leaking steering rack?

Question

i have a renault espace L reg and the power steering rack is leaking really badly, i have asked some garages about repair but none of them want to do it as it's apparently a ***** to do. i have looked at doing it myself and have had a prive of £175 fo r the rack, the problem is although i have some mechanical knowledge i have been put off by the garages turning it down, is it really this hard to do.

i have tried that american stop leak stuff but that didn't work, it just leaked out slower.

for those that have asked i live in a lovely village called BARTON, in oxford, for those mechanics that have answered i would love a job price quote. cheers

Answer 1

Hi there, the garege probably hasn't got enough confidence to do it so thats why they are turning you away or they must be cowboys and hanen't got a clue, any meachanics to do with car is really simple if you actaully understand the way they work, the fluid you used was probably called 'power steering STOP LEAK' this is brilliant stuff to use if you have got a slight leak, what it actaully does is swells the seals on you rack, as you said you've put it in and it as slowed down the leak so your racked must be ******, when trying to get hold of another steering rack it pays to look around there is a few companies that recondition steering racks and take your of you hand as part payment so you get the recon rack cheaper, you should be looking at £100 - £150 maximum, hope this helps Gary

oh yeas by the its probably best to get to the steering rack from under the car, remember to use descent jacks and axle stands (safety reasons) where abouts do you live?

Answer 2

Hi

The steering rack is a bit of a sod to do. You have to lower the front subframe right down to get the rack out and the new one in and it takes a number of hours to complete, and getting the steering column clamp bolt out and back in again is a NIGHTMARE because you have to put the shaft into the clamp the right way round or the bolt will not go back in. It is probably a good idea to have two people on the job.

Cheers

Geordie

Answer 3

Before I got into the repair I would check out the price of the complete rack. Chances are the shaft in the rack is wore down where the shaft goes through the seal.

Answer 4

for a garage to refuse you they must not want to work,
there are plenty of other low-cost garages about who will fix this problem,
i have a leaking steering rack on a Renault Clio, it was not that bad of a leak, i actually tried this solution you get from the car accessory shop, (from America) and it cured my leak, it re sealed the rubbers around the rack, i for get the name of the solution, maybe you should ask.
good luck with the car ,

Answer 5

i have changed Lott's of these and yes its a horrid job, Renault recommend removing the engine to get at it , but it can be done without all that work, you will need lots of Patience and determination. A good tip is don't try to get at the pipe fitting on the rack but remove the pipes with the rack

Answer 6

the best thing to do is replace the rack is will be cheaper in the long run and safer. don't take chances with steering or brakes.

Answer 7

im a qualified mechanic and it seems that they cant be asked if you can send me some info on the car i should be able to try and sort some thing out if you tell me what state you live in as i live in london britain ok cheers

Answer 8

i would think that if the garages did not want to mess with doing it either it is a ***** to do, or it is so simple that they would not make any money doing it.

Answer 9

i duno seriously

=O

poor yew

Answer 10

I LOVE u!!!