Morris Minor Owners Club

Has any one got any tips or sympathy on the difficulties of replacing the gaiters on the end of the steering rack? Getting them off was not so bad as they had split, getting my hands and a short screwdriver into the mouse hole of a space to remover the inner clamps proved challenging and I invested in a lamp that straps to my head, the difficult with this is that what with my failing eye site and the Varifocal Glasses I never really found light and focus at the same time. Perseverance and eventual I had them off.

The Track rod ends gave little resistance and they’re off and in the dustbin, with the shiny new ones waiting in the wings…

So here I go I clean up the clips and try and fit a new correctly supplied real gaiters from ESM… could I get the big end of the gaiter back on? No after hours laying out on the driveway in the wind and rain I just do not appear to be able to get the gaiter with or with out a clip onto the end of the steering rack… I might have got part of it on but eventually I had to give up and come indoors to sit crying in the corner.

Several hours have now passed, and now partly recovered from this morning’s ordeal and in desperation I thought I would write and ask if any one in the club has tried and succeeded in replacing these gaiters, ever, even if it was a long time ago…

If I knew it was possible I might pluck up the courage and sufficient hope to try again… next week.

Gerald Isle of Lewis way out west

They are very tight - and you can simply use a tie-wrap instead of a clip - so that's easily fitted after you have the gaiter over the rack. I had a v similar battle just recently with my TR7 - the gaiter seemed to be impossibly small to fit the large diameter rack end - but eventually - it slipped on using a twisting motion! I agree with the Varifocal thing - I keep an old pair of single vision glasses which sometimes helps - and flood the area with light from a 500 watt floodlight - helps with heat too!
Are you sure you should have been working on the car -on the Sabbath!

LOL - I love the prose

Yes, it can be done and has been done many times in the past. So there you go - Feel motivated and go get on with it ;-)

some lubrication helps and as bmc says u put them on in a sort of rotating action, and use tie clips

Maybe soaking it in hot water will help too ? Certainly help to keep your hand warm!

Did mine this week, but the engine is out and alot easier!! (Through the gaps in the bulkhead) maybe you can access the gaps from underneath?? Turn the steering wheel so the side your doing the wheel is pointing out (the rack moves in so easier to put on)...IF you can get the back edge on first and then while holding the gaiter on pull/push the edge on as you go..easy to say i know! ..and use cable ties and Good luck!

also while in that area look up and check any rust in the engine bay cross member and gnd or give it a squirt of waxoil or simialr

bmcecosse wrote:Maybe soaking it in hot water will help too ? Certainly help to keep your hand warm!

May sound daft, but according to this months' "Minor Matters", removing the rack is very simple, 4 clamp bolts, one at bottom of steering column and it falls out pretty much! Given that you have already removed the track rod ends you are halfway there already! Most of your problem, though, is probably due to trying to do the job, as BMC says, on the Sabbath! Try again on the morrow

needs 2 to get the rack back and do the nuts and bolts up

only 1 to change the gaiters

I hated this job... very oily and the gaiter gets slippery very quickly on the hands. I agree with BMC, hot water should soften the gaiter and help it stretch easy if your patience is wearing a bit thin.

probably due to trying to do the job, as BMC says, on the Sabbath!

He may have rested on the sabbath, but would he have been able to if he had a Minor!

Here's another option-I think somebody on here tried it recently.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MORRIS-MINOR-STEE ... 4146397a48

Really don't fancy them!
But - another idea may be to cut the top off a tapered neck plastic bottle (tonic water!) - so it fits snugly over the rack casing - then slide the well greased boot up the taper until it lands on the rack - then pull the bottle out!