Hole in the power steering rack!???!

[Gorvid]

Obviously as I have just put my car on the classifieds, it has decided to be a baby to try and spite me.

I just untucked it from its winter nest, in a heated garage with it's little trickle charger attached... started first time easily, runs smooth... reversed out....

Trail of PAS fluid up the drive.

Now I KNEW it had a leak because my mechanics told me it had a small dribble before, they recommended an additive to try to solve it.

I added that this morning.

But that "trickle" seems to have gotten worse.

And when I look, the PAS fluid OOZES out of a tiny hole that looks drilled.

HERE IS THE HOLE!





MY questions are:

What is that hole?
What should (if anything) be in it?
Why has this got worse when just sat still for a couple of weeks?

Help.

I will definitely make any prospective purchaser aware - I only got my ad live this morning and it already lists the very few faults, one of which is the slight leak.

But I might have to adjust price now.

[Gorvid]

Help

[BliarOut]

At a guess an internal seal has failed. Kiley Clinton in Brum are the best people for rack rebuilds.

[Gorvid]

Bottoms.

[Gorvid]

Can anyone tell me if I can drain the fluid and drive it without PAS?

My last Chim never even had PAS.....

Would I need to unhook the pump?

[gavgavgav]

I'm not sure if that is the hole, but there may be a hole to help find the centre of the rack.

[BliarOut]

Gorvid said:

Can anyone tell me if I can drain the fluid and drive it without PAS?

My last Chim never even had PAS.....

Would I need to unhook the pump?

Deffo not...

[Gorvid]

So....

How to drive it 5 miles to the mechanic?!

[BliarOut]

Depends if the loss is on the low pressure or the high pressure side. If it's low pressure top it and drive, if it's high pressure chances are it'll have lost all the fluid before you get there. Does it drip out or squirt out?

[Gorvid]

Well..... the plot thickens AGAIN....

I just went out to it having put the PAS fluid sealant in last night..... sat it ticking over and turned the steering wheel lock to lock half a dozen times, holding it in lock to the pump strained....... and the sum total fluid release is about half a teaspoon full.

SO!

Either the sealant stuff has done a good job >OR< the big release of fluid initially was a month's worth of drips stored during the winter lay up... then released at once when moved.

Or a bit of both.

So, whatever, I think it IS driveable as normal again now and might just be back to how I thought it was - ie: there IS a leak but it isn't at critical point yet...

TVR fun.

[BliarOut]

SNAFU

[haircutmike]

Just looked at mine as my engine is out and there is no hole or plug there???

[BliarOut]

I think Gorvid's is the earlier steel type?

[haircutmike]

Didn@t know there was a steel one.

About 5 racks have been through my hands and they're all ally housings!

[DAVEY DEE]

Another +1 for Kiley Clinton

[Gorvid]

Don't seem to need rack refurb quite as soon as I thought now...!

But I will be using a different firm, nearer to me, when and if I do need to, because the DMs I have about them give me more confidence by far than the DMs I got about the most often recommended place.

Also a better price.

[BliarOut]

If it's a place in the West you need to PM me

[Gorvid]

It's a place in the South West.

[BliarOut]

Ping me a message, I've had four rebuilds and know who to avoid