FwC

iTrader: (1)

Hello all, I'm coming on 170,000 miles and have some power steering fluid loss on my 2001 3.2CL-S. I noticed after raising the car that there was a significant amount of fluid leaking from the bellows, so I'm assuming I have a bad rack or bad valve cylinder end seals.

I'm definitely not getting an OEM replacement ~$600 from delray acura. What aftermarket brands are recommended, I was on rockauto.com and saw A-1 Cardone for $362 with core mail in and reman + ~5 days completion and mail back. How is this vs ATSCO for $353 with $79 core?

Is this a precision job where special tools are required or can I DIY? Who's done a DIY steering rack replacement that has some advice to offer?

All help is appreciated.

-Frank

FwC

iTrader: (1)

Possibly leaking from pinion shaft and not bellows, it's hard to see the origin.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

I went through this last year. With only 100K on my car. Had a shop replace it with a A-1 Cardone unit. All of them are rebuilt anyway that you will find. You will not find a new one. Even the dealer ones. Also you will need the type S one. It is different then the regular clp one. The job was about $650 & change. Not cheap. And you need an alignment after.

FwC

iTrader: (1)

Anyone done this replacement themselves?

zeta

iTrader: (1)

^
fsttyms1 on the 2g TL side has some exposure to this repair.

FwC

iTrader: (1)

I'll just dive in there and get my hands/face/back/arms/legs/body/garage/car dirty figuring it out ATSCO from rockauto shipped yesterday.

zeta

iTrader: (1)

lol, That's the spirit for a BIG job like this. Use what the Helms manual states below as a guide:

Note these items during removal:
-Use solvent and a brush, wash any oil and dirt off of the valve body unit its lines, and the end of the gearbox. Blow dry with compressed air.
-Be sure to remove the steering wheel before disconnecting the steering joint. Damage to the cable reel can occur.
1) Drain the power steering fluid.
2) Raise and support the vehicle.
3) Remove the front wheels.
4) Remove the driver's airbag assembly.
5) Remove the steering wheel.
6) Remove the steering joint cover.
7) Remove the steering joint bolts, disconnect the steering joint by moving the steering joint toward the column.
8) Remove the cotter pin from the 10mm nut and loosen the nut.
9) Separate the tie-rod ball joint and knuckle.
10) Grasp the right tie-rod and pull the rack all the way to the right, then remove the right and left tie-rod ends, and locknuts.
11) Remove the exhaust pipe and mounting bracket.
12) Disconnect the A/T shift cable from the transmission.
13) Loosen the 14mm flare nut, and disconnect the pump outlet hose.
14) Loosen the 17mm flare nut, and remove the return line.
15) After disconnecting the hoses and lines, plug or seal them with a piece of tape to prevent foreign materials from entering.
Note: Do not loosen the cylinder line between the valve body unit and cylinder.
16) Remove the stiffener plates, then remove the right mounting brackets and the cushion.
17) Pull the steering gearbox down until the pinion shaft clears the bulkhead, and remove the pinion shaft grommet from the top of the valve body unit
18) Move the steering gearbox to the passenger's side until the driver's side rack end rests on the end of the rear beam.
19) To get the driver's side rack end around the rear beam, push up and back on the passenger's side rack end, then pull down on the driver's side of the steering gearbox.

zeta

iTrader: (1)

Installation:
1) Before installing the gearbox, slide the rack all the way to the right.
2) Pass the passenger's side of the steering gearbox above and through the passenger's side of the rear beam. Be careful not to bend or damage the power steering lines and cylinder lines when installing the gearbox.
3) Raise the driver's side of the steering gearbox above and through the driver's side of the rear beam. Then insert the pinion shaft up through the bulkhead.
4) Install the pinion shaft grommet. Align the slot in the pinion shaft grommet with the lug portion on the valve housing.
5) Install the mounting cushion on the steering gearbox.
6) Install the mounting brackets over the mounting cushion, then install the two gearbox mounting bolts.
7) Install the stiffener plates with the two gearbox monting bolts and six stiffener plate attaching bolts. Install the bolts loosely first, then tighten them securely.
8) Center the steering rack within its stroke.
9) Install the steering joint, and reconnect the steering shaft and pinion shaft. Make sure the steering joint is connected as follows:
-Insert the upper end of the steering joint onto the steering shaft (line up the bolt hole with the flat portion of the shaft).
Slip the lower end of the steering joint onto the pinion shaft (line up the bolt hole with the groove around the shaft), and loosely install the lower joint bolt. Be sure that the lower joint bolt is securely in the groove in the pinion shaft.
-Pull on the steering joint to make sure that the steering joint is fully seated. Then install the upper joint and tighten it.
10) Center the cable reel by first rotating it clockwise until it stops. Then rotate it counterclockwise (about two and half turns) until the arrow mark on the label points straight up. Reinstall the steering wheel.
11) Install the steering joint cover with the clamps and clips.
12) Connect the return line and feed line to the valve body. After connecting the fluid lines, make sure that there is no interference between the lines and other parts.
13) Thread the right and left tie-rod ends and locknut onto the rack an equal number of turns.
14) Reconnect tie-rod ends to the steering knuckles.
15) Install new cotter pins.
16) Connect the A/T shift cable to the transmission.
17) Install the exhaust pipe and mounting bracket.
18) Install front wheels.
19) Fill the system with PS fluid, and bleed air from the system.
20) After installation, perform the following checks:
-Start the engine, allow it to idle, and turn the steering wheel from lock-to-lock several times to warm up the fluid. Check the gearbox for leaks.
-Adjust the front toe.
-Check the steering wheel spoke angle. Adjust by turning the right and left tie-rods equally, if necessary.

Good luck.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Exactly why I let the shop do it. Saw that in the service manual & was like yeah no way....

FwC

iTrader: (1)

LOL, I was looking at the TL service manual and it's a bit overwhelming, but I think the major components are covered well enough to be done. I imagine the hardest part will be doing everything with only the clearance of jack stands.

FwC

iTrader: (1)

OMFG pay a mechanic to do this.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

lol.....Did you succeed or cave?

FwC

iTrader: (1)

Oh i didnt give up. I completed the install but flushed the system and the cylinder end seal must have gave because a bunch of fluid filled the driver side dust boot. So i have to remove it, send it back to rock auto and install another one i ordered from autozone. Wasted 5 bottles of fluid and 2 days of work.

FML.

zeta

iTrader: (1)

That sucks to have done all that work and have the replacement fail.

How much limited lifetime warranty does Autozone give on the steering rack?

At least the install should go a little easier the second time around.

If you have the time, please give us your impressions on the repair and any tips/shortcuts.

Good Luck!

FwC

iTrader: (1)

Finally got it in and had an alignment done yesterday, everything seems to be working fine.

It is funny because I got the rack and pinion from Autozone and it has a "lifetime warranty" according to the rep and when I opened the Duralast box, it was the same exact ATSCO R&P from Rockauto :P . They do not rebuild these to spec, I had to remove the passenger side locking clip on the dust boot and slide the dust boot over to clear the mounting clip and bushing, it's probably best just to match the clearance to the old R&P. I also found that the dust boots on these remanned units are cheap and fold over when at full turn, so I took my OEM dustboots off and will hold onto them in case these new dust boots rip.

These instructions ^^^ from zeta are pretty much spot on. The TL Service manual instructions are practically the same and offer some illustrations along with secondary instructions on removal and install of steering wheel and transmission shift cable. FSM also has all the torques specs you need (which I use).

Notable notes on removal and install.
Get a steering wheel puller to remove steering wheel, I almost ripped out cable reel wires jerking the steering wheel off the column.
This job can be done alone, but I had my brother help me the entire way and it was super helpful since he's pretty auto savvy.
If you haven't replaced power steering hoses yet, you might as well take care of that while you have the car up off the ground. I replaced the upper suction hose going from reservoir to pump and the hose that connects the hard line to the oil cooler mounted up front. I replaced the hose to the oil cooler line because I needed a space to add a power steering filter which I purchased from Autozone. Hose pliers were very helpful when removing hoses. The hard lines are clipped to the subframe, my clips on the subframe for the return hardline were broken potentially allowing the hard line to rub against the lowest pulley. I ordered replacement clips from Acura of Peoria ($7.50 ea LOL, A-holes).

I put the car on jack stands and had to do all the the under car work on my back which sucked. While it was up, I changed my oil and cleaned my air filter. This might also be a good time to change mounts or put in an aftermarket exhaust.
On the removal section, I found that you should remove the exhaust downpipe but remove the O2 sensor first, 22mm IIRC. I removed the downpipe from the headers to the catalytic converter and put a jack stand under the cat so the long section of pipe isn't hanging by the muffler mounts. It was not necessary to completely remove the transmission shift cable. I only removed the housing and that allowed me to shift the cable to different gears to put slack in the cable and maneuver the rack and pinion over it. REMEMBER TO WATCH YOUR DASH AFTER WORK IS COMPLETE TO ENSURE THE SHIFT CABLE IS IN THE CORRECT GEAR, DO NOT TRY TO START THE CAR IF THE GEAR IS NOT IN "P".

The hardest part of this install besides doing the install x2 was removing the hard lines. The space is so limited that box wrenches will only have like 1 - 2 inches of movement. I found that having a good set of crows feet wrenches makes for better access to the flare nuts holding the hard lines to the R&P gearbox. My brother even got smart and put the crows feet through a hole in the wheel well to tighten and loosen these two nuts. There are some O-rings that will come with the new R&P and I put these on the flare nut lines. Do not remove the plugs on the new R&P until you have the unit loosely in place and are ready to install the flare nuts, otherwise you will lose red power steering fluid everywhere. Before installing new R&P get the hardline flare nuts threaded them in tightly and then mount up the R&P, torque the flare nuts after you have torqued down the R&P bolts.

I'll try to add notes to zeta's step by step instructions to make it more clear, I'm just lazy right now.

zeta

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the detail.

I'd be willing to do this repair down the road should I need it on my six speed. I will probably go the Autozone route just so if there are any problems, one would not have to deal with shipping back to an online retailer.

Good to hear it worked out thus far.

FwC

iTrader: (1)

This is my DIY for a 2001 3.2CL Type-S Rack and Pinion Replacement. The numbered instructions were provided by zeta from a Helm’s manual and I will be adding notes to the outline to help walk you through this removal and install. I just completed this DIY a few days ago so I’ll be speaking mostly from memory. I used the TL owner’s manual and will give page references and add notes to these instructions with specific tools I used and tool sizes and complications I had. I accept no responsibility for property damage, injury, headache, frustration, and possibly death of those who may choose to use this as an aid for their own Power Steering Rack and Pinion (R&P) replacement. I am not a licensed mechanic and do not claim to be one. Use at your own risk. - FwC
I got a Duralast (ATSCO) from Autozone with lifetime warranty. Also a power steering fluid filter which I will install after flushing the system in a few weeks. To save money, I bought 2 quarts of Honda safe power steering fluid from O’Reilly’s to use in the flush and bleed after the install is complete and changed the upper suction hose leading to the pump from reservoir and the return hose going into the power steering oil cooler. The return hose was changed for a longer hose because I need more line to add in the power steering fluid filter later on. I also replaced the tie-rod ends (TRE) with MOOG from Rockauto. Weird thing is the locking nut that come with Moog TRE were too small so I used the old ones. The castle nut and cotter pin were fine. Grease gun is necessary to fill these up.
SAFETY FIRST:
Always wear eye protection and never work under a vehicle that is lifted only by a jack, use jack stands to safely keep the vehicle off the ground. I got some debris in my eye on several occasions while working under the car. I used my hydraulic jack to support the car partially also and after the first week, the jack had lowered itself about an inch from the subframe (unless the car miraculously lifted itself off the jack).
Note these items during removal:
-Use solvent and a brush, wash any oil and dirt off of the valve body unit its lines, and the end of the gearbox. Blow dry with compressed air.
-Be sure to remove the steering wheel before disconnecting the steering joint. Damage to the cable reel can occur.
1) Drain the power steering fluid.
2) Raise and support the vehicle.
3) Remove the front wheels.
4) Remove the driver's airbag assembly.
Reference: 23-219 for air bag replacement. Slide power seats all the way back first and recline them (you will know why when you get to step 6 and 7). Negative battery terminal must be disconnected so accidental deployment is avoided. The yellow clip is separated by pressing the two pieces together and then they will release and spring apart. Also dc the black clip, it’s for the horn.
5) Remove the steering wheel.
Reference: 17-27 for steering wheel removal. The stud is a 17mm bolt holding the wheel on, one person should hold the wheel firmly while the other breaks the stud loose. I highly recommend using a steering wheel puller to loosen and separate the wheel from the splines on the steering column. I almost ripped out some of the rack cables by manually pulling the wheel off.
6) Remove the steering joint cover.
Reference: 17-35 for steering gearbox removal. First I removed the lower dash directly below the steering wheel, this creates more head space and allows more vision of what you’re doing. Remove it by first removing the side of the dash, remove a screw, pull back the lower dash and be careful not to pull the rheostat wires, disconnect the harness. The rest should just be clipped on.
7) Remove the steering joint bolts, disconnect the steering joint by moving the steering joint toward the column.
Reference: 17-35. The joint screws are 10mm I used both socket and box wrenches depending on angle and ability to reach. Just loosen the top one to allow the joint to slide up on the column. Completely remove the lower joint screw and remember to take the joint off the pinion by pulling up on the joint.
8) Remove the cotter pin from the 10mm nut and loosen the nut.
Reference: 17-36. I don’t know why these both say 10mm, but mine was 17mm.
9) Separate the tie-rod ball joint and knuckle.
Various methods for separating ball joints can be employed, I used a hammer to hammer down on the screw since it was being replaced anyways. Another method is hammering the side of the knuckle. Youtube is your friend and many videos can be found with various techniques.
10) Grasp the right tie-rod and pull the rack all the way to the right, then remove the right and left tie-rod ends, and locknuts.
Use a 17mm wrench and a large crescent wrench to break loose the TRE locking nut. REMEMBER TO COUNT THE SPINS TO REMOVE EACH TRE. Mine was 12 on the left and 20 on the right.
11) Remove the exhaust pipe and mounting bracket.
Since getting in and out from under the car is rather burdensome, keep nearby a 22mm wrench, 10mm socket and wrench, a 12mm socket, a 14mm wrench, 14mm socket, about 15 to 18 inches of extensions and an extra jack stand. Rather than remove 2 O2 sensors, I chose to remove the one going to the downpipe with the 22mm wrench, be careful with this as damage may cause ‘check engine’. I decided to remove the downpipe only and not the catalytic converter. It has a heat shield which I loosened by first removing the two 10mm bolts near the downpipe to create access to reach up and remove the three 14mm nuts holding the cat to the downpipe. I then used the extensions to reach up and remove the bolts and nuts attaching the downpipe to the headers. There are 6 total and all 14mm some of these may be rusted on pretty tightly, some PB blast may be helpful here. Be cautious not to let the exhaust fall on you or your head/face, having another person brace it while you unbolt it is helpful. You should have enough room to drop it down and slide it out. Place the jack stand under the catalytic converter to support it so not all the tension is on the muffler mounts. My car didn’t have the mounting bracket so I don’t know what bolts they are, I’m guessing 14mm.
12) Disconnect the A/T shift cable from the transmission.
Reference 14-370 Shift Cable Replacement. Remove two 10mm bolts holding on the cable harness. Remove the three 12mm bolts holding on the shift cable cover. Having the shifter in R relieves tension on the cable to let you wiggle off the shift cable cover. I found that with the exhaust removed, there was enough room to remove and install the rack and pinion without disconnecting the shift cable from the transmission. You can use your fingers to press on the lever and put a bit more slack on the cable.
13) Loosen the 14mm flare nut, and disconnect the pump outlet hose.
This is where you may have to get creative, I found that crows feet wrenches were extremely helpful along with a swivel joint and reaching through the fender well with an extension. Teamwork will make this much easier and quicker IMO. I laid under the rack and used my fingers to guide the wrenches onto the flarenuts while my brother loosened and tightened them. We also reached down through the engine bay with box wrenches to see if that would work but the space for travel of the wrenches is only like 1 or 2 inches.
14) Loosen the 17mm flare nut, and remove the return line.
15) After disconnecting the hoses and lines, plug or seal them with a piece of tape to prevent foreign materials from entering.
Note: Do not loosen the cylinder line between the valve body unit and cylinder.
16) Remove the stiffener plates, then remove the right mounting brackets and the cushion.
All of these were the same size, 14mm I believe. Some are different lengths so remember which bolt goes to which plate and hole.
17) Pull the steering gearbox down until the pinion shaft clears the bulkhead, and remove the pinion shaft grommet from the top of the valve body unit
18) Move the steering gearbox to the passenger's side until the driver's side rack end rests on the end of the rear beam.
19) To get the driver's side rack end around the rear beam, push up and back on the passenger's side rack end, then pull down on the driver's side of the steering gearbox.
I didn’t dc the shift cable so some twisting and spinning of the R&P may be necessary to maneuver it out. It can get straining and heavy since you are on your back, I recommend two people work together to complete this part.

FwC

iTrader: (1)

Installation:
1) Before installing the gearbox, slide the rack all the way to the right.
Reference 17-72 Steering Gearbox Installation. FIRST, the new R&P should come with new O-rings and no explanation of what to do with them. I put the small one on the flare nut hard line that screws into the gearbox and used one of the larger ones for the other flare nut hard line.
Then put the two R&Ps side by side; you may notice that the dust boots are not positioned correctly. I had to remove the passenger side crimp-style locking ring and slide the dust boot over about an inch so the cushion and mounting bracket would be clear for the install. I used a hose clamp on that side and positioned the tightening screw so that it may be undone from underneath the car. I also had to slide the outer dust boot to the groove on the inner tie rod. Note that these dust boots are much softer than the OEM dust boots, I kept my old dust boots because they collapse in an accordion fashion. Watching the movement of the new dust boots, they look more likely to rupture or tear because at full extension, the end of the dust boot folds over the locking clip. Also do not remove the plugs until you are ready to attach the hard lines to the R&P. I used electric tape to cover the pinion splines and the threads on the inner tie rods. Make sure you put the tape in such a way that it is easily removed, I had trouble getting the tape off before attaching the steering joint as it is not easily accessible.
2) Pass the passenger's side of the steering gearbox above and through the passenger's side of the rear beam. Be careful not to bend or damage the power steering lines and cylinder lines when installing the gearbox.
I didn’t dc the transmission shift cable so some maneuvering was necessary to get the R&P to position correctly
3) Raise the driver's side of the steering gearbox above and through the driver's side of the rear beam. Then insert the pinion shaft up through the bulkhead.
4) Install the pinion shaft grommet. Align the slot in the pinion shaft grommet with the lug portion on the valve housing.
Note: I recommend threading the flare nuts in at this point semi-tight, yes there will be some tension on the lines but I think it is better than bolting up the R&P and then not being able to bend the hard lines into the holes. It can also cause damage to the hard lines because you would be forcing the hardlines in at odd angles if the R&P were bolted down.
5) Install the mounting cushion on the steering gearbox.
6) Install the mounting brackets over the mounting cushion, then install the two gearbox mounting bolts.
7) Install the stiffener plates with the two gearbox monting bolts and six stiffener plate attaching bolts. Install the bolts loosely first, then tighten them securely.
8) Center the steering rack within its stroke.
9) Install the steering joint, and reconnect the steering shaft and pinion shaft. Make sure the steering joint is connected as follows:
-Insert the upper end of the steering joint onto the steering shaft (line up the bolt hole with the flat portion of the shaft).
Slip the lower end of the steering joint onto the pinion shaft (line up the bolt hole with the groove around the shaft), and loosely install the lower joint bolt. Be sure that the lower joint bolt is securely in the groove in the pinion shaft.
-Pull on the steering joint to make sure that the steering joint is fully seated. Then install the upper joint and tighten it.
Note: I spent some time trying to get the lower joint over the pinion shaft but found that the joint can be rotated to fit the splines at other angles.
10) Center the cable reel by first rotating it clockwise until it stops. Then rotate it counterclockwise (about two and half turns) until the arrow mark on the label points straight up. Reinstall the steering wheel.
Reference 17-29. I actually did steps 13 and 14 before I did this step to try and center the rack in its stroke. I would wait to replace all the plastic covers until you are positive you installed a good rack and pinion.
11) Install the steering joint cover with the clamps and clips.
Leave this stuff off until you are positive that you installed a good rack and pinion.
12) Connect the return line and feed line to the valve body. After connecting the fluid lines, make sure that there is no interference between the lines and other parts.
Crows feet were extremely helpful and saved us lots of time during install. I first installed the 17mm. I used a crows foot wrench, a swivel joint, and an extension to reach through the fender well and tighten and torque the flare nut. Then I did the same for the 14mm flare nut.
13) Thread the right and left tie-rod ends and locknut onto the rack an equal number of turns.
Remember counting the number of spins before removing the old TRE? Here’s where it comes into use, assuming the new and old R&P are relatively the same overall length. In my case I had 12 spins on the left and 20 spins on the right. In total that is 32 spins. Dividing that by two sides, I did 16 spins on each side when installing my new Moog TRE.
14) Reconnect tie-rod ends to the steering knuckles.
I didn’t completely reinstall these just yet, I just did this part so I could guesstimate that the wheels were pointed straight forward and removed the TRE without pushing or pulling the rack. Then I installed the steering wheel to try and ensure the rack was centered and the steering wheel was centered.
15) Install new cotter pins.
I didn’t do this just yet.
16) Connect the A/T shift cable to the transmission.
Reference 14-370 Shift Cable Replacement. At this point, with the steering wheel back on and the cable reel wires and air bag wires all connected I think it’s safe to reconnect the battery. That being said, you can put your keys in the ignition and turn it to the “On” position. Verify which gear your transmission is in. Install the shift cable cover plate and install the cable holder onto the plate. Go back up and verify which gear your indicator shows. I popped off the override and pressed the button to move the shift lever to match the indicated gear. Then I shifted through each gear to make sure it matched the indicator. DO NOT START THE CAR UNLESS BOTH THE INDICATOR AND THE SHIFTER ARE IN “P”.
17) Install the exhaust pipe and mounting bracket.
I bolted the exhaust pipe loosely first, then when I got all the screws loosely in place, I torqued them down from the front of the car to the catalytic converter. Be cautious of the O2 sensor and spin it in reverse many times before spinning it onto the exhaust pipe be careful of binding the wires on the sensor.
18) Install front wheels.
I did this as my very last step.
19) Fill the system with PS fluid, and bleed air from the system.
Because these R&Ps come with red power steering fluid in them, you must first do a flush. This is a two man job since one should watch the fluid and make sure it is draining into the container while the other starts the car and turns the wheel a few times. The fluid will drain from the reservoir very quickly, be very careful to avoid letting it drain and get air into the system. Once the fluid draining comes out clear, you can stop the engine and perform the power steering bleed to get remaining air out of the system after reconnecting all the hoses properly.
At this point if the R&P is determined to be good and the system is running without a lot of air in the lines, I would install the TRE, then the tires, and the steering joint cover and the panels on the steering wheels. Go back and torque everything to spec as indicated in the manual. I would also check to make sure no fluid is leaking into the dust boots, this would indicate a bad cylinder end seal and you need to replace the R&P. You can check by watching the dust boot for inflation while the engine is running.
20) After installation, perform the following checks:
-Start the engine, allow it to idle, and turn the steering wheel from lock-to-lock several times to warm up the fluid. Check the gearbox for leaks.
-Adjust the front toe.
-Check the steering wheel spoke angle. Adjust by turning the right and left tie-rods equally, if necessary.

RECOMMENDED: GET AN ALIGNMENT IMMEDIATELY.
In a few more days, I’ll be flushing the system again and putting on that power steering fluid filter and filling the system with Honda Genuine Power Steering Fluid.

I thank my brother Charley for all the help and time he gave me through this difficult and frustrating DIY.
Good luck,
-FwC

Gear

In hopes someone sees this 3 years after the thread has ended I wish to ask a question. I see all the step by step instructions for removal state to remove the air bag and steering wheel. Is this really necessary. I've done rack replacements on other cars and never had to remove the air bag or steering wheel. Thanks for your response in advance.

johndo18

Not sure but.... since you bumped this thread might as well and ask is there any way and or product that will prevent out racks from failing. IDK maybe pooring a little marvel mystery oil in our power steering reservoir?

zeta

iTrader: (1)

That's a great question. I have not done this repair on my CL; however, like you I have performed it on other cars, like an Olds Alero and did not need to remove said steering wheel or Airbag.

With that said, I believe they (Acura) put that steering wheel remove process in their instructions MAINLY to guard you/prevent you from mistakenly/unnecessarily moving the steering wheel drastically to either side, during the repair, in protection of the cable reel and turn signal cancelling sleeve.

Then again, in defense of the steering wheel/air bag removal process, they are REALLY EASY to do if you have the right equipment/time.

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

Delray sells remanufactured oem racks now.

Some ppl in 3rd Gen section have tried Redline ATF in the powersteering. I have stuck with Honda fluid.

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

No, you do NOT need to remove the airbag or steering wheel. In fact, I see no reason you should.

The joint that connects the steering shaft to the rack can slip off easy if you just loosen the steering shaft.

If you have an auto transmission, good luck... It's a very tight fit, which is not a good thing in this case.

FwC

iTrader: (1)

In my opinion. It is safer to remove the wheel and airbag if you are doing a rack replacement.
1. It makes it much more convenient to get to the joint and anything else under the dash.
2. When replacing the r&p the clockspring needs to be reset which limits how far you can turn the steering wheel without damaging any of the coiled wires to the airbag.
3. There are many places where the calibration can be undone. The joint itself. The rack. The tie rod ends Etc.

imo better to know its done right then to find out it was done wrong.

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

Never replaced rack, but plan on doing it in the next year. The steering wheel is rather easy to remove so might as well.

I am not really fond of mechanics that are always looking for short cuts. That is usually a sign of a bad/lazy mechanic.

zeta

iTrader: (1)

^Sound advice.

The Helms recommends as guidance on pg 17-30; Power Steering Removal; Steering Gearbox Removal.

Note these items during removal:
-Using solvent and a brush, wash any oil and dirt off of the valve body unit its lines, and the end of the gearbox. Blow dry with compressed air.

-Be sure to remove the steering wheel before disconnecting the steering joint. Damage to the cable reel can occur.

jrbudman

Wow, FwC, awesome writeup!
I'll get to do this fun job myself b/c my crossmember (around the steering rack) is rusted through pretty bad so I'll for sure use you're post.