Steering rack death

[ian2000t]

I "think" my steering rack is dead. Arrived at work this morning, parked up and the steering made a groan as I straightened up, and felt stiff.

Checked fluid and it was low, a brownish colour and looked like it was bubbling! Just switched it off and thought I'll check it in a bit, but my mate has told me there is an oil patch underneath - so it seems to have sh*t itself so to speak....

Before I get chance to have a look, any one got any thoughts? Rack seals gone?

Is it safe to drive home (obviously steering very heavy but I can take it steady and avoid too many low speed tight corners)?

PS. Grrrrrrrr :mad:

[v8volvo]

If the fluid was "bubbling," that is a sign that it was aerated because the reservoir level got too low and allowed the pump to suck in air. The aerated fluid causes pump cavitation, which you can hear as the groaning noise when you turn the wheel.

Don't despair about your rack yet. Discolored and low fluid can be caused by a number of things, either the rack, or the pump, or having someone add the wrong fluid, etc.

Where exactly is the leak coming from? Could be from the rack, but also from the PS pump itself, one of the pressure or return hoses or fittings, etc. If you have been driving with torn steering rack boots for some time, that can allow grit in that tears up the rack seals and causes leakage, but assuming you have not done that, the leak is just as likely to be something much more minor, especially if it started suddenly.

Volvo power steering systems should use only clean Type F automatic transmission fluid, none of the generic "power steering fluid" you might find at your local parts store. Once you find and fix the leak, you should give the system a full flush to get rid of the old discolored fluid and ensure the right stuff is in there.

Don't drive it with the pump making that noise, or you will quickly find that your need a new PS pump as well as fixing whatever the leak is. If you need to drive it, then remove the belt from the PS pump first, or top the system up with new ATF and run the wheel back and forth until you are sure the level is high enough and there are no more air bubbles showing up in the fluid or moaning noises coming from the pump.

George

[ian2000t]

Right, well the good news is it's not the rack.. It's the metal pipe to the rack that has rubbed through on the sump!

Tried a temp fix just by curing out the bad bit of metal pipe and putting some 8mm reinforced hose in. Power steering for few seconds but then the pressure popped the hose off. Tried 3 times, progressively tightening hose clamps up more until they started to strip. .wasnt having it though. Never realised how much pressure there is in those pipes!

Anyway, it was 2 degrees and I was lying in a puddle of fluid on my driveway and my beer was empty, so gave up.. Will have to take the mini tomorrow!

So...I assume it's a case of getting the right part from Volvo dealer? If I disconnect pump belt, is it ok to drive - I.e Not going to damage rack?

[v8volvo]

Good! That will be cheaper than a new rack, and much easier to install. Volvo dealer or a junkyard is probably your source for a new line. Sometimes hydraulics shops can make up a new line for you from scratch if nobody is able to sell you one, but that is rarely cheaper and often more expensive than getting a new or used exact replacement.

Your concern with driving it in its current state is not what it will do to the rack, but what it will do to the pump running without fluid, and what it will do to your local ecosystem pumping a few pints of dirty oil onto the ground. If you ensure that it is not actively leaking, and remove the belt from the PS pump, it will be fine to drive without hurting anything, but you will have no power assist until the system is repaired.

Glad it turned out to be something simple!

[ian2000t]

Yeh, that's ok about the leak and pump belt - it's already leaked everything all over my driveway last night when I refilled and the repair hose popped off! And I'll take the pump belt back off.

Driving the Mini today though, but the "bus" is needed for a few jobs next week that the Mini won't cope with - like moving fence panels, collecting WVO, buying loft insulation!

Any chance someone could look up the part number for me, or email me a screenshot from VADIS? I "did" have VADIS, but it seems to have gone corrupt AGAIN (a regular thing on both of my PC's). And strangely the ISO will not read now to reinstall... :rolleyes:

[ian2000t]

The dealer has told me it is Part Number 1387695 - and it's £97!! And will take 2 weeks minimum to get into the country! :(

Really wish I hadn't cut it to put the hose in the middle now - I could probably have taken it to someone competant at welding to fix up where it had rubbed... live and learn I suppose!

[v8volvo]

Yikes. Did you try checking in the wrecking yards? I don't know how common TD Volvos are over there.... on these shores going to a junkyard to look for one nowadays would be a hopeless undertaking, but maybe where you are the odds are a little better.

If you cannot find one used, before you order the expensive new part, there is one more thing that is worth trying... you can take both pieces of the broken line off the car and bring them to a hydraulics shop. Tell them you need a compression union that is the same size on both ends, and have them match the size to the OD of the broken pipe. If the place where the hose rubbed through is in a relatively straight section, and if there is room for the fitting to be there, then you should be able to clean up the cut edges and stitch the broken pieces together.

Hard to describe a compression fitting and how it works without a visual, but essentially it is a 2-sided piece with openings on both ends into fitting nuts, and inside the nuts there are little collapsible collars that we call "ferrules" on this side of the pond (not sure if you use the same name in the UK or not). The ferrule and the opening of the nut are precisely sized to the OD of the tubing being used. The piece of tube slips into the opening and then the nut is tightened, which deforms the ferrule in such a way that it crimps onto the piece of tube and makes a high pressure seal. Basically the same idea you tried to accomplish with the piece of rubber hose, except for using something that is capable of withstanding hydraulic pressures. I have used them for power steering systems before, guarantee it will do the job as long as you can find a good way to install it.

Fitting might not be dirt cheap, but should be much cheaper than the new hose, and more important, you could get one today rather than having the car disabled for two weeks...

[v8volvo]

Just looked around for a picture of a compression fitting to use as an example and found this YouTube, done by a Brit no less, that shows how a compression union works and how to install one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9c5LWFI_M4

He is using copper pipe so the ferrules he is installing are a little different than what you would use for a steel tube -- but the idea is the same.

I noticed that he does use a different name for the ferrule -- he calls it an "olive"! Pretty funny but quite accurate since the ferrule does have a shape much like an olive.... I had to laugh when I heard him going on about the nuts and olives, though. Sounds like he is describing a delicious snack, not a hydraulic fitting!

[ian2000t]

Just thought I'd give you an update. Cheers the the info on the compression fittings (and yes, to us on this side of the pond they are "olives"). Annoyingly I could only get hold of 8 or 10mm compression joints, when the OD of the pipe is 9mm.

BUT... I bought a piece of steel pipe that fits snuggly over the current pipe for £4, bent it a shape to match the piece I cut out, and my uncle soldered it between the 2 halves. Fitted it other night, filled up system and all is good so far!!

If the solder holds I'll be a happy guy that just saved £93.20!! :D