Power Steering Gear Service

Power assisted steering system





To remove

1 Drain the fluid from the system as follows:




Cars with B202 engine: Undo the fixings for the fluid reservoir and disconnect the return hose. Plug the opening in the reservoir.





Cars with B201 engine: Disconnect the return hose from the pump and plug the opening.





Connect a length of hose or tubing to the return hose and place the other end in a receptacle having a capacity of at least one litre.

- Start the engine and allow the fluid to be pumped out of the system. Turn the steering wheel twice from lock to lock to drain the system completely.
- Cars with B202 engine: Reconnect there- turn hose to the fluid reservoir and secure the reservoir.
Cars with 8201 engine: Reconnect the return hose to the pump.

2 Remove the front wheels.






3 Slacken the locknuts on the track rods but then return them loosely to their original position to minimize toe-in adjustment after the steering gear has been refitted.






4 Unscrew the track rod from the track-rod end, ensuring thatthe rubber gaiter does not turn with the rod. Measure the distance between the locknut and the end of the track rod; this measurement will assist in setting the correct toe-in after refitting the steering gear.






5 Remove the strap holding the return pipe to the rack housing and snip through the tie securing the flow hose to the pipe between the control valve and the servo cylinder.
Cars with B201 engine, M87 and earlier: Snip off the tie round the handbrake cables and rack housing.






6 Disconnect the flow pipe from the control valve (18-mm spanner). Fit some absorbent paper to the end of the pipe to prevent spillage and rest the hose on the exhaust pipe.






7 Disconnect the return pipe from the control valve (16-mm spanner). Tie the return pipe to the speedometer cable.
8 Plug the openings in the control valve.






9 Remove the pinch-bolt from the universal joint between the pinion shaft and the intermediate shaft.






10 Remove the securing bolts for the rack-andpinion gear assembly.






11 Separate the pinion shaft from the intermediate shaft.






12 Turn the rack-and~pinion gear assembly towards the front, so that the pinion shaft points downwards, and then move the assembly as far as it will go to the right (looking towards the front of the car).






13 Rotate the pinion shaft until the rack is at the RH end of its travel.
14 Position the LH track rod underneath the subframe member.
15 Move the rack to the LH end of its travel and lower the assembly out of the car.

To refit






1 Move the rack to the LH end of its travel (pinion end), hold the assembly with the pinion shaft pointing downwards and lift the assembly into position.






2 Move the rack to the RH end of its travel.
3 Lift the LH track rod over the subframe member.
4 Return the rack to the centre position. The slot for the pinch-bolt in the pinion shaft should be towards the rear of the car when the pinion shaft is pointing downwards.






5 Rotate the entire assembly forwards to bring the pinion shaft to the top.
6 Connect the pinion shaft to the intermediate shaft and refit the pinch-bolt and nut, leaving them slack.






7 Tighten the fixing bolts.






8 Tighten the pinch-bolt in the universal joint between the pinion shaft and intermediate shaft.






9 Check the condition of the "0" ring on the return pipe and then reconnect the return pipe to the pinion housing (16-mm spanner).






10 Check the condition of the "0" ring on the flow line and reconnect the flow pipe to the pinion housing (18-mm spanner).






11 Fit a strap around the return pipe and rack housing and use a cable tie to hold the pipe to one of the flow pipes between the control valve and servo cylinder.
Note that the pressure-equalizing capillary tube between the rubber gaiters must not be clipped or tied in any way.
Cars with B201 engine, M87 and earlier: Fit a cable tie around the handbrake cables and rack housing.






12 Screw the track rods onto the track-rod ends until they make contact with the locknuts. Leave the locknuts slack until after the toe-in has been checked.


13 Refit the wheels.
14 Fill the system with 75c1 (0.8liqqt) of Texaco 4634 power steering fluid.
15 Bleed the system as follows: with the engine switched off and the front wheels off the ground,turn the steering wheel from lock to lock three or four times.
16 Lower the car, start the engine and turn the steering wheel lock to lock twice more to check that the system is working properly. Check the fluid level.
17 Measure the toe-in and adjust as necessary.
18 Tighten the locknuts on the track rods.