Rack and pinion clean up and lube?

[Juanito84]

I've got a 1985 Golf Diesel with manual steering. I noticed that one of the steering-rack/tie-rod boots was broken open (during my monthly inspection). I plan taking the rack and pinion steering box out and cleaning it out, greasing it up and putting new boots on both ends.

The Bentley Manual doesn't specify a lubricant. What proceedure should I do to make sure it's cleaned out and what grease should I use? I also don't mind tips on how to remove it from the vehicle and how to get it back into place and centered. So feel free to let me know, I've only done this proceedure on Mazdas. Otherwise I'll just follow what the Bentley Manual says.
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If a water cooled engine cools its water with air, isn't it just an overcomplicated air cooled engine?

[Juanito84]

Ok, I know it's taken me a long time to actually do this. After a CV joint went out I decided to tackle the steering box. I just couldn't get that pinch bolt shaft off the pinion shaft. I finally supported the engine and transmission with an engine lift and floor jack and lowered the sub frame. The steering box slid right off after that.

Now out from under there I noticed that both boots were torn and the inside was full of mud. I ordered all new tie rod ends both inner and outer. I dissasembled everything including the adjuster. I even pulled the pinion gear out which allowed me to pull the rack out too. I cleaned up everything the best I could. There's some sort of bushing on the passenger side of the housing that I couldn't get out. This supports the rack on that side.

After it was all clean I just used some all purpose grease and lubed it all up. I packed the bearings that support the pinion gear and filled up the area where the pinion sits pretty well with grease. Next I installed the rack and then the pinion with its bearing, plate, seal, etc paying close attention to the direction the pinion faced at dead center. After that I lubed up and installed the adjuster piston, spring, plate, etc.

The next steps, putting on and adjusting the tie rods and ends, were part of what the manual said. The only thing I did differently was adjust the left tie rod to the dimentions of the original tie rod and not what the book specified. Actually I couldn't even get it that short. I also put thread lock on it since its not supposed to be adjusted.

I put new boots on and its ready to go! I also painted the bare metal of the outer tie rod ends since I hate seeing them rust. This is just for looks, although it doesn't match the rust, I mean rest of my rusty car.
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If a water cooled engine cools its water with air, isn't it just an overcomplicated air cooled engine?

[fmartin_gila]

There is a bushing available to install on the passengerside of the rack. Search on ebay for delrin bushing. It can be installed after the unit is on the car.

Fred

[Juanito84]

[fmartin_gila]

Since the Steering Column Boot does not actually need to flex very much, you might get by with a slathering of RTV to a tear.

Fred

[Juanito84]

[Juanito84]

Ok. So this is irritating. When I noticed the broken boots I also replaced the inner tie-rod ends figuring that I had no idea how long they had been exposed to water and grit. But now they're already failing. The wheels wiggle quite a bit at and I can follow the wiggling die the tie-rods to the boots indicating the inner tie-rod ends. In noticing a bad vibration when decelerating and these are the only loose parts I can find.

Are there any quality inner and perhaps outer tie-rod ends for MK2's? Also are there any quality CV joint boots? It seems like I'm going through new CV joints yearly because the darn boots keep cracking! And the boots normally cost just as much a the whole shaft so I've been just getting the whole shaft instead of cleaning then out and rebooting like I used to. But I'd gladly just put on new boots if I could find side.
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If a water cooled engine cools its water with air, isn't it just an overcomplicated air cooled engine?

[Juanito84]

I did get just order some new tie-rod ends and CV axles from O'Reilly's that have a lifetime warrantee. So we'll see how long they actually last. For $60 each they better last.
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If a water cooled engine cools its water with air, isn't it just an overcomplicated air cooled engine?