Power Steering fluid leak....Rack removal?

[Aunt Trumpet]

Hi,

The steering on our Bongo suddenly became very stiff after reversing off the drive, I suspected low fluid levels and topped it up as it was very low. I checked for leaks and discovered quite a severe leak from the gaitor! Obviously this is just a dust cover so after removing it the fluid poured out all over the drive. I suspect an inner seal has gone within the cylinder as it pours out from the offside.

I have done a search and as a seal kit is £35 and a recon rack is £188 it looks like I will be attempting a seal overhaul on my rack.

Has anyone removed the rack at all? Is it a difficult job?

Anyone got any tips or know where I can get a cheaper recon rack from?

Thanks for any help...

[missfixit70]

I had a go at refurbing one (a leaking spare I'd been given) & gave up, it is a job that you won't get right without the right tools TBH.
Most seem to go on the top pinion seal which can be replaced in situ, but sounds like yours has gone on the rack itself This may help
http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... mgno=.html

[missfixit70]

Just looked in the manual, 9 pages of instructions for doing the steering rack overhaul (only 3.5 pages for doing a head gasket), numerous special tools, I'd say a refurbed rack is worth every penny, way too many bits to get wrong, not a simple job by any means.

[Aunt Trumpet]

Oh dear......

Thanks Kirsty...that doesnt sound promising. I'll have to get the old rack off anyway as most of them are exchange items I believe. It doesn't look like too much of a complicated job [he says, hoping not to eat his words later], I might have a tentative fiddle with it but it looks like its a new rack......lovely. Not much point in getting second hand either I guess as it may well be on its last legs too.

Hey ho....... Thanks for your efforts Kirsty.

[missfixit70]

Doesn't look too hard to get off TBH, If you're going to all the bother, I must admit I'd prefer to fit a recon unit rather than a straight secondhand swap.

[the janner vanner]

Hi, Allan of Allan Vehicle Services in Plympton did my steering rack gaitor just last month. He didn't take very long to replace it, and his fee was very reasonable.
I thought he would have put my bongo up on the rack but no, he worked from the bonnet. As with your situation I thought the worst, thinking I was in for a large bill, a new steering rack and labour costs etc, but no, Allan came up trumps once again and just relaced the gaitor

[missfixit70]

Hi, Allan of Allan Vehicle Services in Plympton did my steering rack gaitor just last month. He didn't take very long to replace it, and his fee was very reasonable.
I thought he would have put my bongo up on the rack but no, he worked from the bonnet. As with your situation I thought the worst, thinking I was in for a large bill, a new steering rack and labour costs etc, but no, Allan came up trumps once again and just relaced the gaitor

If he did it from above, sounds like it was the pinion seal to me Dave, you'd have a job replacing a gaitor from above & that wouldn't stop a leak, it's just a dust cover.

[the janner vanner]

All I know Kirsty is that it was the gaitor that joins the steering wheel to the steering rack, you konw how geared up on mecanics I am.

[missfixit70]

That will have been the pinion seal for sure, under the gaitor/dustcover

[the janner vanner]

I bow to your knowledge, O Bongoleer of the year 2010

[missfixit70]

As long as you know your place

[Aunt Trumpet]

Hi, Allan of Allan Vehicle Services in Plympton did my steering rack gaitor just last month. He didn't take very long to replace it, and his fee was very reasonable.
I thought he would have put my bongo up on the rack but no, he worked from the bonnet. As with your situation I thought the worst, thinking I was in for a large bill, a new steering rack and labour costs etc, but no, Allan came up trumps once again and just relaced the gaitor

Yes, as Kirsty says the gaitor is just a dust cover and is pretty simple to fit.....however, mine was full up with power steering fluid!!

[helen&tony]

Hi
Let me know how you get on,as I am replacing mine later...or rather getting it done, as I can't get our Bongo over the inspection pit ( the garage roof's too low)...and as it's not a complicated job to remove, I'll get the local spanner-men to do it...My problem is that I can get a reconned rack sent here for a reasonable sum, but returning the old one by the same courier is HORRENDOUSLY expensive....everything like that over here is very dear...I had thought of stripping and repairing, as I've done it on my jag, but if you look at prices of reconned Bongo racks in comparison to other makes, the incredible difference kind of bears out what Kirsty says about being a tad of an abnormal job The other thing is that the damage to the internals of mine may render it unserviceable anyway, as I suspect it's hammered
. SO....if you replace your rack, I would be grateful if you can let me know how long it takes...then I know if the labour charges are right (7 quid an hour over here)
Cheers
Helen

[jaylee]

(7 quid an hour over here)

You get what you pay for sometimes...!

[helen&tony]

Hi Jay
Yup...there are certain jobs I wouldn't trust them with, but i've had the wishbones , bushes, CVJ boots, droplink bushes done by them...and a steering rack is easy peasy if you have a pit...but I ain't trusting the cambelt to them!...I usually find that if they say they're Mercedes trained, it means that they sat in one once before they got chased out of the showroom ...strangely enough, though, when it comes to wiring and re-vamping ECUs, they are wizard...and welding...nearly everyone welds....I've even seen them weld a broken bandsaw blade together
Cheers
Helen