C5x7 3rd time steering leaking

[MattBLancs]

Thinking aloud: if shaft corroded under the speedy sleeve, it'd snap it, much the way ABS rings break, corrosion jacking.

The nice stainless sleeve surface would resist the lip seal wearing, the rest would rely on how well protected the rest of the shaft. I.e. paint! Think it's still viable route for a long term fix.

[MattBLancs]

Seals:
viewtopic.php?p=743607#p743607

[aerodynamica]

Thanks for the seals reminder Matt, do you or anyone recall who was stripping down the C5 rack a few years ago? Was it Bobbins? i was keen to see what the removed steering shaft from the pinion valve housing was like.

Re speedi sleeve. I am looking into this. I think the shaft on the steering is too long for the speedi sleeve fitting tool but that it can be fitted with an appropriate hollow tube as well as the tool. Not sure yet but there might be other considerations to this such as what the sleeve buts against further down the shaft. Thinking about lofted shape towards the actual valve parts separated by O rigs etc. It's why I'm keen to have a look at the older disassembly photos someone had posted.

Anyone with experience of sleeving a shaft ( ) know what sort of fit/ tolerance it uses? is there any likelihood the LDS leaks out under the sleeve?

[MattBLancs]

Thanks for the seals reminder Matt, do you or anyone recall who was stripping down the C5 rack a few years ago? Was it Bobbins? i was keen to see what the removed steering shaft from the pinion valve housing was like.

I recall a thread with some good juicy pictures of the innards of the pinion housing, will try and find it (it isn't the one above with the seal info in it they I linked above)

Re speedi sleeve. I am looking into this. I think the shaft on the steering is too long for the speedi sleeve fitting tool but that it can be fitted with an appropriate hollow tube as well as the tool. Not sure yet but there might be other considerations to this such as what the sleeve buts against further down the shaft. Thinking about lofted shape towards the actual valve parts separated by O rigs etc. It's why I'm keen to have a look at the older disassembly photos someone had posted.

Anyone with experience of sleeving a shaft ( )

Snigger, snigger, he he!

know what sort of fit/ tolerance it uses? is there any likelihood the LDS leaks out under the sleeve?

I don't think it's expected to be a tight fit - that what I believe mention of "Belzona" (chemical metal stuff) splodged underneath - to bond it in place and also seal shaft and sleeve together.
Also let's you be very robust in the de-rusting task, as the shaft ending up undersize is irrelevant.

The speedy seal is only for where the lip seal sits. The green ring of the "modified" rack seems reported as to achieve two tenths of nothing so I'd bin that off if it was my rack.

[xantia_v6]

The speedi-sleeve is a tight fit, it gets slightly deformed during fitting. I would be applying some waterproof compound to stop water getting between the sleeve and the shaft after fitting. Not much to loose though.

[aerodynamica]

Ok I'm keen on this. Once I get the correct measurements for the shaft can see what's available. Potentially taking a refurb rack that was assembled wrong that I hope I can reassemble correctly and include the sleeve. That might work. If it's had the shaft cleaned up then hopefully can match to a sleeve that's stocked. I imagine a refurb rack will have a painted shaft so it might be best to remove the paint.

Other thought was that the speedishaft has a lip on it that's used at the face to drift it on. It looks like it would have to go on the shaft removed from the rack because the oil seal is fitted from the inside.

Anyone know if I'd need any special tools to remove the pinion shaft?

[KennyW]

Graeme,

If I remember correctly the rack and pinion is similar to the Xantia so no special tools needed to take apart. I'm sure other members will be able to confirm this.

Kenny

[wurlycorner]

Is there a thread anywhere showing where this (speedisleeve) has been done previously?

[aerodynamica]

Not too sure, I wondered if it had been featured on this forum. It might have been done elsewhere on another forum.

[aerodynamica]

Graeme,

If I remember correctly the rack and pinion is similar to the Xantia so no special tools needed to take apart. I'm sure other members will be able to confirm this.

Kenny

Hiya Kenny, do you think it has a spring plunger set up like the xantia? It looks like it might from pictures. Not sure of its the type of pinion that can be pulled out with a twist. Likely needs the spring released as well.

[Sloppysod]

My thoughts on fitting the Speedysleeves, no I have never used them, but..............
If you place the input shaft and the sleeve in the freezer for a while, minimum overnight, the shaft o/d will shrink and sleeve i/d will get fractionally bigger, making them easier to fit. Just remember to fit together as soon a possible once out of the cold, and use pliers (also from the freezer) as body heat will be your worse enemy, Good luck

[MattBLancs]

I think I am worried about the sleeve being a tight fit on a lumpy bumpy formerly rusty pinion shaft: we are keen to get a nice surface for the lip seal to run on, the speedy seal has no great inherent strength so shouldn't be "fighting against" what it sits around.

As such I'd think a very sloppy fit between shaft and sleeve (with the gap then filled with Belzona) was best option - rather than anything that would distort the sleeve

[MattBLancs]

P.s. I've never used one either.

I don't think it's been done before, it's the collective intelligence of the forum that's got us to this point.

We're at the bleeding edge, folks!

[aerodynamica]

My thoughts on fitting the Speedysleeves, no I have never used them, but..............
If you place the input shaft and the sleeve in the freezer for a while, minimum overnight, the shaft o/d will shrink and sleeve i/d will get fractionally bigger, making them easier to fit. Just remember to fit together as soon a possible once out of the cold, and use pliers (also from the freezer) as body heat will be your worse enemy, Good luck

Ha, this is the opposite method I used for the flywheel ring gear on my ID19, heated the ring gear up to 250 degrees in the oven and had the cleaned and flywheel in the freezer overnight then placed it on the back doorstep facing upwards. The hot starter ring gear was removed from the oven with pincers and dropped on the frozen flywheel with care i.e the right way up.. it was an easy slide fit. 10 minutes later it was on tight and half an hour later the whole lot was merely cold and basically ready to go back on the engine. Whole process was worth the wait.

[aerodynamica]

I think I am worried about the sleeve being a tight fit on a lumpy bumpy formerly rusty pinion shaft: we are keen to get a nice surface for the lip seal to run on, the speedy seal has no great inherent strength so shouldn't be "fighting against" what it sits around.

As such I'd think a very sloppy fit between shaft and sleeve (with the gap then filled with Belzona) was best option - rather than anything that would distort the sleeve

Depending on what I find, I'm hoping to clean up the shaft surface on a lathe and hopefully it will leave it in a state that's kind to the sleeve. I still think I'll use the metal resin though. Looking at the SKF site the sleeve fitting instructions talk about bad surfaces being transferred to the sleeve outer. I they talk about the sleeve design having a surface finish that is optimised for single direction shaft rotation and rpm but since this is only a steering shaft I think that's not a concern.

Anyway, I won't know a thing about the sleeve until i can get an accurate set of measurements off the cleaned up shaft.