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MG MGB Technical - Rebuilding Steering Rack - Have questions

Hey All, It's been awhile since I've posted a thread..pretty much due to my car sitting in my garage waiting for better weather..I expect the rain to be subsiding soon at my new home of Portland, Oregon. I looked at the calendar and decided that I better start my yearly "repairs" on my car.

This year I am going to have to rebuild the steering rack. I noticed last fall that there was quite a bit of lateral play in the rack and was making some nice noises..anyway, spent today taking it out of the car..happy that the bolts weren't too frozen and the ball joints popped out of like they were supposed to. I think that I'm going to leave the tie rods alone. no play in the joints that I can find and would rather keep the costs lower if possible..

question is whether I should go ahead and try to rebuild the rack myself or go out and buy a rebuilt unit? Just a quick look over the rack today appears that I am going to need some special tools to do the job..Is there a rebuilt one that one may recommend? If people out there give me the basics on the general difficulty and convince to to buy the complete rack assembly then I might look at it..if so where could I just get the rebuild kit?

Also, after moving the steering shaft up to the universal joint by the firewall I've found a fair bit of play in what I assume to be a bearing assembly at the firewall..I couldn't find any play in the UV joint itself so I'm going to leave it alone. Should I be taking the rest of this apart..the wheel..the shaft into the car? Is this something that usually should be replaced at the same time? As I remember from looking at achived posts, there is a nylon bushing of some sort at/near the steering wheel that should be replaced..I think that I should because there is some play at the steering wheel..any suggestions?

I'm going to make another post on a kingpin swivel assembly..cause this thread is getting too big..
Eric Willis

Eric: You can rebuild your old rack but I would just buy a new rack instead. They are usually around $230 or so but one of the suppliers, I think it's Victoria British has a sale on for $150? or so. You should replace the tie rod ends at the same time. No point fooling around in this vital safety area!
Terry

Eric, If you have a worn right side steering bush or steering pinion it's best to replace it. Pinions are not available and the right bush requires a puller to remove it and the bush cost is around $32. It is difficult to remove the tie rods, you may damage the ball housing locknuts during removal and they aren't available. However if you have a leaking pinion and slack in the pinion and rack you may be able to rebuild the rack assembly. The pinion seal is easy to replace, the pinion shaft should have all the paint and any burrs removed prior to removal or the pinion bushing may be damaged on removal. The bushing normally will be ok, it also is not available but ID is .750" and I think the OD is 1.125" so you could possibly source a bushing from a machine supply house.
The pinion will show a visable wear pattern but in my case I could not detect or feel any wear ridges. If the rack has been kept lubricated the roller bearing on the end of the pinion should be ok. Adjustment of the rack damper is explaned in the MGB shop manual. One other caution, the pinion bearing protrudes about .025" from the rack housing and the replacement end cover gaskets I have bought were only .010-.012" thick so using only one will assure the rack will mark it's territory with oil leaks. I made a gasket for mine or you can install 3 gaskets. I recently disassembled a rack from a 77 and the old end cover gasket was .025" thick after use. For some steering parts photos see my Yahoo photos and click on the Steering rack album.
http://photos.yahoo.com/flash1929

The 77 rack I disassembled was lubricated with grease, not the usual gear oil. The boots were dry and the rack end bushing was dry and excessively worn. I understand new replacement racks are filled with grease. Based on what I observed it may be a good idea to pull back the right boot on new replacement racks and try to pack some grease in the bushing or turn the steering to full lock and smear grease on the rack. All these comments refer to USA left hand drive cars.

On the steering column clunk I'll post some photos within the next couple of days and explain how I used John Twist's suggestion for correcting the clunk. I assume by you swivel pin thread your car is a 73. Hope the information helps. Good luck, Clifton
Clifton Gordon

Thanks All for the info...Clifton put me on to the northwest imports here in Portland..I'll give tem a call to see what my options are to buy the parts that I require..it's always noce to deal with a local supplier that I can go and visit..depending on his shop I may be able to take him the parts for a rebuild..
Eric Willis

I have previously filled a rack with grease as opposed to oil. It does provide minor damping effects over the oil, and there is less risk of leakage and could reduce the amount of maintenance over time. But because of the dry end wear you mention, it is a good idea to also grease the outer parts that are within the boot. Since it is slow moving assembly and not necessarily subjected to the same rigours as the suspension, the grease loss should be minimal, but grease will wear out given time and temperature changes. Afterall grease is 70-90% oil with some additives and thickener making up the rest. So it will eventually oxidise.
If you are planning a change to grease, then consider drilling, tapping and inserting a grease nipple (possibly best from above the rack to avoid road dirt) although drill swarf could damage the rack so best done when completely disassembled.
Thoroughly clean the rack and remove traces of old oil before packing with grease, in fact, try and coat the components individualy when assembling (if you have stripped it that far). When refitting, re-grease with boots loose, and have someone move the steering back and forth and ensure that grease is visible at the edges of the bushes. The grease will then act as a contaminant seal in the event your boots perish in the future.
Martin

When the upper steering bearings or the bearing assembly of collapsible steering columns wear the driver can feel a clunk through the steering wheel. Try moving the wheel up or down vertically to see if the bearing assembly has wear, if worn you should feel and hear a clunk. The loosness can usually be corrected by removing the bearing assemmbly and carefully peening around the end of the bearing housing. The bearing assembly can be removed without removing the steering column. The steering wheel, hub and column cowl halves will need to be removed. Before removing the steering wheel it's a good idea to point the wheel straith ahead for easier reassembly. Remove the bearing retaining screws, should be three. With a heavy screwdriver carefully pry off the signal light cancelling cam, hold it with one had so it doesn't fly away, it has a very strong spring action. Remove the retainer circlip from the slot on the steering shaft and slide the retainer off the shaft. Remove the spacers and spring washers from the shaft. Rotate the bearing about 1/8th turn anti-clockwise and slide it out of the column housing and off the shaft. Look at bearing assembly photos 7 & 8, the scribe point shows the general area to peen on the bearing housing, peen and turn the housing until you feel the outer bearing bearing race tighten in the bearing housing. It usually will take several mimutes of peening to get the bearing tight. Install the bearing and the retainers, they can be difficult to install, making sure the shaft is pulled out so the inner circlip is contacting the bearing will help. Install the signal cancelling cam, it can be difficult, steering hub and steering wheel. See photos at my Yahoo photo albums.
I need to give John Twist credit for the inclosed information, I read it somewhere and it has worked on two steering columns for me.
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/flash1929/lst?.dir=/MGB+Steering+Column+upper+bearings&.src=ph&.view=

Regards, Clifton
Clifton Gordon

Eric, I have completed this very job recently and overall it wasn't that hard of a job. But I had no choice but to change my tie rods, they had been cut and welded back, but not straight. The ball housing retaining nuts were well crimped, and were really streched in order to get them off. I solved that by cutting out the crimps and then adding some shim material on the mating surface of the nut to move the lock point in relationship to the rack. Then I was able to crimp it at another point.
I used a socket and long extension to press out the rack bushing out of the housing. Don't forget to take out the set screw!
I agree about those gaskets not being worth anything, I had to make my own also.
Oh..and a question for the others,
I found that a zerk fitting was already installed on one of my housings and wondered if this was a factory thing for the later cars? Is it used just to grease the upper shaft bearing even though there is oil in the assembly?
Philip A. Smith

Thanks again all..everyone is so helpful on this site..I visit many others for my other car but this one is by far the most helpful..with the best people

thanks for the info Cliff, I think I understand what you are talking about..I'm sure that I will really see it all when I start taking the bearing assembly apart. The pictures were great as a reference.

Eric
Eric Willis

I'll mention this one word of caution, and see what others have to say. I think there are two different ratios for racks. Clausager mentions a change around the mid-seventies, (1977? if memory serves). I just changed out the rack on my '67B with a new one, and I swear it feels slower. I suspect I've got one of the later versions. Can anyone educate me on this? If I do have the wrong rack, can I fix things by just swapping out the pinions?
Terrence Goodell

Terrence, The racks for bubber bumper cars had a longer pinion shaft because the crossmember steering rack mounting brackets were different than the brackets on the chrome bumper crossmembers. I disassembled a 77 steering rack, it has spiral gears on the pinion and angular bevel teeth on the rack. The early racks have straight cut teeth on the rack and the pinion teeth have a slight angle. You can see the difference by going to my Yahoo photos in my first post in this thread. Regards, Clifton
Clifton Gordon

Clifton,

Thanks. Those are very enlightening photos you've posted. Thanks for the quick education. Since the new rack fits on the car no problem, then maybe I'm just imagining a slower ratio.
Terrence Goodell

Terrence
You're right. Part of the '76 facelift was a slower rack to counter complaints of heavy steering.
Dave
Dave Wellings

This thread was discussed between 03/02/2003 and 11/02/2003

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