Ausmini
It is currently Thu Jul 31, 2025 5:59 am

All times are UTC + 10 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
 Post subject: Steering rack
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 6:41 pm 
Offline
848cc
848cc
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:21 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Perth
Good question by Mearcat...I'm at the same stage.

Looking inwards, regarding the drive box, what do you pack that with and can you replace the seal round the spline where the steering column goes? Where do you get them?

Would you also grease under the boots? The oil will tend to sit at the bottom of the boot and only get shaken round once things start moving?

_________________
Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Steering rack
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:15 pm 
Offline
religious status
religious status
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 6:19 pm
Posts: 39760
Location: near Baulkham Hills, NSW
mtsmini wrote:
Good question by Mearcat...I'm at the same stage.

Looking inwards, regarding the drive box, what do you pack that with and can you replace the seal round the spline where the steering column goes? Where do you get them?

Would you also grease under the boots? The oil will tend to sit at the bottom of the boot and only get shaken round once things start moving?

The seal is available from Karcraft, Mini King and others.

After assembling the rack I put it in middle position, fit the LH boot & clamps, and stand it on its end in the vice, gearbox end up.
Then I pour 200mL of gear oil in. It takes 10 mins or so, as air comes up from below.
Then I fit the RH boot and clamps.

As I said before the problem with the grease they used to use (EP2 or similar) is it's too thick, and it goes hard. Then there is NO lube, as the rack has cut a path through the old grease.
The driest thing in the box is always the top bearing.

1/2 these racks I'm doing up had grease in, only 1 of those had grease that was still thin enough to lube itself. The rest were all dried out.

As Diecast (and I) said, it's best to use gear oil, not grease.
Cam Gears never recommended grease be used in these racks.

With 200mL of oil in there, it gets sloshed from end to end as you steer, lubricating everything- including the inner tierod joints.

_________________
DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R. :mrgreen:


Last edited by drmini in aust on Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Steering rack
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:17 pm 
Offline
848cc
848cc
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:21 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Perth
And the spline gearbox?

_________________
Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:19 pm 
Offline
religious status
religious status
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 6:19 pm
Posts: 39760
Location: near Baulkham Hills, NSW
that's part of the rack, the oil sloshes through it.

_________________
DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R. :mrgreen:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Steering rack
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:23 pm 
Offline
848cc
848cc
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:21 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Perth
Ah ha...I hadn't actually pulled the ends of mine yet and was working under the assumption that the centre was sealed (like a diff) and the end joints had their own lube...how wrong!

_________________
Regards,

Mike
"He who dies with the most toys wins."


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:57 pm 
Offline
848cc
848cc

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:29 pm
Posts: 165
Grease replaced oil in Cam Gears/TRW racks in the mid 80's. It was not an over the counter grease but was batched using EPL1 as a base with moly added.

To improve lubrication of the contact point between the back of the rack and the yoke a smear of "STP" oil additive was dabbed on the back of the rack during assembly. Grease was used on the Rack and Pinion teeth.

Oil or Grease? well if your rack needs a rebuild after 20,30, or 40 years of being lubricated with oil, who can complain, the oil is doing a fine job.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 6:02 am 
Offline
998cc
998cc

Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:26 am
Posts: 900
Location: Christchurch New Zealand
diecast wrote:
Yep, as usual the doc is right, use oil. what ever is thickest you can buy. The original oil was about the consistency of honey straight from the fridge.


Semi Fluid Grease is pretty much that. It runs but slowly.

Al


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC + 10 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 80 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  

© 2016 Ausmini. All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.