Steering rack conversion fail v.weird parts
 

I got to this part:
http://photos.motoiq.com/MotoIQ/Proj...13_9df9D-M.jpg
http://photos.motoiq.com/MotoIQ/Proj...61_G87wt-S.jpg
http://photos.motoiq.com/MotoIQ/Proj...11_mAZeH-M.jpg
http://photos.motoiq.com/MotoIQ/Proj...41_bMY8q-M.jpg

Mine looks like this:
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5686099_n.jpg
MotoIQ's:
http://photos.motoiq.com/MotoIQ/Proj...61_G87wt-S.jpg

WTF is going on?

Early vs. late NA rack is my guess. I know the '97 rack in my car is much different than the original '93.

Any tips on putting this thing back together with the wheel straight? Should the shaft be equidistant on either side from the case when centered?

The first rack is from an Nb. When I did mine mine was like that. If you look on tm's site you will see pictures of your rack.

As far as getting the wheel on properly. You have to turn the rack to lock in one direction, mark it then count how many times it rotates. Then rotate it back half as many times as you just turned it.

Have a great day,
Jared

did you just cut that long seal? also are you using that seal on the pinion shaft? I'm in the middle of the depower on mine lol

That long shaft is not just a seal, it's a guide for the rack, leave it. I ground down the little seal (the one MotoIQ machined) with a grinder, hacked it with a chisel and punch, then banged it off with a dead blow.

I also power washed all the old filth off. Once I get it installed I plan to play with the resistance spring thingie and set it for what I like the best. I remember reading an article about how some great cars like the MC412c has light steering, the GT3RS has heavy steering...I plan to go heavy. I so excited about this mod.

Nice, I'll keep that long one in (giggity). What about the one on the pinion shaft?

Please, be more vague.

Just an FYI to future power to depower guys. There are like 5-10 different rack variations. The main thing to concentrate on is welding up the joint and removing the seal on the inside shaft to relieve built up pressure when turning. The seal was so strong in mine I had to use a press to get it out. You should add R-package tie rods while in there. Also remember to mark the steering shaft to rack with paint pen. Also, the factory powered rac feels better depowered than the factory manual rack at speed.

Johnfag and I may start offering an exchange service once I confirm the awesomeness of my retrofitting skills. I've done two racks and they're power-washed, welded, rack seal cut,regreased, tension set, powerwashed, and painted so you can see future leaks and fight the battle against dirt.

What and why do you mark it with a pen?

i may be your first customer.

So you can duplicate the original mesh between the pinion and the rack. Otherwise it has to wear-in again. Not necessary, but nice.

There are 8 teeth on the pinion too. you have to mark the couplers, the teeth on the pinion, and the teeth on the rack, clean all three, grease, and still expect to read the marks. Not a chance this is going to happen upon disassembly.

So your not like me with a steering wheel 50 degrees out... :vash:

I was referring to whether you keep the seal on the pinion shaft, see below


http://photos.motoiq.com/MotoIQ/Proj...68_HyHRx-M.jpg

There are 3 seals in that pic. from left to right
no on the white seal
no on the o-ring under it
no on the big black seal
yes on the metal seal on top of the bottom bearing.

Maybe I'm totally missing the point of all this work.:confused:

When I "de-powered" my steering I removed the pump and all associated hardware. I used one of the original lines from the pump to the rack to form a loop and made sure the rack was full of PS fluid. I ran the line from one fitting on the rack to the other. Made it a closed loop system. Fluid Keeps the rack lubricated without any pressure/binding problems.:winner:

IIRC the power rack has a better ratio then the OE Non-power that's why it feels better.:D

The part you are missing is that every time you turn the wheel, you push air back and forth from one side of the rack to the other through a tiny hole. If you remove these seals, it makes the depowered rack that much more amazing to drive.