Steering rack final solution
Steering rack final solution
Author
Discussion

caduceus

Original Poster:

6,126 posts

296 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
A small leak that was evident under the pinion since the Cerb was put back together, has got worse.
This is on a freshly refurbed rack.

The company who refurb these (who are supposedly better than Greenwich power steering services) do not cover the cost of the labour to remove the rack.
So I can't just take it back to the TVR dealer who were the middle man in the rack being sent off. As I'll be out of pocket even more.

To be honest, I'm sick of the power steering issue with the Cerb.
The rack housing itself is not made anymore, nor the central shaft. So new parts are not available.

Would'nt it be nice if we could just buy a brand new rack off the shelf from another manufacturer, and lob it in?

Apart from the the size of the thing, whether the holes line up (although they can be re drilled), and how much travel the rack has (is there a technical term for that?); what else needs to be taken into consideration before finding a donor part?

Cad

julian64

14,325 posts

284 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
I expect an awful lot of Cerb owners will be interested in this thread.

Its very difficult to get the oil seals to go inside the current rack. Everyone wants to refurb the rack. The problem is they all say if we can't fix it we'll have damaged it and it'll go in the bin.

If something on my Cerb is about to get damaged, I want to be the one to damage it, and decide its beyond repair, not someone else.

If there was an alternative I'd be searching harder for those elusive oil seals.

smash

2,062 posts

258 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
I can totally relate with you - my cerb had a recon rack at APM in Feb and was weeping within about 2 weeks. It's very minor and hasn't got any worse. *edit* Not Andy's fault obviously - as said above it's a part bought in.

The most annoying thing is the old rack didn't leak - it didn't work properly mind you but it didn't leak, lol!

Edited by smash on Monday 29th June 11:44

Ireland

3,517 posts

244 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
It's not difficult to either obtain the seals or fit the seals.

It's is very easy, however, to make a complete balls of the job if you try to rush it.

I did it on my car last year and it's a fiddly job but not technically difficult.


Whan I did mine it ws obvious once I took it apart that I wasn't the first one to work on it.

Whoever did mine last time did make a balls of it.

There was a lot of scoring on the shaft from someone butchering the old seal out last time.

I smoothed it off as best possible but a year or so on and it has started to weep again.

Once they damage them it'll probably never be right again.


On the topic of replacement options it may be worthwhile for whichever of us has the rack out of our car next to take it along to a breakers yard / Ford dealer / good (i.e. helpful and willing) motor factors as surely there is some RHD car that has a rack not too different from what would fit a Cerb with a minimum amount of hassle.


I suggested Ford as I believe the UJ's on the steering column are Ford items, aren't they?

sonnylad

1,165 posts

255 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
Ireland said:
I suggested Ford as I believe the UJ's on the steering column are Ford items, aren't they?
I believe there modified land rover parts, from when i tried sourcing them a few years back.

Russ

Ireland

3,517 posts

244 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
sonnylad said:
Ireland said:
I suggested Ford as I believe the UJ's on the steering column are Ford items, aren't they?
I believe there modified land rover parts, from when i tried sourcing them a few years back.

Russ
Oops.

smile

julian64

14,325 posts

284 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
reland. Any chance you could give me a list of the seals required for a refurb, and who you managed to buy them off?

caduceus

Original Poster:

6,126 posts

296 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
So as well as the new donor rack needing the right dimensions and correct travel, its going to have to have the same size pinion diameter/pattern as the old one too....


eLSerbera

361 posts

227 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
Just a question but rather than checking what the modern fords have available isn't it worth checking closer to home?

I haven't seen it asked so don't know if this is a stupid suggestion, but what about the steering on the other modern TVRs?
Do the Sagaris/Tuscan2/T350 use exactly the same rack as the Cerbera?

And if not that what about other front longitude mounted engined rhd cars that are out there?
what about the older TVRs, the Marcos(what did the TSO use?), Caterhams... and what about the Holden/Monaros, parts would be plentiful if several thousand miles away...

Ireland

3,517 posts

244 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
julian64 said:
reland. Any chance you could give me a list of the seals required for a refurb, and who you managed to buy them off?
I think I added theseal numbers to the Equivalent Parts thread.

If not I'll try and look them up for you.

I got the numbers (sizes) of the seals off here and then I just got a local company who sell bearings and seals to order them up for me.

They are just a standard mechanical oil seal.

Ireland

3,517 posts

244 months

Saturday 27th June 2009
quotequote all
The seal sizes are

27 x 37 x 7

and

30 x 20 x 7.

Both listed in the equivalent parts thread.

Edited to add that they look something like this



Edited by Ireland on Saturday 27th June 21:39

julian64

14,325 posts

284 months

Sunday 28th June 2009
quotequote all
Thanks

DaveW500TVR

29 posts

269 months

Tuesday 30th June 2009
quotequote all
I think that this is one area where TVR themselves might actually be of assistance!

I'm sure that I read recently that they were refurbing racks. As it's one of their few revenue streams I would take a guess that the service is not cheap!

Cheers

Dave W