| About 3 months ago I came into possession of a used power steering rack. A few weeks before that I noticed I had a torn boot and seemed to be leaking a bit of fluid. Thus I set out on a mission to rebuild this power steering rack here's what I've learned the hard way. 1) You need a BIG wrench (I used a pipe wrench), a 13mm wrench, flare wrenches, some star sockets, and a dead blow hammer. 2) When the FSM says drill out staking...the really mean rotary tool out a dent. 3) The rack can easily be removed with the engine in if you first remove the hard lines and then remove the pinion with the rack still in. 4) Use a zip-lock bad to protect the inner oil seals while pulling them over the rack teeth. 5) To seat the driver side oil seal against the bushing (and not have it slide back where you don't want it), use the center bushing to pin it in place. Then install the big nut on the end to hold the passenger side seal in place. Next mount the rack, mount the pinion, mount the tensioner. Bolt everything up (minus the dust boots and tie rods. Then start the car and have the rack fill with fluid. At that point you can start attaching it to the steering column and the tie rods. Besides these items if I had to do it again, I probably would. It isn't that bad. Most of my effort was spent trying to get end nut off which had staking that looked nothing like what was indicated in the FSM. Once I took care of that everything was rather simple. Wish I'd realized that the assembly of the pinion after the rack was installed was the way to go. Oh and maybe someone knows what the proper sized wrench is for the tie rods (part that mount to the rack, not the end) and the big cap on the passenger side is?
"The 300ZX Turbo is a dance; it's a song; it's rolling, roaring automotive art. There is no color that doesn't suit it. There is no mood-lifting chemical substance it can't replace." - Automobile Magazine
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