[Alfisto Steve]

Still driving Rosso 5 months later and haven't had to add any fluid to reservoir so rack hasn't leaked yet - lucky me.

 

[Alfisto Steve]

Time for a bump up.

 

[Richard2]

Time for a sticky to keep it up front

 

[goats]

Outer sleeve for PS hose

Guys, on the 24V cars, the original PS hose includes an outer sleeve, PVC, that is secured at one end with a metal band. It is critical that this sleeve be re-installed over the hose and banded at one end when the high pressure side hose is repaired. The sleeve is there to make sure that IF the hose develops a leak, that hot PS fluid doesnt drip onto the exhaust and ignite. With the sleeve in place, any leaking fluid will be diverted to the open end which is NOT over top of the exhaust.
I didnt see that sleeve in the photos Steve---
Just an FYI

 

[Ian Evans]

inner ball socket

Speaking of Steering racks, replaced my sway bar link bushings today and found I have about an inch freeplay in the right side wheel due to inner tie rod socket in the rack. Can that tie rod assembly be exchanged with the rack in situ?

Ian
'94 LS

 

[Alfisto Steve]

Speaking of Steering racks, replaced my sway bar link bushings today and found I have about an inch freeplay in the right side wheel due to inner tie rod socket in the rack. Can that tie rod assembly be exchanged with the rack in situ?

Ian
'94 LS

YES it can. Black Alfa aka Bob posted procedure on his 94LS.

 

[MrT]

Ahhhh! My link to Bob's lexingtonma pages is not working. Maybe he moved? As a matter of fact, lexingtonma.net isn't really responding in a worthwhile way. The link -was- http://www.lexingtonma.net/users/BobC/tierod.php
but it seems not to be working. Is it now on the BB?

OK. After Frank and Ian reported it working, I came back to the bb and looked. It -is- working now. lexingtonma must have been doing some maintenance at the hour I tried it. Anyway, Bob's pics are very helpful. Look up the plumbing tool I found to Do The Job. Bob included my pic at the bottom of his page. It worked great for me.... Keeps me from unnecessarily exposing myself to damage. Reaching up into the wheel well area is a real nerve-wracker for me. I always imagine what it would look like if I were to jerk something too hard and the car fell off the jack(s).

Late addendum: It's the same tool Steve shows (to much better effect) in post 22 of this thread:

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/164...168-1991-1995/49292-rosso-rescue-project-steering-rack-update-2.html#post432982

 

[multicam]

I just clicked on the hypertext and I was able to access the site.
Looks like a tough job with the rack in place, good luck.

 

[Ian Evans]

Ah, it is working now... Thanks All.

Ian

63 Sprint
'81 V6 spider
'91 164L
'94 164 LS

 

[pavanbabut]

Second verse not same as first:

Can we lower the subframe with exhaust center section still connected?? in you second pic in your second set of pics, I see the exhaust is still intact or am I not seeing it right. I am about to lower it but I paused it looking at the exhaust still in intact.

thanks

 

[MrT]

I think I'd not be lowering the subframe with the exhaust attached to the engine unless the engine is not attached to the subframe. You don't want to overstress the flex couplings. I did discover that the rack can come out per the Alfa book without lowering the subframe. The reason that it might be done is that the engine traps the rack in place against the firewall UNLESS you read the manual and see that if you unscrew about three nuts in the driver's footwell, back off the U-joint cover, uncouple the U-joint, and then back out the screws the bolts nuts were attached to (they are double-ended bolts, smaller size pointing into the cabin), you can then remove the nose which pushes out to cover and seal against the rack pinion. Once that nose is removed, you can simply pass the rack out sideways through the wheel wells.

I had some trouble with the rack mounting bolts, but you can get to them from above the engine using a few long socket extensions and a long 17mm socket. These bolts are double-ended also. There are two nuts on the front side of the rack which fix the heat shield protecting the rack from the exhaust manifold heat. Take them off with the same ratchet and extensions, then pull the four bolts holding the rack in place, and you can (after pulling the steering coupling apart as described in the manual, plus decoupling the hydraulic connections to the rack) you can slide the rack out sideways without dropping the sub-frame.

It's up to you how you want to do this, of course. Steve's description certainly works and it may be that it is actually simpler than the factory instructions. He's a master mechanic and even writes up good descriptions. Are you removing the rack? If so, then you already have to decouple the steering shaft from the rack pinion.

 

[pavanbabut]

Thanks for the reply. I did unbolt the U joint at steering assembly under driver's foot well. I also undid TRE bolts and front bolts tht hold the rack onto subframe with heat sheild, but I was not able to reach the rear rack bolts. This is the main reason I am trying to follow Steve's instrucitons.

How did you reach those bolts BTW?? I am trying to replace the rack.

-Pavan.

 

[MrT]

I had a helper who could thread about 2 feet of extension with socket from behind the engine, along the false firewall, to those bolts. You need to have a U-joint on the end of the extension just before the socket, too. But if you're under the car and your helper pushes the sockets down to you, you can manually put the socket (needs to be a long socket, like a spark plug socket) onto the bolts and then they're pretty straightforward to undo and remove. It was a little fussy finding the proper access path to the one in front of the driver, as I recall, because of the brake and heater stuff on the false firewall.

Michael

 

[MrT]

And you'll need to remove the double-ended bolts on the cabin side of the firewall so you can remove that nosepiece with its rubber seals that presses against the rack pinion surface. If you don't, then the rack is captured until you move he subframe down to provide clearance for pinion removal. You can't rotate the rack out without some added clearance, and pulling the cabin-side mounted stuff out does that.

 

[pavanbabut]

I had a helper who could thread about 2 feet of extension with socket from behind the engine, along the false firewall, to those bolts. You need to have a U-joint on the end of the extension just before the socket, too. But if you're under the car and your helper pushes the sockets down to you, you can manually put the socket (needs to be a long socket, like a spark plug socket) onto the bolts and then they're pretty straightforward to undo and remove. It was a little fussy finding the proper access path to the one in front of the driver, as I recall, because of the brake and heater stuff on the false firewall.

Michael

I can't even see the rear bolts from the engine. Is there a way to access those through firewall area that I am missing? I will check on the rubber seal from inside the cabin and will check that I dont have anything else connected to the rack pinion shaft.

 

[MrT]

I can't even see the rear bolts from the engine. Is there a way to access those through firewall area that I am missing?

Yes,that's the way I remember it, too. You have to reach up around the rack to hold the socket with your fingers. If there were enough room for you to reach behind the rack and see the bolts, there would be room enough for a wrench, too. I can only say that after you remove the heat shield, you should be able to see the rear bolt on the passenger side from the wheel well if you need additional visual references to see the geometry. It's the driver's side bolt that I had more trouble with....not a great deal, but more than the passenger (right) side. Your helper up on top of the engine is very important, as he is the one who does all the real work. You, underneath the car, are only guiding the socket into place and (to the extent that you trust the topside guy) holding the socket alignment when he's turning it.

 

[Alfisto Steve]

Just checking in and saw your questions. I unhooked rubber donuts holding up front of cat and lowered engine, tranny and sub frame with exhaust pipes hooked up.

Those rear rack bolts are a bear to get at but easier with metal shield removed and all of the above lowered as an assembly.

If you have a helper that would be great so you could use universal joint on socket set up and have him/her turn ratchet from up top.

 

[pavanbabut]

Just checking in and saw your questions. I unhooked rubber donuts holding up front of cat and lowered engine, tranny and sub frame with exhaust pipes hooked up.

Thanks Steve, that helped to reduce the stress on those flex couplings. I was able to take out the rack yesterday and came to notice that there is a white seal type plastic washer on the top of the steering shaft with a pin pointing outwards. The new one came with same kind of plastic one but without the pin (looks like the the pin is broken). The new rebuilt one didnt come with driver's side rach bushing and I know there are lot of threads on this topic, but is there any good soultion for this or should I have to try to reuse the old one on the new one??

Old one

Old one with pin highlighted

New one without pin

 

[ChazzyD]

Driver's side bushing is still available and you should order a new one. The plastic ring with the tab, tab goes in the slot and gets pinched in universal when you tighten it down. I wouldn't worry about that thing too much really. You might be able to remove your old one and put in on the new one, but maybe not? I think the tab was used to help them center the rack when the car was put together, but I don't know for sure. Do center the new rack though best you can before you install it, and the steering wheel needs to be centered as well. Did you center the steering before you took it apart???? Do not turn the steering wheel now too much (like don't turn it one full rev) now that the rack is not attached because of the clock spring in the wheel for the air bag, that should already be centered up though, because when you started all this, the steering was all centered, right? The purpose in all the centering is so that the clock spring will be at center, or close to when this all goes back together (and less importantly the tierods will both be equidistant threadwise) otherwise you might break the clockspring at full lock in one direction, it could run out of twist. But definitely don't let anyone monkey with your steering wheel while this rack is out and turn it willy nilly. That would be bad.
Charles

 

[pavanbabut]

Driver's side bushing is still available and you should order a new one. The plastic ring with the tab, tab goes in the slot and gets pinched in universal when you tighten it down. I wouldn't worry about that thing too much really. You might be able to remove your old one and put in on the new one, but maybe not? I think the tab was used to help them center the rack when the car was put together, but I don't know for sure. Do center the new rack though best you can before you install it, and the steering wheel needs to be centered as well. Did you center the steering before you took it apart???? Do not turn the steering wheel now too much (like don't turn it one full rev) now that the rack is not attached because of the clock spring in the wheel for the air bag, that should already be centered up though, because when you started all this, the steering was all centered, right? The purpose in all the centering is so that the clock spring will be at center, or close to when this all goes back together (and less importantly the tierods will both be equidistant threadwise) otherwise you might break the clockspring at full lock in one direction, it could run out of twist.
Charles

I took out the old tab already, but didnt put it on the new one yet as I dont have the right pliers to take out the locking ring (I used two pliers on the old one to take it out and fortunately I didnt break anything), I might try to put it on the new one. My steering was centered when I took the rack out, so I am hoping it goes that way back in. Coming to centering the new rack, is there any way to do that before putting in the rack? if so, how can I do that? As for now, the screws on both inner TREs on the new rack are marked with paint from factory and I haven't changed them (they have a note on it to center the steering before installing).