Power steering line removal from the steering rack

[Gelf VXR]

I'm removing headers from the Monaro, I'm stuck on the power steering lines, looks like i need crows feet spanners to get access to release them unless there is another method?





Ive already released the easy to access two on the other side.





Any other useful advise gratefully received

[gsd2000]

I used regular spanners,but they are a pain to do.

I can't remember the sizes off the top of my head

If you could get a large enough flare nut spanner onto them then that would make life easier

18mm seems to be stuck in my head

[L2VXR]

I think there 16mm , they are a pain having to unscrew a little turn at a time. I cut a slot out of an old twelve point ring spanner so I could slip it over the pipe and it gave a bit more travel in each turn.
Also you can get a bit more access if you remove the column pinch bolt and the rack mounting bolts and drop the rack so it hangs off the track rods. But make sure you lock the steering wheel or you'll need to recentre the clock spring for the airbag.

Edited by L2VXR on Saturday 12th November 15:56

[Gelf VXR]

Thanks for your advice, I read about the locking the steering column, i put tape over the ignition as a reminder.

I ordered some crows feet spanners ill use with socket extension

[stevieturbo]

Big problem with a lot of crows feet....is they are very very bulky which can make them almost impossible to get in where you think they should...and then actually get a turn on them !

I bought a set years ago thinking they would be handy. I think I've used them once...and even that wasnt handy lol

If there was a thin 12pt set, that would be a lot more useful.

[L2VXR]

stevieturbo said:

Big problem with a lot of crows feet....is they are very very bulky which can make them almost impossible to get in where you think they should...and then actually get a turn on them !

I bought a set years ago thinking they would be handy. I think I've used them once...and even that wasnt handy lol

If there was a thin 12pt set, that would be a lot more useful.

That's the conclusion I came to also when I was looking for a suitable tool to make things easier. I did find a 16mm brake pipe type spanner but it's bulk wouldn't have helped, that when I took a cutting disc to a combination spanner

[MyM8V8]

Have you dropped the rack first? (i.e without detaching the lines). You night get enough of a gap.

[Gelf VXR]

I was a bit shy of brute forcing the rack down, I managed to drop the rack enough to pull the header out, then released i didn't need to undo the easy access PS lines doh! See how it goes on the way back in

[Gelf VXR]

I put the headers back in today, steering all aligned as before, I didn't move the steering wheel while rack was disconnected, anyway I let it warm up and burn off any residue on the headers and went for a drive, all was well then all of sudden the head lights started switching off and on until they switched off completely, traction control and dealer warning came on and instruments switched off, engine continued to run no problem, I got home and switched engine off and took the key out. Various relays continued to click on and of, hazards attempting to flash, boot open mechanism also until I disconnected the battery.

It's done something similar before, the CD player would continue to click along with other relays, I thought it was because the battery was flat, after charging and reconnecting all was good. Ive got the battery on charge, but it went to conditioning pretty quickly, I'm leaving it on chargea over night and will put it back in tomorrow.

Any ideas, I'm thinking it could be immobiliser or key fob flat battery related?

[stevieturbo]

no wires touching or shorting out anywhere ? Or a ground maybe not attached ?

Was any wiring disturbed during the work ?

[Gelf VXR]

No joy this morning, reconnect the battery and all sorts of electrical activity, instrument display is active reporting revs at redline, remote door locking is week. The engine will start thou

it has an additional hsv meta system immobilizer fitted, i wondering if this is the problem. How to disable it?

It may have also killed my efilive flash scan which was connected and logging my O2's at the time, screen is now blue, but readable at a tilted angle.

Edited by Gelf VXR on Sunday 4th December 09:48

[stevieturbo]

What is battery voltage like ?

Again, poor grounds can cause some really bizarre symptoms, I'd be hunting around for things like that first.

havent a clue about the immobiliser though

[Gelf VXR]

Battery checked at 12.7v, i persevered with it turning on and off the alarm with the remote key and it sorted itself out, i checked for codes and saw U0001 - high speed Can communication bus and U0121 - lost communication with the anti locking brake system.

Strange enough when i plugged in efilive FSV2 the screen came back to normal again,

This is third occasion its acted strangely after having the battery disconnected for some time, this time was really bizarre thou.

[Gelf VXR]

All seemed well yesterday, as day light faded headlights, tail lights and fog lights no longer working it seems, done a bit of searching and it seems like the body control module relays are a common intermittent problem with lights staying on, not seen anyone with similar issues as I'm having thou I've got all the wiring schematics, will start to check and clean the common chassis earth point next to the battery

If it's the BCM itself I need new keys as well

Edited by Gelf VXR on Monday 5th December 07:13