Filling steering rack with oil(how)???

[audi90]

Just replaced my steering rack gaitors and track rods , my rack had lost all it's oil. I'm wanting to find out how to refill the rack ????? Cheers Stevie

[bmcecosse]

I always use moly grease - just fill the grease gun - put the rack on full right lock and pump in a good number of strokes - then run the rack full range a couple of times - and repeat the grease injection. Grease doesn't run away and hide in the boots..... If you really want to use oil - you'll need to do it with an oil filled grease gun......usually a messy business......

[philthehill]

What ever you use in your steering rack this is where you do it and no more than 10 strokes of the oil/grease gun. [frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Steering Gearbox...

[philthehill]

That is what it says in the Official BMC Morris Minor wksp manual, section J, issue 3, 54936.
I will be pedantic and say it is a gearbox because it has rack and pinion gears and it uses those gears to transmit a horizontal movement. Not all gearboxes have to have the same arrangement and layout as the Minor gearbox.

[dalgrae]

I have recently overhauled/cleaned the rack in my car and although before this I regularly greased it when I took it apart the off side did not show much grease at all I have taken a slightly different approach on the offside thrust cap I have fitted another grease nipple that is accessible easily from the engine bay,then I filled one end of the rack when it was on the bench with grease then with the rack vertical on the bench I put EP90 in the other end so that it ran down the rack internals to the grease then whilst still vertical on the bench I pumped in grease the theory being the grease will act as a blocker at both ends of the rack hopefully keeping the oil in the rack area so getting the best lubrication possible

[bmcecosse]

I well know the pic is from the Manual..and yes - it has gears although not so sure about the 'box'...my comment was simply at the unusual description. I've certainly never heard it so called!

[stevey]

the steering is so much lighter with the ep90

[chickenjohn]

Please DON'T use grease! It makes the steering feel funny on a Minor. It is supposed to be EP90 in the Minor rack.

Oiling the rack is easy, if you get an oil gun (Frost do one for example) or just undo the nipple with a small socket (3/8" ISTR) and give 10 squirts of EP 90 into the rack with an oil can!

[bmcecosse]

My steering is nice and light - and certainly not 'funny' (why would it be??) with Moly grease! All later racks to exactly the same design are specified to use grease.....mainly because it doesn't run away into the boots........