Go to this link. Alfisto Steve posted this awhile back.

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/164-168-1991-1995/50533-alfa-164-power-steering-info.html

You can also find it by doing a search for steering rack and loof for a thread called Power Steering Info posted by Steve.

 

164 Steering Rack exploded view (without damper)

Here are some pictures of 164 rack I think I posted before that are no longer showing up:

 

Here are some pictures of 164 rack I think I posted before that are no longer showing up:

Some more shots of rack disassembled:

 

164 rack seals

More pictures of seals:

 

More info on rack with damper

Here is threads I started on my 93L rack with damper:

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/164...b/forums/164-168-1991-1995/49292-rosso-rescue-project-steering-rack-update.html

 

Wow! Thanks Steve

How on earth did I miss that

 

What exactly are you trying to identify I didn't mean to scare anybody with full blown monty of rack's guts but there are a few parts.

Most of us are more worried about the boots and inner tie rod ends replacements thereof!

 

Mine is clunking - The rack seems to have excessive play in the housing & obviously it needs to be resolved.

Strangely though, it doesn't leak fluid at all - considering it moves a good 10mm on the passenger's end of the rack.

I've ordered a seal kit, but I was curious as to what else I may have required before I get into ripping it out for a rebuild (It's the Wife's driver at the moment - I can't afford the hassle of having it off the road while waiting for bits)

 

What is moving/clunking inner tie rod end socket, rack shaft in glide bushing or play in steering wheel?

If former you can replace bad ITR end, not much without rebuild if glide bushing worn, though. If some play in rack to pinon gear mesh you can remove some shims that are shown in my first picture in post #4.

If rack moving in rubber mounts then you need to see posts on that repair both by me and one of the OZ Alfisti who found a poly set of bushings somewhere down under.

 

I have poly mounts on the rack (I think it's me you were thinking of ), both ITR's are nice & tight. I suspect it's a combination of glide bushing & the gear meshing, hence the plan to strip it out & rebuild it. I had an interruption while practicing on my badly flogged & leaky spare rack & couldn't remember how it fitted back together...

Thankyou again for the piccies

(What is it with the spell check here? It thinks "Thankyou" is a mistake?

 

Poly mounts?

evilgidget, where did you get poly mounts for the steering rack?

My repaired passenger mount failed and I'm currently using a cut-up neoprene beer holder covered in builders glue. I'd love to replace both steering rack mounts with a poly equivalent.

 

Pentagon mount is standard Alfa.

I modified the passenger side with a D shaped one that I found in my parts shop discount bin. I think from memory it was from a laser, but can't be certain. I'll look more to see if I still have the photo with the part number on it.

 

Bumping up steering rack info

I got my kits from Steering gears and steering gearboxes, rack and pinion steering gears and more. but they may or may not sell you one as some other people have tried to no avail.

This job is not for the faint hearted home boy project. I did this stuff for a living on Navy aircraft hydraulic components for many years and used to rebuild Lancia Beta power steering racks in my spare time eons ago.

As for replacing just shaft seal on passenger end you have to pull out circular wire to get shaft end guide and shaft seal out butr it is a special seal.

To get inner tie rod end off rack shaft you can drill out stacked area and use a plumbers wrench to get it off rack shaft. See link to my Rosso project or search for inner tie rod end (it is not called a ball joint).

 

More 164 steering rack info

Pentagon rubber driver's side mount is a Lancia part numbered item 82388352.

Circular rubber mount on passenger side part of rack part of rack no known number for it.

Jorgen seal kit for 164 rack is numbered same as rack on their web site 54559 aka kit 554.

I ordered kit today for stock spare.

 

Hi Steve,

I have a '92 164S that I got new from Paul Spruell Alfa Romeo.
I am pretty sure that my two year old rebulit power steering has what you described as an "inner tie rod" problem. With the car on a jack, I can rock the front wheel from side to side about 10 mm and see the steering rod move in and out at the power steering rack rubber bellows under the car. Also, it looks like my low mileage Michelin will soon be showing steel belts on the inner diameter...

You said: To get inner tie rod end off rack shaft you can drill out stacked area and use a plumbers wrench to get it off rack shaft. See link to my Rosso project or search for inner tie rod end (it is not called a ball joint). Steve,

Unfortunately, I do not see a link to your Rosso project; I do see 93 Rosso 1 164L and 91 S but I am learning how to navigate around here.
\I just found and read the link...looks like a PITA to repair. The other link to Bob's Black 164 went to a real estate sales site...I wonder if the tie rod end in my rack (rebuilt 5,000 miles ago) could just be loose and need to be tightened with Lock-tite?

Our other 164L Emerald green '91 is now on ebay and on their link to this site...new paint & Michelin tires; pay 1/2 price for restoration and get car for free!

Best regards,
Mark

 

Not sure what your were saved from you stated in your editing note but see this link for how I removed rack to repair rack sliding in rubber mounts and how to remove inner tie rod end (yes it does have a ball joint in it that wears out): http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/164...b/forums/164-168-1991-1995/49292-rosso-rescue-project-steering-rack-update.html

 

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your reply and your photodocumentation of this project. Wow, I am glad that Bob @ Auto Delta in Atlanta sent the rack out to be rebuilt.

"...you can drill out stacked area ? and use a plumbers wrench to get it off rack shaft."

Would you explain why it is necessary to drill out the "stacked area" and just what the stacked area is please?

I have a plumbers wrench although it does not look as stout as the one in your photograph. Will the plumbers wrench not remove the inner tie rod end unless it has been drilled out?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

 

When Alfa describes "Staking" something in a manual, they are referring to an operation that will bend or deform something (like a washer or nut) to hold it in place from loosening. Picture the operation of driving a stake into the ground. It's that same operation of holding a metal rod in one hand and hitting it with a hammer with the other. The difference being, that you are trying to bend over (or deform) a tab or metal edge on a washer or nut in order for it to not loosen itself with use. When you do this, you need a way to undo it when you want to remove the item. In this case, Steve says that you need to drill the staking out. Some things need to be bent back, sometimes with the help of a hammer and screwdriver or similar metal rod. Some times it can be a pain to "unstake" an item. Sometimes you can still remove items with the staking in place and brute force will overcome the staking, depends on what you are working on.

If you just had the rack rebuilt, I'm sure the inner tie rods are still good, because the rebuilder would have already inspected them or replaced them. Then again that was two years ago. Was an alignment done on the car after the rack was installed? You may have a hard time telling if the inners have wear, without actually removing the rubber boot and feeling for play in the ball joint itself. Grabbing the wheel and moving it in and out doesn't tell you much, because you can do that with good ones as well. With the car sitting on the ground, stand with the door open and turn the steering wheel back and forth while watching the front wheel. Does the front wheel turn immediately with steering input, or does it take a bit of movement before the front wheel moves. If it turns right with the steering wheel, than your inner tierods are fine. You will need a partner to help with the passenger front wheel.
Charles

 

You mentioned earlier about rack moving in its rubber mounts if that is true your inner tie rods may not be the issue.

You need to verify where the movement is in your rack set up and if in fact it is inner tie rod ends then you can try to remove them with brute force with rack still in car.

Also you would need to have new ones on hand to replace.

If your rack is moving in rubber mounts the passenger side one is not designed to be replaced and there isn't any part number for the part so you pretty much have to make a mount out of something like a thin radiator hose or thin rubber mat for that sde.

Other side has a part number and may still be orderable.

In a pictures in above link I show drilling out both staked area from inner tie rod end and drilling out passenger side mount.

 

steering rack exploded view

THANKS AGAIN STEVE! and ChazzyD,

Now it all makes perfect sense to drill out the "staked" part...I thought perhaps something was 'stacked' inside the inner tie rod end or something. Please pardon my density; perhaps a subconscious resistance to crawing under the car to work on the steering rack in a sub freezing garage.

I am certain that either a) the inner tie rod end is loose and will not require a drill (just a wrench), or b) the inner tie rod end is worn out (~5,000 miles since rack was rebuilt). There is ~10mm of 'play' at the inner end of the tie rod where the rod goes into the rubber bellows. I'll have to remove the rubber boot to determine if the end has unscrewed or worn out (hopefully not!). I am having trouble seeing how the rod could move in and out if the threads on the ball joint were just loose.

I found a tie rod end on ebay (UK) that has flats on it for a wrench but I am double checking to make sure that the machined face (with the bolt) does not have a shoulder; requiring a spacer like Steve described. Is there a local
source for this part?

When the rack was rebuilt, I had Auto Delta reinstall the 35,000 mile stock springs, since the IAP performance springs were harsh and very low, allowing the tires to rub on the inner fender linings but **** it looked snakey! The car has always been a little rough on inner edge tire wear but I don't believe the camber is really adjustable and the stock springs only seem to make the wear worse (especially with a worn out tie rod end).

Blessings,
Mark

 

I don't work in a freezing garage very well either so that is why I have both a propane and kerosene heater. I preheat garage before I go to work.

As far as inner tie rod ends IAP and difatta bros should have them but they all seem to only carry "L/H one" 9945565 that are designed for both sides on racks without oval boot on passenger side.

See two types of inner TRE's here: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/433677-post30.html

9945565 inner TIE ROD driver's side on damper style rack and both sides on non-damper rack Note: usable on oval boot side with a spacer.
9945566 inner TIE ROD END Passenger side oval boot side

The 9945565 fits non-damper racks on both sides and can work on passenger side of oval booted racks with a spacer (washer). I showed both types in my Rosso rack project.

 

This is really old topic but i'm reconditioning steering rack of my 164 Q4 and i am having really hard time replacing that piston ring which i surrounded by red red colour on the pic.

Any ideas how it should be replaced? I'm all out of ideas now...

thanks.

 

The piston ring is a hard square cut telfon material and you have to leave it alone unless you have a new one from a repair kit.

It is hard to get off and hard to stretch new one into piston groove.

I got a 54559 kit from Jorgen.

 

Is this an O-ring? (I've never been there so don't know). If it's an O-ring just slip it out of the groove with the help of a pick, then carefully measure it with a micrometer. Whether metric or inch, it's easy to find an online source.

 

Some more info on 164 racks with dampered spring cartridge: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/5117905-post315.html

 

I know there is a spring in that 2nd tube, but is there a shock absorber style damper in there as well, or is it just the spring, ie, no motion damping?

 

As I said there is about 90 degrees of free play before either way you turn it from center before spring cartridge takes effect. The shop manual calls it a recovery spring to facilitate and optimize the steering wheel return (Hidro Racing System - HRS). There isn't any dampening strut like on later GTV6 and I suppose Milano Racks or Billy Bob's 4x4 pickem up truck.

 

That means then that these racks are not damped in any way, just spring loaded toward center.

 

Does anyone know if the 24V 'Super' has a damper on the rack? My rack decided to drop PS fluid everywhere, looks like an end seal has gone on the passenger side (RHD car).

Looking to buy a seal kit and I notice there are a few types depending on if there is a damper fitted. Problem is the 'Super' isn't mentioned because I don't think they called it that in the USA (or am I wrong?).

Car isn't here so I can't go and look. I suspect it doesn't have the damper but would like some more expert advice if possible before I place the order!

 

I suspect you need to go look but I would think it does have "dampered" rack as all later ones I have seen has it.