Steering rack removal

[Basil Brush]

If anyone is thinking of swapping their Tuscan rack, my advice would be don't.

I'm a day into the job and the old rack isn't out yet. There are several chassis tubes that pretty much stop you being able to move it anywhere.

Has anyone done it and got any tips?

[dvs_dave]

Yea, it's an engine out, body off job, and you'll need a special TVR specific tool aswell.

[hiltonig]

bet thats made his day !!

[plasticman]

remove the track rods

[T'ACK]

I've done this job a couple of weeks ago.

First of all, forget all the former answers to your question, however there good for a laugh.

Remove the oil tank, water bottle and oil cooler and oil tubing from the rack.
Loose up the track rod ends (you dont have to remove them from the track rods and dont remove the track rods either), and disconnect the steering column shaft, undo the bolts from the rack to the chassis.
Now slide the rack sidewards to the left side of the car, just rotate it a bit and slide it as far as possible to the left.
At a certain moment -after a bit of fiddling - it is possible to turn the righthand trackrod upside just alongside the chassis tubing, it is nipt but it works without force.
Once the righthand trackrod is free, pull the whole rack out.

Edited by T'ACK on Sunday 7th March 15:22

Edited by T'ACK on Sunday 7th March 15:23

Edited by T'ACK on Sunday 7th March 15:28

[Basil Brush]

Thanks everyone, well some of you.

It's out now thank god. It has been one of those jobs where evry hose clip, oil pipe end etc etc has been seized solid so it's taken ages.

You can leave the oil cooler pipes connected and just undo the mounts and lift it up enough to get the rack to slide underneath. Removing the pipe from the block to tank gives enough room.

Now the fun of putting the replacement one back....