I'm getting ready to pull the engine on my model year 1991 XJS V12 (l​​​ast year before the facelift). I am ready to remove the steering rack. Is there a step-by-step somewhere for this? I searched but couldn't find one....

Thanks,

Brad

 

It is pretty straightforward. undo the track rod end ball joints, undo the power steering lines from the rack tower, undo the pinch bolt that holds the column to the splined end of the rack poking out of the rack tower, undo the three bolts that hold the rack to the subframe.
Access is always a problem on one or two of the rack bolts, but it is just a matter of perseverance.

 

okay. I think the “pinch bolt” is the part I’m foggy about. I read somewhere that it can be accessed from the wheel well, but getting a wrench on the retaining nut can be...challenging. I have to pull the exhaust anyway, so it would seem that having that out first might be beneficial?

 

Brad,

When you remove the rack bushes, take careful photos of the spacing washers which may stay stuck to the mount brackets or may fall out. It'll be a great opportunity to replace the bushes with urethane or JaguarSport bushes when you eventually replace it all.

Cheers

Paul

 

On a LHD car, it would help. If you look at the end of the column where it joins the rack, you will see there is a double universal rack joint that is held to the rack splines by a small (1/2 AF on my car) bolt. You need a spanner on each end to undo it. then the column end can be wriggled off. Note that the UJ MUST only go on in one place, as there is a cutout in the rack splines that the bolt MUST go through. This is a safety critical matter.

 

Yes, if you remove the tire and look into the wheel well you'll see a perfect opening to access the bolt...with a long-ish extension. If you have long arms and position yourself just right, you can operate the ratchet and hold the backing wrench at the same time

But removing the exhaust makes things much easier

Cheers
DD

 

I just did this when I upgraded my rack to the ZF. There is a small metal heat shield to guard the rubber bellows on the drivers side from the exhaust heat. That should be removed to allow easy access to the pinch bolt.

The hardest part of the operation is getting the rack into the mounting ears with new bushings.

A note: on mine, with 50K miles, the holes in the ears for the bushings were routed out. I had to get a MIG welder and weld washers onto the outsides of the ears. Please check this once your rack is out. The mounting ears, in my opinion, are way too flimsy for their intended purpose.

Cheers

 

From my own experience, let me make some suggestions:

1. If you are going to replace the rack, replace the two hoses going into the rack unless you know they are nearly new. You won't want to go back and do it all over again and the hoses are available online for relatively cheap prices.

2. Since you are replacing the hoses or you are certain the hoses are in good nick, disconnect them both from the *other* end (power steering pump and cooler ends). This will make removal and refitting on the rack a great deal easier. The high pressure hose going into the pump is easy to access from underneath, and the return hose going to the cooler can be accessed by removing the lefthand air cleaner.

3. If you don't have them already, invest in a set of long handle "V groove" open end wrenches. Instead of fitting on just two of the hex surfaces of a nut or bolt, they fit on four of the six. I got a set at Harbor Freight for $24.99 less 20% and they come with lifetime warranty.

4. The through the wheel well trick works very well for not only the pinch bolt, but also accessing the upper mounting bolt on the tower side. IF you are doing this on jack stands, you'll have to get your head nearly down on the ground to see the 'window' Doug is talking about for the pinch bolt.

5. When removing and replacing the pinch bolt and the upper mounting bolt, an air or battery powered ratchet with an extension is quite helpful. That way you can concentrate on getting a wrench securely fitted to the nut, and the socket secure on the bolt, then letting the ratchet do the work. It is very helpful with getting the nuts back on because there is so little space to even reach in let alone to turn the nut with your fingers.

6. Before you install the rack, carefully inspect the threads inside the fitting sockets while it's on the bench and easy.

7. Per #2, install the hoses on the rack before you connect them to the pump and cooler, getting them into the tower will be much easier with lots of play.

8. After you have secured the rack to the tie rods, and reconnected the power steering hoses, but before you raise the rack into its mounting points -- put the oil filter back on and refill the ps reservoir. Start the engine for a few seconds so you can check for leaks while you can still see everything clearly. The small amount of oil lost, and 5 mins it takes might save you a hour or two later. Then remove the oil filter again so you'll be able reach the pinch bolt once you have raised the rack into the mounting points."

 

Silly question but does the rack have to be removed to get the engine out?

 

As Doug said - look for the perfect opening and it's much easier if you have the exhaust out.

Here's some pics from my 89 convertible, one of which I snapped when I was first searching for the best way to get at the steering knuckle assembly - ie the perfect opening. The other one I just took that shows a little bit more of where the access is as I have the rack out and the shielding and it's much easier to get at things.