C5 X7 Steering Rack - Again!

[GiveMeABreak]

I've just ordered a couple of tins of that Silver Hook White Marine grease - just as well it's going on the car in various locations as it is lethal to aquatic life with long term effects! How they can call it marine grease is beyond me in that case

[EDC5]

I've just ordered a couple of tins of that Silver Hook White Marine grease - just as well it's going on the car in various locations as it is lethal to aquatic life with long term effects! How they can call it marine grease is beyond me in that case

Let me know how you get on with it as I may invest in some myself.

[GiveMeABreak]

This is the stuff - probably won't be in time for the rack - so I'll have to some other stuff on that for the time being. This stuff contains Zinc Oxide rust inhibitors too. Got 2 x 500g tins for £12.49 inc. delivery. I will be using this for the underside piping too now that they have cleaned those up for me and the height corrector fixings and anything else I can see that would benefit!

[bobins]

If you've got relatively basic tools then it's actually no too much trouble to grease the shaft on an already fitted rack using the 'shaft inspection' method of going in by the footwell. I think Elis was the last person on here who's admitted to doing that so his memory might be better then mine as to what tools are needed, but it's relatively basic stuff.

[EDC5]

If you've got relatively basic tools then it's actually no too much trouble to grease the shaft on an already fitted rack using the 'shaft inspection' method of going in by the footwell. I think Elis was the last person on here who's admitted to doing that so his memory might be better then mine as to what tools are needed, but it's relatively basic stuff.

I did it all with a 10mm socket if I remember correctly. Once I'd loosened the one T20 screw holding the footwell trim in.

I applied some grease myself last time but it was just normal heavy oil grease and nothing special. Might be tempted to cover it with this marine grease in due course though.

[wurlycorner]

Koyo is now JTEKT (same manufacturer as the C2 / C3 racks)

[Gibbo2286]

Back up the thread there was comment about the casting lug getting in the way of making a cover to protect from the water ingress, could you not make use of that to bolt a cover on?

[GiveMeABreak]

Probably - but the issue was that if (or more likely, when) that rack also goes belly up they would probably not accept it back as an exchange due to the modification Gibbo.

My new one is due today after lunch, so I will take a few shots of it and see if I can see any identifying marks on it for reference.

[Gibbo2286]

Probably - but the issue was that if (or more likely, when) that rack also goes belly up they would probably not accept it back as an exchange due to the modification Gibbo.

My new one is due today after lunch, so I will take a few shots of it and see if I can see any identifying marks on it for reference.

I wasn't suggesting altering it Marc, just using it, if it is as shown in the picture it has a threaded stud that could be fastened to.

[GiveMeABreak]

So the rack has arrived and I whizzed it off down the garage - but the chap doing it is off with chest pains (I hope not at the anticipation of this job), but seems to be ok.

It is a ZF one - has been coated as you can see, but I couldn't read the markings very well due to the coating and that it seems to have been through the wars!

No supplied green Fairy Liquid cap - so as it stands, any water will sit on top of the seal again ready to do its job of rusting the metal. Maybe the green plastic bung will be in my old rack somewhere once they take it out - not that it was effective at all! They are going to see what they can do to sort something to prevent the water from settling in the top, once the mech gets back from resting.

[Stickyfinger]

That shaft does not look like it has been machined to me, can I see some "brown" under the coating at the seal edge ?

[GiveMeABreak]

Maybe the lighting Alasdair - I took it outside in bright sunlight - the shaft is rust free - but the coating seems to be quite rough generally - so whether it has something in it I'm not sure...

[Stickyfinger]

You know me, I would only polish it

[GiveMeABreak]

I just hope the bloody thing fits after all this!

[white exec]

Looking at that third photo, Alasdair, I'd be tempted to
- clean up the shaft, polished would be good!
- clean up the cast area around the bearing and sensor lump
- cut a length of plastic/rubbery tube that will fit over the shaft, but will allow rotation of it inside, tube length as long as possible
- grease the shaft, and the top of the bearing (but keep the casting clean)
- place the tube over the shaft
- generously coat the bottom of the outside of the tube and casting with polyurethane adhesive*, to anchor the tube in place, waterproofly, and so it won't rotate; adhesive maybe up to a cm thick where it meets and surrounds the casting and its lump.

That will
- keep the weather out
- keep the shaft externally greased
- allow everything to be stripped off without damage if ever necssary

* I use PU298 polyurethane adhesive (a Henkel Pattex brand) for making suspension bushes/mounts, and also for windscreen rubber-glass surrounds. Comes in a standard cartridge, in various colours (including black). Squirts in place like smooth peanut butter, can be palette-knifed into shape, doesn't run or sag, and goes firm within a few hours. Cures by reacting with atmospheric moisture, and a thick mass of it goes fully rubber-like in several days, although quite touchable after 24hrs. Solvent for it is petrol, but clean surfaces to be adhered to with a thinner of some sort. Sticks superbly to plastic, fabric, rubber, metal, glass... Old/unwanted adhesive which has set can be cut away with a sharp blade.
Apologies for the sales pitch. Henkel, 3M etc have good few products like this. This one primarily sold here for constructional use.