power steering rack and gearbox problems

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

Sod's law, I just got her back on the road after a month and now I've got some major problems. Mad

The List is as follows:

Leaky Power steering rack

It leaks so much that my footwell is sodden with fluid and there is none left in the rack, so I have a lot of squeeks and vibration when driving.
Will I need a whole new rack or can I replace the broken bit alone?

At the same time as loosing all my fluid my gearbox started to make some funny noises there was a knocking coming from the bellhousing area of the gearbox. rufly 1 a second which sped up with rev's creating a hum and some vibration. I then noticed that my gear lever got tight and it became dificult to select gears and finaly I lost reverse and the gearstick has now gone very slopy although I can select all forward gears.

Do I need a new gearbox? or could the rear engine mount have gone knocking everything out? (doubtfull) I've tried to test the mount's by rocking the engine but there isn't much movement there at all.

Help!!! Crying or Very sad

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

I doubt its the rear mount.

Its unusualy for the rack to leak through the top and fill the car. Normally it ruptures the seals and fills the gaiters and pours out the bottom.

But yes another rack is the solution.

Have a look at the linkage before condeming the box.

My sisters laguna has a terrible change, the change when lubed is perfect, btu it soon dries out leaving it very stiff and unable to select certain gears.

Also if you still have th eplastic cover it may have bent and is catching on the linkage.

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

is it an engine out job to do the rack?

how much will a rack cost me? Should I get a new one or a second hand one from the scrappies?

also any ideas on what the knocking in the gearbox could be? sounds like a metal dinging noise. (tecnical term) Laughing

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

nah, I had to swap the rack when I first got mine.

Another rack will be about 200 quid. a scrappy will want about 50. Another 19 16V will be under 200 quid with a decent rack...

I used the rack from my hatch. Now because the chamades had been leaking for so long before I got it the rubber rack bushes had rotten due to the oil, so the rack moved about 10mm back and forth before the wheels did. New bushes are about 20 odd quid from ranult. I re-used my decent hatch ones.

Box could be many things, clutch might have gone, does the noise change with the clutch dipped?

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

No, the noise stays the same and is noticeable all the time. However when driving the box is noisy but when coasting their is no noise.

clutch seems to be fine, I.E it still works.

have noticed that when I was reverseing it hezitated for a second and made a klunk as I started to move.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

check the mounts again then.

It sounds like it may be the trear donought, when driving its loud almost a grating then when you back off its silent.

You shouldn't have gear trouble from that though. Or trouble to the extent you seem to have.

Site Subscriber Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 2929

I'll explaine.

stiff motion side to side on the gear stick.

easy to engage forward gears.

can't engague reverse gear, stick moves over to the left but not up into gear.

if reving in neutral whilst stationary the car vibrates, it can be felt through the steering wheel.

when slowing down out of gear the car feels like it's trying to accelerate a little.