C5 X7 Steering Rack - Again!

[darbuck]

Right I pulled the rack again and the pinion seals held perfectly the main body of the rack was full of grease and lds soup very appealing not. I didn't take pictures because I didn't want to destroy my phone to be honest. There is a plastic sleeve bearing with an oil seal on it in the centre of the rack the usual teflon seal on the piston and a second sleeve bearing and seal in the end bushing which is pig to remove. I destroyed it last night and set fire to it with the map torch the end bush is steel so it should have expanded enough and the cooled naturally for me to remove when I get home without affecting the metal too much. I tried drifting it and pullng with picks all the usual stuff but to no avail I will get measurements later and source the bits to rebuild it.

[darbuck]

I have all the seals out and I now have seal sizes.I will get correct measurements tomorrow I need to do up a drawing for the sleeves I came across a chap that can make up the two sleeves for about 40€ delivered to Ireland. I just need to find a st of teflon and reciprocating seals and I should be good.

[Dunkah]

Right lads, I know it’s been discussed many times but doesn’t seem any of us has a solution yet.
Steering rack feed pipes and sealing them up, I have tried umpteen times and just cannot get them sealed, new ones aren’t available but new ones for different models are, c4’s and belingos, what’s everyone’s thoughts on trying one of those? If the ends are the same then maybe they’re useable if you modify the rest of the pipe? Maybe?
I’m also considering introducing a second o ring on both pipes, diagram included. What’s anyone’s thoughts on this?
Thanks all

[MattBLancs]

Seems to be two routes for leakage from these pipes:

O-ring
Solution seems a slightly "fatter" section O-ring than standard (sat in original groove)

Pitting type corrosion to the pipe itself leading to pin holes
Commonly leaking after pipes disturbed, the stress of yanking the pipe out of the rack sufficient to initiate leaks from the weakened pipe. (Solution: new pipe)

Berlingo? Pipes have been mentioned but I agree with you, if they are the correct dimensions then should be suitable. The joint to rest of the pipe will be the question to answer.

[Dunkah]

Fatter o ring I’ve tried, seems ok to start with but is soon back to leaking
The aluminium pipe seems to be the main culprit and (unless someone wants to correct me) that’s the low pressure one, so I’d assume that if a berlingo one fits you could just chop it down and use some oil/fuel line and a good jubilee clip from there on.
Maybe? Surely it’d be worth a try

[darbuck]

The pipe could blow even though it's low pressure side it's still high enough to blow off a jubilee clip I would imagine. I would look at flaring the ends and putting in proper threaded fittings if I was cutting the pipe. You risk dumping a litre or so of lds all over a public road by just using a jubilee clip and losing power steering aswell and possibly burn out the pump which could cause a danger to others. believe me I understand your frustration but I always consider safety first with these kind of mods.

[Stickyfinger]

It IS a low pressure return, BUT it will be a high (localised) pressure as it pulses volume out of the rack hence it can blow the joint/loose a lot of LDS from that joint area.

[Dunkah]

Yeah, when I say low pressure I do realise that it pulses and not just as simple as a return, but, if you follow that pipe to the other end, the front left corner of the car, it’s a rubber hose pushed onto a steel pipe fixed with a clip. In fact last year that clip failed on me, a rabbit ear clip, got a bit rusted and started a leak, I replaced it with a jubilee clip and it’s held good ever since. Hence my belief that a hose and clip would hold

[Dunkah]

Well…… my second o ring idea didn’t work
I have found a decent condition pair of second hand pipes on fleabay, I’ll try those in the meantime which also means I’ll have a pair spare to play with. I might give them to a high tech engineer friend of mine and get him to manufacture a pair of the ends and maybe change them a little, might get two o ring recesses cut in each, possibly make the recess a little shallower for a tighter o ring fit and get the aluminium one made out of steel. Then I’ll get pirtek to manufacture the rest of the pipe.
Why doesn’t anyone just produce new ones like they do for c4 and berlingo
Oh the fun of it!

[darbuck]

You might get away with it but I would be wary, normally hydraulic to rubber hoses are crimped for safety reasons and because clips don't normally hold in those kinds of applications.
If you know someone who can make up hoses you might be better off going that route instead.
Given where you put the second o ring I think it was pushing the pipe back from its seating position resulting in a leak unfortunately.i wish I had a quick solution for you but I think the rack and pipework on these needs to be altered to threaded fittings.

[Dunkah]

Yeah, treaded is an idea I’m toying with. I do have a spare rack that I could try that on

[darbuck]

I have found a company that can make up the bits I need to rebuild the rack. I will post up pics when I get the bits, it's going to be a week or so before I get them. One step closer I think.

[darbuck]

Hi all, back to square one can't get the seals can anyone tell me what diameter the shaft is on the MK1 C5 rack

[darbuck]

I have found a seal kit for a 2001 to 2008 c5 which seems to have the correct size seals in it. I have bought the kit and will post up when it arrives. I think this will be the fix I have been looking for. It's a year now since I bought the car and I have never driven it apart from the drive home after I bought it. I found the kit in Lithuania on eBay but the seal sizes match my old ones so fingers crossed it should be here towards the end of the week.

[MattBLancs]

Fingers crossed here for you