So now, as continuing repairs after my date with a retaining wall, my steering rack is leaking. MY 92

Dropped the old rack yesterday. Surprisingly it was an Adwest.

i have the ZF rack from the 1991 donor car.

From what Ive read, this seems a bit backward. And I suppose I am going to have to convert the ends on my new hoses to metric....

 

Would I be correct in assuming the seats in the ZF rack are ISO bubble?

 

I dunno.

But I think you're right about the ZF fittings being different than Adwest

My understanding is that A) using the ZF rack requires hoses to match and B) the hoses are the same at the pump end but different at the rack end

Others will chime in to clarify, I'm sure

Cheers
DD

 

100% correct Doug.

 

Well, here is something unexpected. The flare seats on both the Adwest and the ZF rack are the same.

 

A BeaUTifulll thing. Take it where you can get it.

 

Well I never. The reason I had to use new pipes when I changed to a ZF rack was that the actual bends on the Adwest pipes would not fit the ZF. But mine is RHD, so maybe different?

 

A new question. Somewhere along the way, someone has lost the pinch bolt for the joint that attaches to the pinion rack. I have to use a standard 5/16 bolt for the moment.

But the threads are too large to slip through joint without being ‘threaded’ with a ratchet.

Is there a special bolt for the pinch fitting?

 

I'm unclear on the pinch fitting,,, description. I ended up installing and removing, replacing and installing again, my steering rack several times (loooong story and I won't bore you with it) and I am having a hard time understanding what you mean by pinch fitting. Unless you mean where the bushing sets into the crossmember? If so, I'm sure there is.

I would find the Metric equivalent of 5/16ths and shave a bit off of that. Say, 7.5mm. try McMaster Carr...?

 

JJJ
I think he means the universal joint at the bottom of the steering column, that slides onto the splined shaft on the rack tower. On mine it is a bolt with a 1/2 A/F hex and a nyloc nut.

 

Oh! I see said the blind man...

Is the nut and bolt being replaced the one that was removed,,, the very same one? Was it tough to remove as well? If not, strange. Maybe work on the 'grove' in the tower gear that must be found when replacing - which ain't much fun in itself - to see if it has been narrled or misshapen a little? Seems you're only oft by a little bit. A rounded right shaped file perhaps, to clear the channel...?

Yeah,,, I'm a bit Barney Rubble or Fred Flintstone compared to most of the good guys here.

 

The bolt had been previously removed when we did the subframe swap 5 months ago. And looks like it was lost or used elsewhere. So a bog standard 5/16 bolt was fitted where the steering u joint fits onto the pinion.

But it would not slide in. It had to be wrenched in, which is not correct

 

Greg has it correct.

1/2 head (as we measure them in Africa) , or 1/2 diameter (which I dont believe would fit)?

 

As I just posted in another thread, the shop wants to charge $680/8 hous labor for the R&R.

Thoughts?

 

Hmm! If I had it I STILL don't think I would pay it... I'm getting really close to paying two shops to do things that I simply DON'T have the supplies/gear to do. Welding on the chassis of the XK8 and pipe bending, flaring and welding on the XJS. I hate it... In 3+ years with these machines no one (which don't mean things are working out right) has done any work but me... I have learned to like it that way... Most people, I hate to say it,,, would have to join the forum to do the things that need doing... I believe that. AND would try to take my arm to PAY,,, charging way too much...

I wouldn't pay someone to work on my truly life giving little car projects,,,, if you paid me, lol...

I'm sounding like a PITA hard liner or sumpthin,,, I ain't that. But I do enjoy doing the work enough that I wouldn't pay. That's just me.

 

I totally agree with you. I love wrenching.

But Im only wi5h my cars a short time each year. And now Im getting ready to sell the apartment building where I keep them, so Im moving them from Baltimore to Seattle

So this season it was replace the subframes and rack on the Jag, get new wheels and tires, and paint it after all the repairs.

Then my TVR is getting a body off mechanical restoration and rewiring. This weekend I roll it to a paint shop that Ive rented the booth for 4 days so I can do a complete spray job.

And Im pulling the engine out of the 928 to re-gasket it, replacing halfshafts, new clutch and shifter linkage.

And this month I still have to reassemble my diesel 6 cylinder boat engine before I head back to Africa for the winter.

So, there are times I need a bit of a helping hand...

 

Lol... Oh #$&$#!!!

In that case,,, pay the man,,, hahaha

You PAINT!!!? Do you teach!?

 

I just googled trv... You're living large.

I was an occupyer of occupy wall street. Governance and structure area. Policy guy. Like organizational structure of the movement building type... Life long activist... Pretty good at it. I've been in NYC living in the margins since 2011. Long story. Book worthy, maybe.

These cars have been a gift. Just happened. It's now a bit of a passion. I'm in it. A Russian man who I've met in my travels here has been collecting them in his yard forbuears where they became nests for mice. Damn shame... I feel lucky. He basically gives them to me. I have my eye on another of 3 928s he has left. Manual 85...

Anyways. It sounds like you have an interesting life. Thanks for telling!

Yeah! Pay the guy! Lol

 

I enjoy painting the most. Floating the fiberglass body of the TVR took the better part of a week. But its Zen.

I am by no means a pro, but I think I do a decent job for a part time hack

 

This was about 3 weeks ago