HELP ! Power Steering Rack Boot- Mk1 Clio

[D.Kaye]

I have been struggling with this for the past week, trying all sorts to get a replacement power steering rack gaiter fitted to the drivers side of the power steering rack, and I am running out of ideas and the thing is still not fitting.

What it is, is the gaiter is neoprene I think or at least supper flexible and pushing the gaiter up to the steering rack housing the stepped lip that is supposed to fit into a recess in the housing just folds under. The first attempt I twisted the thing on but then because of no room to work I couldn't fit the flared vent pipe into the gaiter so off it came where I have had to fit the vent pipe before trying to get that lip over the housing and the above is occurring, the stepped lip is just folding under, part of it is on but the rest no chance, it won't go on.

Now the car is up on axle stands so you can appreciate I am lying under it trying to persuade that boot to go on, where well I have no room to move and I have tried cycle tyre levers, no chance it doesn't want to know and I have tried softening the boot in hot water but no go.

Has anyone a solution for this problem, having perhaps had the problem themselves or knows of any way I can this boot on, as I am stuck, the MOT has run out and I have no transport until I complete this job and get the car back on the road.


The car is a 1994 Renault Clio 1.4RT (RHD)

[uncle buck]

Can you not fit it without the vent pipe then secure it in place with a cable tie or whatever then fit the vent pipe, the cable tie keeping the boot in place and stopping it coming off?


Cheers.

[D.Kaye]

No I tried that first where because the pipe is flared it has to be forced into the hole in the gaiter flange sideways so the flange edge forces the hole open, where with the boot fitted to the steering rack housing there is no room to manipulate that pipe to go in as the pipe sits against the bulkhead down the back side of the rack.

I did toy with the idea of sort of forgetting about the existence of the vent pipe, but with me knowing it wasn't fitted would only irritate me by forcing me to think about what could go wrong if I left it off as it is there for a reason and so should be fitted I guess.

I have an idea, am in town tomorrow morning where I will be looking for some O- ring picks to see if they might persuade that stepped lip to fold outside where I can then hopefully drag it onto the housing.

Incidentally the near side boot replacement was easy, it went on in seconds as that vent pipe given there was room in the engine bay to get on top of the boot, where I could force the vent pipe in. Where what is limiting the off side boot replacement is the sheer lack of space and the fact that the vent pipe has to be fitted before the boot is put in place.

Irritating.

[D.Kaye]

Did it, it's on and clamped down and the vent pipe is fitted on both sides. The solution was O-ring picks, still not an easy job but it worked.

So new track rod ends fitted and it's back on it's wheels only to find a flat battery, but that's on charge now, well, a newer one is out of a Citroen, and that one because it is certainly newer than the no name battery fitted to the car where that one I know is at least three years old, where the Citroen battery is two years and of a decent make (Bosch Silver Plus)- last charged a month ago with a smart charger.

So Clio Mk1 power steering rack gaiter fitting, fit vent pipe on offside to gaiter first then fit the gaiter to the housing, soft gaiters O-ring picks help, when O/S gaiter fitted reach down through the engine and fit vent pipe to the N/S gaiter, then clamp it all down and forget about it, where hope you never have to do it again.