MOT Woes

[drivingfroggy]

Just taken the Tuscan off the road. It failed it's MOT quite comprehensively. There's too much play in the steering rack and the emissions are way out, the brakes need replacing and the handbrake was only just a pass.
Anyone got any steering rack experience?
The car needs to go to Power for some engine work at some point, so the emissions will get sorted then. Looks like the car will be a very expensive garden ornament until the new year anyway.

[S6 Devil]

I had my steering rack removed by a local mechanic and sent it off for refubishment, It's a bit of a hastly job apparently but was about 5 hours labour to remove and replace plus £160 for the refurb. I then had the wheels aligned afterwards, can't recall the cost.

Turnaround for the rack repair was 3 days as long as you give him some notice so he can get the parts in. I used M &P steering, Unit 22, Pier Road Ind Estate, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1RZ. 01634-576654
No problems since and no leaks.

[drivingfroggy]

Yeah, I believe it is a PITA job. It's not something I can do myself in the garden, maybe I'll get the boys at Power to sort it while it's there anyway. I'm not giving it back to my local guy, I had to back there twice to show him how to get under the bonnet and into the boot. I actually took the bonnet off and refitted it myself,no discount either!

[Basil Brush]

Is it definitely the rack? I swapped both my rack and column recently as play had built up in both. The rack play on mine was in the input torsion valve assembly, not the rack itself. I also had some movement in the joint at the top of the column, where the wheel tilts. I've still got some in the lower column sliding section so that's going to be replaced next.

The rack is a PITA to swap.

[drivingfroggy]

Good call BB. Not sure if I'm competent enough to check that myself though. I'm looking for quotes to get the car transported down to Coventry at the moment. I'm sure a good TVR mech will be able to sort it. We'll see.

[S6PNJ]

drivingfroggy said:

....the emissions are way out

Froggy, when I spoke with Jason at Str8Six, he advised me that as the Tuscan exhaust exit is quite large, you need to 'block' it up with a rag after the emissions probe is inserted as this then prevents any drawback of air in between exhaust stokes. (block it up in the losest sense of the phrase, whilst still stopping the draw back of air IYSWIM) The draw back of air upsets the MOT lambda probe thingy and it will giver erroneous readings. My CO at fast idle took a lot of attempts to pass last year, whist at idle they were fine. This year, no issues whatsoever and I believe it was down to how they did the emissions test.

[drivingfroggy]

That's interesting about the rag trick. I'm wondering if it's worth talking to the garage I used to try that again

[froggie]

Putting the rack on left lock and taking the track rod end (or track rod is better)off makes the job easy.rack can be shimmed up and seals / bearings are available from baring stockists.
But check where the slack is in the steering "rack" , uj in the colmn can wear and only a few quid and half hr work, or just track rod can save expense and work.

The outer casing on rack is prone to snap when undoing the large nut holding the seal rendering the rack case useless New rack is Nealy 4 figures if available.
never had to test any of my tuscans (although my most recent is now 3yrs and in need)
so mot sure what emissions should be, Cerbras wouldn't pass when they were new so all testes are "TVR friendly" and often stick it up another cars pipe.

[drivingfroggy]

Thanks for the advice, but the car is going in to TVR Power on Wednesday, to get the engine warranty work looked at, it will all get sorted there.