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Notes from Rack & Pinion and PS High Pressure/Feed Line Replacement
While this nightmare is over but still fresh in my mind, I'm sharing some things I learned along the way. Please note that this isn't organized, so some things apply to the rack replacement and others to replacing the PS high pressure feed line/hose. Also, I use the terms "high pressure" and "feed" interchangeably. They both refer to this which fits my 2005 5/AT:
For reference, here are a few threads I've posted as I've been going through this:
- I haven't researched all the high pressure and return lines/hoses for 2004-2008, but the 2004 TL's is different than 2005-06. So if you're referencing the 2004 Service Manual, you will see that both the high pressure & return lines are rigid metal on the end connecting to the rack's valve housing. I believe the same is true of some or all of the TL-S models.
The challenge with the 2005-06 (maybe 07 & 08, too?) return lines is that the diameter of rubber hose connecting to the fitting on the valve housing is too large to get a line/flare-nut wrench around it in order to crack it. I resorted to using a standard open-end wrench (yes, I know it's a Bozo No-No but had no alternatives) to crack that 17mm nut/fitting and was able to use a flare-nut wrench to crack the 19mm feed line nut. BTW, I tried to lookup what that fitting that's on valve housing is, but couldn't find it anywhere. Mine was stuck in the rubber hose (see my other post) so I just spun it out while attached to the hose rather than removing the hose and then later swapping it over to the new rack.
Another tip: try to fully disconnect the feed line from the rack's valve housing and push it out of the way before going after the return line fitting. The way the valve housing is oriented makes grabbing that return line fitting/nut very difficult with any kind of wrench and having the feed line in the way makes it that much worse. If you have a stubby 17mm wrench, preferrably with some sort of offset, that should make it easier since there's so little room to rotate a longer wrench.
While I didn't end up needing to test it, if I wasn't able to crack that 17mm return line fitting/nut with an open-end wrench, I was going to try using vice-grip locking pliers. Not recommending this, but that was going to be my next step if I hadn't cracked it.
Side note: the high pressure lines for the TL-S models appear to be substantially different than the ones for TL's. Additionally, the layout of the engine compartment combined with the lines they use seem to allow TL-S owners to bend the lines through the rear motor mount without significant damage, or at least that was the case in the YT vids I watched.
- I needed a replacement rack quickly. A mechanic friend of mine has a commercial account at O'Reillys and they had one of these locally:
On his commercial account, I was able to get this for $205 plus a $50 refundable core fee. One thing to note: in the box was a small baggie with 2x cotter pins (to replace the ones you remove when you disconnect the outer tie rod ends from the knuckle) and 2x very small O-rings. I was thinking that the O-rings may need to be inserted into the replacment rack's valve housing where the feed & return lines are mated. However, I spoke to the Acura dealership's parts department and we couldn't find any reference to them in the parts catalog, so I never used them.
- On the subject of the outer tie rod ends: I would suggest leaving them attached to the rack until you get the rack out because it's much easier to use these ends to manuever/push/pull the rack through the subframe. They don't interfere with removing or installing the rack and leaving them on is how it's shown in the service manual. It will also prevent you from inadvertantly grabbing the rack bellows on the replacement rack when you're trying to install it.
- Some videos show coming at the feed/return line nuts from under the car. Here's a tip: before you put your car on jack stands, disconnect EVERYTHING you can while the car is on the ground. Once it's on stands, unless you are very tall or are standing on a tire or something, you'll need to lay across the engine compartment to reach down there. It's a real PITA.
- The new OEM pressure line had the old O-ring on the fitting that connects to the PS pump. Here's a link discussing the TSB:
The replacement O-ring is P/N 91345-RDA-A01. It's orange as opposed to the black one that came with the line and costs like $1 from the dealer, so swap that before you install the new line.
- Before you disconnect the pressure line at the pump, put some shop towels down to protect the belts from getting fluid on them. Same deal when you remove the lines from the valve housing on the rack.
- The feed & return line holder that attachs to the subframe (see photo below) is on the driver side of the motor mount for the 2004 TL's, and on the passeger side of the mount on 2005-06 (and I think TL-S, too):
- I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to snake the new high pressure line through the rear motor mount. I tried coming in from the top, but it's impossible without seriously bending the new line. Also tried coming in through the passenger side wheel well, but still no joy. Lowering the subframe plus using prybars didn't create enough space either. I finally gave up and had to pull the rack and pinion out AGAIN. I was then able to come in through the passenger side wheel well and bend the flexible end of the line which connects to the PS pump up and into the engine compartment from below.
- I never fully removed the PS heat baffle plate which sits over the rack (aka, gearbox) mounting bracket on the passenger side. Instead, if you remove the small bolt on the top of the baffle plate, you can use a prybar to bend it toward the front of the car to create more space. After removing the flange bolts that hold the passenger side rack bracket, you can bend that bracket out of the way toward the firewall side.
- The mounting cushion that you need to move from the old rack to new one should be placed in the subframe cutout before you install the new rack. Some videos show transferring it to the rack before sliding it in, but it's a PITA to get the cushion centered in the cutout unless you've perfectly positioned it on the new rack AND it hasn't moved while you're pulling it across.
- Follow the Service Manual for every step on how to lower the subframe and exactly which subframe bolts you need loosen (and by how much) vs. bolts you should remove. Some YT vids play loosy-goosey with this and I would advise against it.
- Be sure to disconnect the PS pressure switch before lowering the subframe because there's not much slack on that connection. Also, transfer that pressure switch to the new pressure line before installing the new line. It's not easy to grab and get torque on it once it's inside the engine compartment.
I was never able to separate the rubber end of return line from the fitting/nipple that it's connected to on the valve housing. Furthermore, when I tried to loosen that stupid-looking clamp, it came apart and I lost the screw never to be seen again. When I had my TL towed to a shop to tighten the return line flare nut because I gave up, they moved the remnants of that stupid-looking clamp out of the way and installed a small adjustable hose band clamp instead.
- Speaking of having my TL towed, I found a gem: I have USAA auto insurance and pay like $1-2 per month per vehicle for roadside assistance. I forget the tow distance covered, but from my house to the shop was less than 8 miles. When the shop informed me they couldn't attach the feed line to the valve housing because the line was bent/kinked (see photos earlier in this thread) and the flare-nut threads were stripped, they quoted me $700 parts & labor to install a new feed line. They said the "book time" for the job was 3 hours, which I now understand because it requires pulling the rack out. Since the OEM part was only $150 and the YT vids didn't look too bad (it actually was!), I wanted the car towed back to my house so I could do the work.
I called a couple of tow companies and they both quoted me $185 to tow it home. Then I called USAA roadside assistance which is actually sub-contracted to a company called Agero. I explained that my car had been towed to a shop but I didn't want to spend what they quoted for the repair and asked if they'd cover it being towed back to my house. The woman I spoke to said "no problem" and scheduled it to be picked up and towed home the following day at...NO ADDITIONAL COST to me!
Before I got this great news, a friend of mine suggested I become an AAA member for their Roadside Assistance programs, of which they have several and are all less than the $185 I was quoted from local tow companies. But the catch is that you can't request a tow until 48 hours after you join.
- One of the first steps of removing the rack & pinion involves disconnecting the steering joint from the pinion. If you have an original rack, there is a "center guide" which is a yellow piece of plastic that sits on top of the pinion and comes out when you disconnect the joint. You can safely discard this because it's only there as part of the assembly process at the Acura factory. It is not needed when you reconnect the joint to the pinion.
That said, I had a terrible time slipping the steering joint back on the pinion at the end of the install. There is so little room to line it up and slip it over, that at least for me on this TL, everything had to be perfect to get it back on. If anyone has any tips to make this easier, please post them. In hindsight, I may have considered not fully bolting the rack down to the subframe in order to give me a little wiggle room to move it around while getting the steering joint reconnected.
One tip to keep the steering wheel straight while doing this: slip the seatbelt through the center opening on the bottom of the steering wheel and lock it in. However, don't make it so tight that you can't move the steering wheel at all because you may need a little play while you try to slip that joint on the pinion.
- As far as Factory Service Manuals (FSMs) are concerned, I have the 2004 and the 2007-08 which several members have posted here over the years (TY!). As mentioned earlier, none of them have steps or procedures for removing/installing the PS feed or return lines.
My mechanic friend suggested I sign-up for a 1-month subscription to AllData DIY for $19.99 to see if they had more info. I subscribed only to find that they re-post the exact same pages from the FSMs. Good news: you can cancel and get a refund within 3 days of subscribing if you don't find what you need.
My friend also provided me a link to something called the Operation Charm:
Don't know if it's as comprehensive as the AllData FSMs, but appears to have very similar data for the TL's and at no cost.
- The removal instructions for the rack in the FSM state that you need to remove the steering wheel. I never have on the two racks I've replaced and don't think it's necessary, but probably a good idea to disconnect the negative battery cable before doing this job so you don't set off the steering wheel airbag. Don't know if it's possible to set it off by messing with the steering column, but would rather not find out the hard way.
- As mentioned, many of the YT vids for rack or PS line replacement either show TL-S models or are for a TL year that doesn't match yours. As such, while the general process may be similar, there can be some very specific differences which will leave you scratching your head. My suggestion is try to follow the Service Manuals for your specific model and year as much as possible before relying on something you saw some guy do in a YT video. And obviously don't rely on videos for Accords or other Honda models. Again, may generally be the same steps, but at least for rack & PS line replacements, the specifics may be very different.
Good luck and feel free to provide any tips & tricks you may have about any of this!
