1986 280i Power Assisted Steering-Seeking rebuild kit.

[MCWEDGE]

My 1986 280i (MCWEDGE) with 14,500 miles has a leaky power steering rack. (I got with with 10,500 miles six months ago and have put 4000 miles on it already.) Having a hard time finding a rebuilt kit for it. Apparently very few were imported with PAS, so even the TVR experts over here don't know much about it.

It appears to be the same rack as in section H5 of the TVR 280i Parts Manual, which is to be expected. It has number 34001667 cast into the aluminum housing, and some other letters and numbers stamped into it. Can anyone provide a source for a rebuild kit for this rack?

Cheers,

Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM USA

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Jim



The power rack for the early car was from a Ford Cortina mk4-5, they are quite rare but do sometimes come up on Fleabay...

Most re-builders of hydraulic components should be able to rebuild it...

This might be what you need depending on what needs doing...Best to contact them to make sure..


Cheers


Ziga

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Granada-Cortina-Pow...

[MCWEDGE]

Ziga,

Thanks for your quick response. I'd seen on the 280i parts list that the rack was shown as from a Cortina Mk.5, but I was hoping to get a confirmation of that before I went hunting down a blind alley. I will contact that eBay vendor, and provide them with the Ford number on the housing. If they can confirm that their kit fits, then I should be all set. Price and shipping costs seem fair.

I just provided Alan Marshall at DG Sports Cars on your side of the pond with some photos of my rack. I'll also see what he's able to come up with.

Cheers,

Jim McPhee
MCWEDGE

[RCK974X]

More info in case it helps you -

The PS rack is sourced from a (European) Cortina, both mk4 and mk5.

(talking Europe and UK here -)

The top of the line Cortina was fitted with PS, and this was the 2.3V6 model, introduced quite late the Mk4 production.
Later, Ford offered PS on the 2 litre models as an extra, but I think this was only the Mk5. Not sure.

The mk4 and 5 are the same car really, and differ only in a few body tweaks, suspension, floorpan etc are identical.

As I understand it the 2.3 Cortina with PS was quite popular in Germany for a while, so this may be a good backup.

Not sure what TVR used for the pump for US models, but all the wedges I have seen do NOT use the original Ford one
as far as I can tell. Zig's car had a (BL) Mondeo one for example, with a TVR made engine bracket.

This is because Ford OE one fouls the air filter/metering head in the wedge.

[MCWEDGE]

Andy,

Great info! Thanks for taking the time to provide it.

Regarding the 2.3 Cortina being popular in Germany. that may explain why this Spanish site advertises a rebuilt rack and lists the 34001667 part number under “Original Reference:
http://www.lizarte.com/en/POWER-STEERING-RACK/01-2...

The picture shown of the rack matches mine.
Under "Applicable to, Ford", the only models list are Taunus, which I understand are German Fords, and also the source of the Cologne V-6.

I don't know what pump is used on mine. It has a gold foil label, but because of how it's oriented I can't read what's on it. The pump is on the left side of the engine, and using what is certainly a TVR fabricated mount, is mounted "backwards" with the pulley on the engine side of the pump, not the radiator side. The fluid reservoir is mounted to the right side fender well, directly in front of the AC compressor.

Jim

[MCWEDGE]

Slightly off-topic, but if anyone is interested in photos of MCWEDGE, and are able to access the USA-TVR Yahoo site, there are a number of them up there. At least one shows the PAS reservoir of the right fender well.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/usa-tvr/photos...

Jim

[RCK974X]

OOPS !!

Yes, you are right, the German Cortina was indeed called 'Taunus' (sorry about that....)

I think the Taunus name originally was linked with a V4 engine, which became the Cologne V6, and why the Cologne only has 2 exhaust ports...

I think there are actually two different power racks, probably interchangeable, but have a vague memory that the input shafts had different
lengths....um......

[MCWEDGE]

No sweat. Taunus, Cortina, Taurus (current Ford USA model), whatever...

Interesting, though, that the Spanish rebuilder only shows the Taunus applications, not Cortina Mk.4, 5. Unless it's some kind of licensing issue? Only allowed to sell rebuilt racks for the German Fords?

Regarding the V-4 Taunus to V-6 Cologne. It's my understanding that the Cologne manifolds, both intake and exhaust, had siamesed ports (2 in and 2 out per bank, rather than 3 in and 3 out) so that the V-6 could be easily dropped in to replaced the V-4.

I need to research the rumor that the Cologne exhaust manifolds can be swapped side-to-side to allow the down pipes to go straight back and down, instead of forward and down, as is done in the US models to accommodate the catalytic convertor. Which I've already eliminated...This might contribute to an even freer flowing exhaust, faster revving more power, etc. See Sections S3 and S4 in the 280i Parts Manual.

Jim

[Grady]

Jim - While you are at it, can you can also find some 4 port Mustang II heads for a 2.8 Cologne. I'll take a pair. Grady

[RCK974X]

MCWEDGE said:

I need to research the rumor that the Cologne exhaust manifolds can be swapped side-to-side to allow the down pipes to go straight back and down, instead of forward and down, as is done in the US models to accommodate the catalytic convertor. Which I've already eliminated...This might contribute to an even freer flowing exhaust, faster revving more power, etc. See Sections S3 and S4 in the 280i Parts Manual.

Jim

AH- HA !! I can help with this already.

You *definitely CAN* swop the manifolds around. There is only one head casting, so heads can be fitted on either bank, and so therefore, mfolds.

In fact if your mfolds go forwards ... THEY ARE ALREADY SWOPPED !!

Have a look at some Cortina 2.3 and Capri 2.8 engine bay pics, and you will see they all go backwards. This is the original Ford OE setup.
(a horizontal one to go over oil filter, and a typical angled down one on other side)

On 'non-export' 2.8 wedges, the manifolds go backwards, but the LH side (oil filter side) had a TVR special cast manifold, and the other side had an early Ford manifold, rumour has it that TVR machined off some of the flange to make it narrower to squeeze in the tube frame (and yes, it's pretty tight there).

This was because OE ford manifolds won't quite fit in the early frame.

However - there is some confusion as to what frame went where, because when TVR started making V8 wedges, they widened the frame to get the V8 in, and it's not clear (as far as I know) if all wedges then went to the wider engine bay or only the V8.

So it's possible the USA ones actually have a V8 frame, in which case Ford OE mfolds will probably go in....

V6 frame has straight top tubes from front towers to bulkhead/firewall chassis 'join', V8 frames have curved tubes to make it wider for V8. You can see this
from the various chassis pics that are around.


[ sorry if that's a bit long, hope it's useful ]

Edited by RCK974X on Thursday 22 June 03:29

[MCWEDGE]

Ta, mate!!!
(Do Brits still say that? I used to hear it, and say it, all the time when I was in Scotland in the Navy (US) in the early '70s. Maybe it was only the Scots?)

Of course you're right about the manifolds being swapped! And although it's hard to tell for absolute certainly, my manifolds appear to be identical in respect to the angle at which they go down from the heads. I'm not going to try to reverse them any time soon, but it would be interesting to know if there are going to be chassis clearance problems if I were to do it. See attached diagram:



you mentioned the oil filter being on the left. on mine it's on the right, under #3 spark plug. (My dipstick is on the left.) It comes out horizontally from a fitting on the engine block.

i don't see any evidence that my chassis (build date June 1986) has curved tubes. It appears to be very similar to this diagram:




Thanks for your (and other) responses. All extremely valuable.

Jim

[MCWEDGE]

Grady said:

Jim - While you are at it, can you can also find some 4 port Mustang II heads for a 2.8 Cologne. I'll take a pair. Grady

Grady,

Do you mean three port heads for the 2.8 Cologne? I think they're available, but, as I understand it, all US Cologne engines used carbs, and not the Bosch CIS fuel injection. That means that the heads are designed for a different intake manifold, which also has three ports per bank. Of course if you want to switch to a carburetor, you could do it. Lots of info here about the US Cologne engines: TheRangerStation.com

Jim

[RCK974X]

Right-left etc. Yes, oil filter under plug #3 Same side as steering col in UK, but not in US !!

The OE manifolds in UK at least do NOT go down at same angle. But who knows what else was made for different fitments, so it could be
the manifolds are Ford. On my 1982 2.8, the oil filter side manifold has 'TVR' logo on it, the other one has a Ford (with part no).
[This from UK Cortina, Capri, Granada which all had same mfold setups ]

There was actually an early style, and a later style Ford OE pair. Probably more sets I've never seen !

I forgot about the cat on the USA ones, so of course mfold go forwards... Duh.....

I reckon the easiest way is to scout around for web pics of Cologne engines (and under hood pics) and wedge pics - there are quite a few around,
including some good chassis pics of V6 and V8 models.

The European heads had carb, CIS (=K-jet) and also Efi for about 2 years, but mostly Efi was in Europe and not UK.

As far as I know the Arizona heads had different inlet port spacings and were only carb, so CIS mfold won't fit, and had a bad reputation for cracking.

(I'm in NZ now, so around here it's more like "Cheers, Mate" ...)

Edited by RCK974X on Thursday 22 June 21:07

[MCWEDGE]

Well, I got the seal kit for the PAS rack. I pulled the rack, and my mechanic and I disassembled it yesterday. There is a seal in the "middle" of the aluminum housing that we need to replace. It is close to where the two halves of the housing are joined together. He is convinced that the housing halves have to be separated in order to replace that seal. We have drilled out the four "dimples" in the outer half that were pressed into a groove in the inner half. (See attached photo showing one dimple while the rack was still in the car.) We have used significant force and still cannot separate the two halves. Anyone have any experience with rebuilding this rack, and replacing the fixed seal in the middle? Can it be pressed out and the new one pressed in, or does the housing have to come apart.

I'm almost ready to put it back together without replacing this seal, but it is very possible that this seal is the one that is allowing the fluid to leak out the left side of the rack. I hate to have gone to all this effort and find that it still leaks.

[gmw9666]

Based on the hose coming out of the main body and the ribs I can just see it looks like a “cam gears” rack (page 175 of the bible)

Here is the exploded view if it helps



For reference here is the TVR “supra” rack

[MCWEDGE]

thank you for that info and the diagrams. I did know that it is the Cam Gears rack; that's how I knew what seal kit to order for it.
Those diagrams in The Bible are taken from the TVR Parts Manual, and are great for identifying which rack it is, but are of no help in disassembling and rebuilding the rack with new seals.

Having said that, we have managed to remove all the seals and will reassemble it tomorrow or Sunday, the 30th or 31st. I'll be very pleased to have it back on the road. I will have photos of all the parts, if anyone is interested.

[MCWEDGE]

Well, the Cam Gear/Cortina Mk. 5 PAS rack has been rebuilt twice. (This is in a 1986 280i) When my local mechanic did it (and he really didn't want to do it, he wanted me to find a rebuilt one (good luck with that!)), it worked for about 50 miles and then started acting up. I sent it to a rebuilder in California, got it back in a week, and it's been working fine.

Except, and this was an issue before but not as bad, that the two pipes (high pressure and return lines) are leaking where they connect to the rack gear box. The pipes actually wiggle in the fitting, and are leaking where the pipes pass through the fitting, not around the fitting threads. I did replace the O rings on the nose of the pipes, but that didn't help.

Does anyone know what that type of pipe/fitting/connection is called, and where I might get replacements? The high pressure line from the pump is an entire assembly, but the return line is just a pipe bent in a "J" shape the long end of which is clamped in the hose returning to the reservoir. We used to have an outfit nearby who would fabricate custom hydraulic lines, but they went belly-up last year. I've included a photo of the pump; I don't have a good photo of the pipes attached to the rack.

[MCWEDGE]

Here is a photo of the gearbox showing where the two pipes connect.

[adam quantrill]

Hydraulic pipe fittings like that - similar to brake line ends - shouldn't wiggle when the unions are tightened up properly.

Sounds like they were wither not tightened fully, or something is preventing the union nut from bottoming out.

If the pipe flaring has been squashed too much over time maybe the nut will no longer tighten enough?

As this isn't brakes (!) you could try adding a shim between the flaring and the nut, but it would have to be wound into place. I would try coiling some copper wire around and soldering it to itself, to prevent it undoing while the nut is tightened. Or maybe a spring washer, which of course isn't a full circle, try slipping it over the pipe.

If it's less than a mm needed you could try soldering on the flaring itself to thicken it, that might form a good seal too, as it's fairly soft.

[MCWEDGE]

Adam,

Thanks for the tips. I should have taken photos of the connectors while I had them off so I could share them with the forum. I'll do that next time.

The nuts are as tight can be done without risking damage to the aluminum gearbox threads by the steel nuts. The fittings look like this photo, except that this is one piece, and mine are two, where the tapered nose with the O ring is at the end of the pipe, and the nut is a collar that "floats" on the end of the pipe/top of the nose fitting. So apparently the nut is not drawing the tapered nose and O ring solidly enough into the "socket" in the rack gear box. If I knew how the tapered nose part was attached to the pipe I'd have a better idea of what was going on, but I cannot pull the threaded nut/collar back up the pipe to see what's under it.