[DaveN]

Never had any experience with the rack so I'm just shoot'in into thin air here. Maybe you have pressure (confirm with a cheap pressure gauge like the SC stage 2 one plumbed into the end of the line before the rack) and it has no return path? Not sure how they plumb the rack but can you get inlet and outlet readings?

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[gbarrier]

With an exchange pump available for less than $130 and no easy way to plumb a gauge or know what pressure one is looking for think I would exchange the pump. With that money then whizzed away you would then know for sure that you had to replace the rack.

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[Cloud9...68]

gabrrier,



With all due respect, after all this work and money, no way I'm going to throw away the pump and buy a rebuilt one, considering both the pump and rack were operating perfectly before I took them apart. Logic would dictate that the reason I'm not getting assist is that I did something wrong, so it's just a matter of finding out what it is. The pump is a very simple device with just a few moving parts, so I just need to back-track through the steps of the rebuild, and if I can't identify a problem, move to the rack. The challenge is that very few people, at least on this site, have ever done these particular tasks, so I've got to search more than usual to find the answers. The good news is that the car is at least driveable without power assist.

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[DaveN]

This is the modern age. Inject a radio active dye into the power steering pump and then have an MRI done as you move the wheel. They are only 495.00, I saw it on a billboard on the I5 coming home. :-D Probably get a coupon for an Angiogram to fix the problem as well. Warped mind.

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[bombfactory]

Cloud I had the same under-boosted feel before AND after switching to an AutoZone rack. So it ain't the rack. The only thing left that I haven't replaced is the pump. So first I'll try switching the vanes around and if that doesn't do it ... then I don't know what I'm going to do - this is driving me crazy!

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[Cloud9...68]

If you're going to take your pump apart, take a close look at that funny-shaped seal that fits on the end of the shaft as you take the pump apart. I made a very dumb mistake when re-sealing mine - it looked like the plastic piece that the rubber piece fits in didn't fit the grooves in my pump, so rather than stopping, taking some pictures, and investigating, I noticed that the rubber piece fit perfectly in the grooves without the plastic piece, so I put it back together without the plastic piece. Travis from Rennbay is convinced this is my problem, and is sending me replacement seals. I should have the replacement seals in a couple of days, and will hopefully have them in by the end of the week.



One thing I've learned throughout this project is if something that worked before I took it apart no longer works, it's 100% certain that the cause is something I did.

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[bombfactory]

Yes I neglected to notice (among other things) if the plastic 'butterfly' clip was positioned inside the rubber gasket or outside when I was disassembling my pump. I know I did use it, but can't remember right now how I positioned it. I'll take pics when I get in there. Also, I have no way of knowing if my pump might have been resealed in the past and possibly reassembled incorrectly. It's possible the vanes in my pump were installed incorrectly before I got to 'em. I just don't know. I'm hoping that's the case actually, so when I switch them to round-edge-facing-out, my steering problems will magically disappear. (ha - not really counting on it tho)

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[Eric_Oz_S2]

I believe the nylon retaining ring goes on the outside of the rubber seal ring (as it is designed to retain the rubber ring)

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[Cloud9...68]

Eric,



Yes, that is correct, and that's what I'll do when I receive my new seals from Rennbay. Travis is confident this will fix my problem. That would be great.

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[bombfactory]

It's entirely possible I put the nylon on the inside of the rubber seal, along with facing the square edges of the vanes outwards. And I was so proud of myself for 'successfully' rebuilding my ps pump! I've got no leaks tho, so there's that.



One note for those who will be re-opening their pumps - remember to get new brass washers for where the high pressure line attaches. (or are they good for a few rounds before they're too squashed to seal correctly?)

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[Cloud9...68]

My big concern is if the problem is in fact that I botched the re-seal of the pump (the "easy" part of the job), and it starts delivering fluid at normal pressure to the rack, it will expose the flaws with my rebuild of the rack, which was by far the harder part of the job!

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[Lear35A]

So many of us sit around waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for the repair to fail that we have worked so hard to make, waiting for we don't even know what-we just know it will be bad.

We are great candidates for group therapyI

I wonder if Robert Hartley, PhD is still available.

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[flash]

that's exactly why i don't screw around with this stuff. i buy it new (whether it's autozone or whatever) and don't worry about it. doing something twice makes me absolutely crazy.

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[Cloud9...68]

That's very true, and I can't argue with it. But I have to say, as painful as it is to make mistakes that force us to do things twice, it usually ends up being a very useful learning experience. Throughout the course of my long project, I've evolved from fretting over every little thing over the fear that I won't be able to fix it, to thinking, "it's only a machine, and any machine can be fixed." So while I'm concerned that my rack may leak once I confirm the pump is sending it pressurized fluid, I'm also reasonably confident I can fix it.

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[flash]

lol - the flip side to that is that there are just some things that i don't want to learn, because of where it could lead. there are also a number of things i wish i never learned, because i didn't heed my initial wishes, and now am stuck with the knowledge that too often gets pressed into use doing things i don't want to do.

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[Lear35A]

Gee, my comment was meant to be a joke (nobody got the Bob Newhart Show reference? ) . Some people go to bars, some like to work on their cars. Personally I am glad to be in the latter category.

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[flash]

i got it - loved that show, and pretty much anything bob newhart.

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[P38Light]

I am tracking down power steering leaks: Installed new hose from resevoir to pump and cooler and have a replacement hose/fitting from pump to rack (rubber hose with thick rubber protector and banjo fittings at each end). Someone has buggered up the allen head banjo bolt on the rack (my guess is a PO tried this repair and quit), so I'm trying to find hex head M12x1.5 banjos to replace them. Has anyone succeeded in this? Will M12x1.5 banjos for general brake application (non-Porsche) work or must the Porsche parts be used to duplicate flow characteristics thru the bolt?

 

Must the rack be removed to get at these pesky little things? I actually removed the wrong bolt on the first try (it was the line connecting opposite ends of the rack) and appeared to have a rubber O-ring seal rather than the usual copper crush seals) only to discover that the one I wanted is just around a corner and nearly unreachable - especially now that the allen head is stripped.  What is the torque requirement on these bolts (shouldn't be much considering the small allen head)?

 

Also need to replace the cooler to rack hose/fitting (long metal tube with rubber at each end - rack end has several tight radius bends in the rubber),  and was considering taking the old one to a local hydraulic shop to have the rubber replaced as the new part is ~$175. Any luck with approach?

 

Thanks,

Evans

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[Waylander]

I would say that you have managed to jam the pressure relief valve open, even with the vanes round the wrong way you would get some pressure and assistance

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[flash]

while i am sure that alternate parts could probably be found and used, here's my take on that idea:

 

a power steering leak will cause bushings to fail very quickly.  the cost to replace those will far exceed the cost of the OEM parts.  these things are prone to power steering leaks as it is.  why add to that by messing with alternate parts?

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