Urgent help request - steering rack

[chunder]

Hi,
Help needed urgently to avoid a nasty incident as there is a mechanic about to have a nervous breakdown and an owner with a large angle grinder considering dismantling a 450SE.
Does anyone know what the steering rack is from, or where it may be possible to get a replacement ?

1989 car with power steering

[wooly350i]

I'm guessing Ford cortina or Granada,reckon that's what's on my 350 from 1988.

[chunder]

wooly350i said:

I'm guessing Ford cortina or Granada,reckon that's what's on my 350 from 1988.

Thanks - the wedge bible stats Toyota Supra / TVR special !

Can anyone confirm ?

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Mate..
Just had a look in the PDF version of the parts manual and it says Supra/TVR U.K Market only from VIN-SA9DH35P5FBO19415 July 1985-
Hope this helps...Ziga

[mikesp]

Not possible to re-build?

[Wedg1e]

chunder said:

Thanks - the wedge bible stats Toyota Supra / TVR special !

Can anyone confirm ?

No it doesn't.. it says Supra, that's the manufacturer. I think they were modified from standard anyway so even if you found the original rack it'd need doctoring.
Earlier cars used the Cortina V6 rack... but I think (and don't quote me) it has the track rods from a Granada fitted. It'll have the Ford logo on the left-hand mount casting plus the 'CG' logo (CamGears). If it doesn't have those it's probably not a Ford rack.

[matt-man]

Hi there,

I have just been through this who saga myself!! They are expensive to fix and no one knows it is!! However, I can tell you that it is a sd1 rack, of sorts...

I had mine refurbished...

Pm me and I'll send you some more info!

[adam quantrill]

I think I still have an SD1 rack with pump, you might be able to swap bits off yours to make a good one that fits.

[mrzigazaga]

It probably makes more sense to have your old one refurbed and then that way you know its right for your car..There must be someone in western australia who can do that for you?..

[wooly350i]

adam quantrill said:

I think I still have an SD1 rack with pump, you might be able to swap bits off yours to make a good one that fits.

Adams going to take his spare one over there tomorrow!!

I sware ive seen a ford logo on mine when i was cleaning it,or was that my Hiace?

[adam quantrill]

Ahh - that would be the other Adam then - just spotted you are in Oz..

[chunder]

Thanks for the responses, have also had some help from a company that sell TVR car parts and as correctly pointed out it was made by a company called Supra not from a Supra doh !

Earlier cars apparently had the Granada rack but these ones were made specially for TVR. Initially they couldn't get the rack apart but today with some extra effort they have so may just get away with replacing all seals - if you can get them.

The situation is that I am returning to the mother country after a dozen years out here and selling the car in Oz (as it cost so much to get it out and through customs and registered etc makes more financial sense). Trouble is time is running out, house is sold - jobs chucked in etc and I have someone interested but obviously they need the car to be in good order yet it obviously doesn't want to be sold because it keeps on giving me things to fix.