fluid.

If yours has been run on ATF then that might be part of the reason it's leaking :(

 

sadly the car belonged to a muppet b4 me hence it having the wrong fluid in...still...whats the difference...is it lighter??

 

would it damage m,y pump??