Replaced the rack in my 2000 Firebird with a "good" used one. Easy job, but now the steering feeling like it's binding and releasing. Assist level is inconsistent too. What did I do wrong?
Old rack was leaking but worked fine.
Replaced the rack in my 2000 Firebird with a "good" used one. Easy job, but now the steering feeling like it's binding and releasing. Assist level is inconsistent too. What did I do wrong?
Old rack was leaking but worked fine.
Air.
Seized u joint in the steering shaft? Doesn't explain it unless the shaft came with the used rack.
Bent pinion?
Ranger50 said:Air.
I think you have it. Air in the power steering would cause irregular steering effort. Easiest would be to try some full lock to lock turns back and forth several times, see if it helps. If not, I don't even know how to bleed power steering past that so your research is as good as mine.
Well after 50 miles of driving and some lock-to lock figure 8's in a parking lot, no change. I'm guessing this "good" rack isn't. If you listen carefully, you can hear the pump load up a little when the rack binds. Not a u-joint as that hasn't changed. At least this is a very easy rack to R/R.
Still might try a bleed. I replaced the rack on my Silverado and filled the pump back up. Had no power at all (taking a trip around the block with no PS is not fun). Put it up on jack stands, opened the power steering cap and had the wife fill it while going lock to lock about 10 times. Worked fine after that. Just something to try quick before going through another replacement.
-Rob
Is there a pinion engagement adjustment?
Talked to a friend with a lot of field experience. He has seen this before, it's the lower pinion bearing moveing and failing. Not worth fixing, will get another rack this weekend.
Dang, sorry to hear it. Glad it's an easy rack to swap.
Well I installed another rack, exact same issue. It's even putting the steering wheel in the same wrong place. I'm going to agree with the air in the system idea. Now how to purge it?
In reply to outasite :
No. All you do there is ask a dry system full of air to burp out all the fluid you are trying to inject into the system and make a mess, a flammable mess.
First bleed is engine off to the stops each way about 5 times with the cap off or just loose on the reservoir. Refill as necessary. Turn engine on and let idle. Same procedure but do NOT hit the stops. That just spikes the pressure and no fluid pumping will happen. Recheck level and refill as necessary. Tighten cap and lower vehicle to ground. Test drive. Should be all gone but I never say never. Repeat as necessary.
This procedure has never let me down in the 20 yrs I've used it.
Jacked up the front and turned wheel (engine off) stop to stop smoothly and repeatedly about 20 times. Did again engine running, did not hold on stops. Fluid had some bubbles. Test drove to minor improvement. Repeated process after letting the car set for 1/2 hour to let foam subside, no further improvement.
I wish I had just lived with the leak in the original rack.
Ok, since no real improvement, raise the front and with the steering wheel unlocked, push on the tires while observing all the components and feeling for the bind in question.
Getting frustrated.....
Took for a drive in a parking lot, smoothly turned from almost lock to lock rolling at idle speed. Repeated for several minutes, no change. No noticeable foam in the reservoir. I'm using regular p/s fluid, not ATF or anything fancy.
Back home:
Engine off, Unhooked shaft from rack, pushed rack back and forth, no bind.
Turned steering wheel carefully, no resistance in column.
Removed steering shaft, both joints move freely.
Reassembled everything, engine off, binding feeling is back.
The only thing I can find odd is that getting the shaft back onto the rack takes a bit of effort, it doesn't just slip right on.
Went thru several part catalogs, every part from 98-02 is the same. Both donors were '99's. Yes there is a F41 fast ratio option, but none of these were and mine isn't.
My old rack is gone, turned in as a core so can't compare to it.
Ive got a 2000ish ws6 rack sitting in the yard you can have shipping. Completely unknown condition. Was a out of a 200k mile car we grabbed as donor.
No advise in terms of the binding just hoping that the rack I just put in my Subaru doesnt have similar issues. It was a PITA to install.
Best way Ive found is turning the engine at cranking speed not running speed. Turn the wheel back and forth while cranking the engine. Do something to not let it start, pull the fuel pump relay or something like that. When are no longer getting bubbles in the reservoir go for a drive, will probably be fine.
It's fixed.
The RPO code for a standard steering rack stayed the same from 98-02 but the fast ratio rack became the "standard" in 2000. They have different intermediate shafts starting in 2000 as well. Swapped the shaft to the older type and all is well. When I compared the codes I thought it would be fine, clearly not. Just need an alignment to dial in the toe.
Had I just bought a reman instead of trying to be cheap, this would not have happened.
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