Dribble from steering rack ?

paranoid · Unread post by **paranoid** » 17 Mar 2004, 18:21

I have just noticed that the little dribble from my xants steering rack gaiter, is getting a bit worse, It looks like a tiny hole in the drivers side rack gaiter.
Is this a big job I don't really have the money to do the whole rack, will this get me through the MOT IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS? Or is the rack a right off if its seals are leaking?[V]

Unread post by **RichardW** » 17 Mar 2004, 20:44

There shouldn't be any lhm in the rack. Are you sure it's coming out of the gaiter - I had a leak on the inlet pipe to the rack on mine last year and it made the gaiter all wet. If it <i>IS</i> coming out of the gaiter, then you are going to need to do the seals in the pinion valve - not sure if this is possible with the rack in the car. I looked at taking the rack out for my MOT last year (but leak was cured by nipping up the feed pipe - phew!) and it didn't look THAT bad (by Xantia standards anyway!), so you might be able to 'whip' it out and take it to a recon company and get them to renew all the seals. Exchange rack from GSF was not that bad I remember - £140 + VAT (?) or you could get one from a breakers, but no guarantee that won't be a leaker either! Jeffers might still have the rack from the one he's breaking (see post in for sale section)

paranoid · Unread post by **paranoid** » 18 Mar 2004, 01:57

Will get under tommorow to have a good look, don't suppose you know how many pipe connections there are do you? had a look through the wheel arch and I can see one with clear/white pipe and one with steel pipe I think, You are probably right about the pipe connection though as the pin hole is facing down on the gaiter and the oil mist is all over pipes and where the shaft goes up into the car.
Cheers will keep you informed.......[:)]

Unread post by **RichardW** » 18 Mar 2004, 12:48

I think there are 4 pipes - main feed, feed and return to the ram (or return and feed depending on which way it's going!), and return. All I did was clean it all up and give the feed pipe union about 1/4 of a turn, and then it dried up over a week or so.

paranoid · Unread post by **paranoid** » 18 Mar 2004, 16:22

Thanks Richard,
All of the pipes needed nipping up, 2 of them were not far off hand tight, by the look of of the sludge around area, its been like that for years, took 4 times as long to clear the gunge up.
Cheers[:D]

Unread post by **RichardW** » 18 Mar 2004, 19:04

Nice one....
I had a similar do with a pipe on the brake valve on a BX. Must be something to do with vibration working them loose. I was much relieved that a few minutes with the spanner got me an MOT, rather than lots of time with the spanner, plus much wallet lightening!

paranoid · Unread post by **paranoid** » 18 Mar 2004, 19:16

While it was on the stands had a good look round and did a bit of undersealing as well, found another couple of pipe unions that needed tightening, the struts were dry and crusty cleaned them up and vaselined them, front is now a lot more floaty, didn't think it would make that much difference, Anyway cheers again, was about to have it repaired when I have the cambelt done, And Mrs F is a lot happier now the green blobs have stopped[^] [^] [^] [^] [^]

paranoid · Unread post by **paranoid** » 19 Mar 2004, 05:37

I have just taken xant on a decent run on the motorway and A roads, and i thought I was imagining it but the ride is really nice and floaty since i greased the struts, Its almost BX floaty !!!! Used a mixture of LHM and vaseline (wife was giving very strange looks, going on about this citroen thing going to far)[:D]
Why would the ride be any better? although the car did groan embarassingly sometimes just as I was getting out.

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 19 Mar 2004, 06:23

As you have fiddled with greasing up the struts - you've also seen how the sniny work piston protrudes the strut tube.
It's exactly here the groaning & binding occurs in the strut - as the shiny piston is dry in the slide bearing down the strut tube.
I have to say it's a real weird doctor's mixture you made up for lubing [:D][:D][8D]
My guesses are that's simply what you had in reach when ready for the work [;)]
Just to make sure : I think your mix will work OK for long [:)]
But using any standard bearing/CV joint grease would do the job as well.
As an aside - there is no real reason to use LHM for lubing - as the piston is not in contact with LHM.
Inside this piston - you have the actual hydraulic piston - which uses this outer shiny piston as it's home cylinder.
This inner piston then presses against the bottom of the strut tube - to make the hydraulic pressure press out the shiny piston.
You understand this by observing that the shiny piston rod is solid located by the strut mount - and has the sphere mount and hydraulic feed pipe fitted.
Thus it's in fact the strut outer tube that moves (downwards).
This is because the strut in fact is a McPherson strut - and then it must provide the wheel hub with a sturdy upper pivoting point for steering - and for upper vertical reference of the hub - without slack.
Hence the outer shiny piston rod - and it's sturdy location in a slide bearing.
The slide bearing is bronze (I believe) - and I also believe this bearing has been oil wetted before fitting - like an axle bushing in a startermotor. But this is my assumptions only.
In principle - the Xantia & XM struts are the same as the BX struts.
But the Xantia & XM struts has further been developed to last longer - therefore it can not be disassembled for overhaul - like the BX strut.
Bob Smith has a pdf document that shows the BX strut schematic :
http://www.rwbsmith.plus.com/citroen2/Struts/struts.pdf
A schematic for the XM strut (not showing the inner piston unfortunately) is seen here :

paranoid · Unread post by **paranoid** » 19 Mar 2004, 06:34

I have used vaseline and oil before and it works brilliantly, and is not just pushed out the way like some greases, its nice and sticky its also easier to tell when its dirty, I use this because used other lubricants before and failed the MOT because the legs looked damp, even after cleaning off they still failed my car, saying "anyone can clean the oil off"

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 19 Mar 2004, 08:34

Can't see why your vaselin mix should'nt work.
As long as it's lubing (which it is) - it fulfills the purpose.
And it wo'nt start flowing down the strut - possible reaching the brakes.
That's the problem using any oil - like LHM.
BTW : Anyone have a better schematic showing the construction/function of XM & Xantia struts ?
I'm pretty sure they are NOT like the BX strut with the inner piston - that's why it's not seen on the schematic above ...