Lost my rack and pinion today......
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02 S500 02 X5
Lost my rack and pinion today......
Just as we're pulling into the parking lot to have a nice brunch too! What a mess. Towed it back to the house and have it up on jackstands so I can remove it and go get another. The bottom of the engine is an oily mess. The rack and pinion failed at the passenger side top where the bolt is and sprayed hydraulic fluid all over the cats; talk about some smoke!
APSCO outside Dallas has remans for $355. Sounds like a deal to me, thank god they are local.
Has anyone tackled this job yet? Just curious.
APSCO outside Dallas has remans for $355. Sounds like a deal to me, thank god they are local.
Has anyone tackled this job yet? Just curious.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2006
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02 S500 02 X5
I've wiped off most of the spray from the hydraulic leak; it was all over the pass cat, front subframe, pass wheel and tire, bellypan was full of it, etc. It was spraying from a failed teflon seal at top left on the R&P. In the photos you'll notice in that first pic a bright green o ring squished out of its seat inside the R/P. Tie rod nuts are off. The belly pan plate mounts to subframe has 4 bolts through it and these 4 bolts secure the R/P to front subframe, and the 4 nuts are A PITA to reach even with a stubby wrench or stubby flexing ratchet. Must have small, nimble hands!! The tie rods are in there tighter than you know what......and it's getting late......here's the R/P almost off save and except the damn steering column cardan joint which needs to come off if I'm ever going to get it out. It is up inside the subframe assembly as well and there's zero room to see. There's a nice photo of the 4 bolts FINALLY out too:
Last edited by notoriousALE; Jun 9, 2009 at 11:48 AM.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2006
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02 S500 02 X5
GREAT NEWS. See the the pressure regulator housing in pic #1 and the little turquoise o-ring seal peeking out there? Well there's two regulator housings cast into the rack, each with 2 o-rings inside and a precision machined, threaded aluminum regulator body in each one. Turns out we just needed to replace the o-rings. It was a fun exercise to get the R/P out WITHOUT dropping the front subframe (ala dealer = $4000), not! O-rings were about $3, plus my time. While I was at it I did an oil and tranny fluid change, replaced some broken grilles, and replaced my headlight seals. ALL DONE!
