Rack and Pinion

[stanger]

Good morning,
Thanks to everyone with the sparkplug issue, they have been replaced and I also changed the oil to Mobil 1 Full Synthetic which has made all of the difference. My next project is to replace the rack and pinion. I've already purchased one so any advice that you guys have to get this done efficiently and correctly would be greatly appreciated. I'm also trying to replace the fuel filter but, despite following the steps to depressurizing the fuel system listed in the Haynes McDaniel manual, I cannot get the pressure off of the system. I unplugged the inertia switch and let the engine run until it died. I then disconnected the "IN" line which sprayed me like a fire hose :BangHead:! Any suggestions on how to properly depressurize the fuel sytem would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for everyone's help. I'm taking pictures of this restore as I go and will do a nice right up with pictures when we're done. As far as I'm concerned you guys all restored this car with the help that you've given already.

 

[MustangChris]

to kill the fuel pressure:

press the button in the trunk behind the panneling
remove the plug from the bottom of the plug
start the car and wait untill it dies.
try and start it again. if it starts, wait till it dies. if it doesnt start, your lines are de-pressurized.
jack the car up, some people even suggest jacking up the front of the car to push the fuel to the back of the tank.
remove the c-clips holding the fuel filter in.
unbolt the filter-holding-braket
take off the ruel line on the side of the filter closest to the tank (the "in" side). be sure to have a bucket ready to catch excess fuel. it WILL come out of the filter.
wait untill the filter has drained. removed the "out" line of the filter.
put the new filter on taking special care to ensure the "FLOW" arrow is pointing the right direction.
put on new c clips if they are available, otherwise use the old ones.
bolt the filter holder bracket back into place.
plug the fuel cut off switch back in.
turn the key to ACC/ON then OFF 3 times.
Then start your car.

to change your rack and pinion:

jack up the front of the car.
using an alan wrench, unbolt the steering shaft from the power steering rack. and remove the bolt.

remove the kotter pins from the tie-rod end bolts.
remove the bolts on your tie rod end.
remove the tie rod end from the spindle (sometimes called a steering knuckle) a hammer may be needed.

using 1 socket and a wrench, place 1 socket on the FRONT of the bolt (pointing toward the bumper) holding the rack to the k-member. this may seem odd, but it is MUCH easier than fishing around the back side of the k-member. once you have a socket that fits the front of the bolt, place a wrench on the nut and remove the nut. do this on both sides.

slide the rack carefully forward and it should slide out of place. hold it up with 2 jackstands.
unbolt the power steering lines from the steering rack with a universal cresent wrench (sometimes called a mexican socket set...)
unscrew the power steering resevour cap and allow it to drain for a little while.

remove the rack from the car

slide the new rack into the car, but be sure to inspect the metal shafts that hold it in place, and the bushings that surround those shafts. be sure not to get the shafts mixed up (maximum motorsports says so. lol)

prothyne makes Poly Urthane bushings if you need new ones (i suggest getting new ones since you'll be there anyways.) DO NOT GET OFFSET POLY URTHAYNE BUSHINGS.

attach the power steering lines
slide the new rack into place.
bolt the STEERING SHAFT in FIRST
then bolt the k-member bolts in.
lower the car.

fill the power steering resevour with automatic transmission fluid and start the car. watch the fluid level, dry starts and over-filling are hard on the pump. it shouldnt take more than 1qt.

 

[stanger]

Wow! Thanks Chris! I'll be doing this project this weekend and let you guys know how it goes. Also I am missing a rubber boot that goes on the balljoint on the A arm passenger side. Any idea where I can get one of these and how hard it is to replace it? I'm getting tired of having to grease the ball every weekend to get me through the week without squeaking when I turn.

 

[MustangChris]

yea, i know this guy, his name is chris.... he goes by "MustangChris" on this forum... he's got a pair of prothayne ball joint boots and a pair of tie rod end boots that i KNOW he'll sell ya. for $5.00 each (+shipping) which is a savings compared to Jegs. He never used them. so they are brand new...

just shoot him a PM if you are interested.