SOLVED: Steering rack hose adapters

[DougR]

I bought my rack from Van Cafe more than a year ago and never installed it Because I had an engine failure. Now that that’s taken care of I started the install. I have everything in place and was about to move the hose adapters from the old rack to the new rack and they don’t fit! The threads look clean on the old rack, the new rack, and the adapters. The adapters going about one and a half turns and then bind. I don’t want to force them. I don’t recall what brand the rebuilt rack is, but I think it’s Meyle. Has anyone had this experience, and what did you do?

I understand these fittings are really hard to find. My tap and die set ends at M 12, but the threads on everything look like they are 1.50. The plastic cap that covers the opening fits both racks nicely. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks! Doug
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'85 Westy, 2.0L Zetec Bostig Conversion

[vanis13]

Have you asked the place you bought it? If so, what did they say?
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make

[DougR]

Not yet. They were closed when I called. It’s on the list for tomorrow.
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'85 Westy, 2.0L Zetec Bostig Conversion

[ALIKA T3]

A rebuilt rack would be compatible as it's a ZF unit (VW).
The newly made ones are most likely JP Group, I've installed a few, the threads are also the same, but that could have changed on a new unit.

That is odd...
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Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[DougR]

I filled out the, “ask an expert“ form on an Cafe’s website. I immediately got a response that said they are having an unusually high volume of questions. I’m pretty sure it says that year-round. Anyway, I’m sitting here high and dry until I figure this out. I think I’m going to try my local Ace Hardware store and see if I get some matching bolts and see how well they thread into these openings.
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'85 Westy, 2.0L Zetec Bostig Conversion

[vanis13]

[RoryGirl]

Fill the (oiled) hole up with some dollar-store playdoh, then carefully unscrew. Measure the threads.
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1991 Twin Slider VR6
1985 Audi 4k

[DougR]

I’m not going to stick Play-Doh in there. I like the way you’re thinking, but that makes me nervous. I just bought a thread tester. It will be interesting to see what comes of it.
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'85 Westy, 2.0L Zetec Bostig Conversion

[?Waldo?]

I would use a thread pitch gauge set and calipers.

[DougR]

Tried the thread tester. Same results. Won’t go past 1/4 to 1/2 turn. My tap and die set has a thread pitch gauge. That with a camera and I can see that it looks like a 1.5. Calipers tell me it’s M16 and M14. The plastic cap that came with it is a perfect 1.5. Really hard to see into this cavity after the rack is in place - so annoyed that I didn’t do this before the rack was installed.
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'85 Westy, 2.0L Zetec Bostig Conversion

[Wellington]

https://www.amazon.ca/EAWONGEE-Detachable-Suitable...9&th=1

this type of tool has been invaluable at times.

[ALIKA T3]

Look also that there's no nicks in the female threads, who knows, but it looks like the tooling was off that day in China. They don't check for deviations and recalibrate every 2 blue moons, poor QC that let this one slide is entirely possible.

Try something with 1.25 pitch or send a clear picture, I can tell most threads sizes and pitch by eye but in real life.
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[syncrodoka]

Measure the fittings going into the rack, a bottoming tap should clean up the rack threads quickly.

[MarkWard]

In a pinch, I have made a thread chaser using a proper size bolt and cutting lengthwise slits into the threads.

[AlfromNH]

[DougR]

I just wanted to give this thread some closure.

I didn't want to force the threads and they both stopped like they were cross threaded or were the wrong threads altogether. Working on my van is something I do for fun - it's not my day job, so there's more that I don't know than I do. It turns out that I just needed to wrench them on to get past the rough spots in the threads.

Van Cafe reached out and and really went above and beyond. They stand behind their products, even though the purchase was over a year ago. I guess they get it when an engine dies and suddenly becomes the top priority. I will always buy my van parts there. The cookie doesn't suck either!

I also got help from Utah Imports, my local shop here in SLC. Those guys are great.

Finally, without this forum, my van would've been dead or sold a long time ago. Thank you all for helping me keep it alive!

-Doug
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'85 Westy, 2.0L Zetec Bostig Conversion

[vanis13]

[DougR]

It comes down to experience. Van Cafe was willing to take the rack back, but I took it to my local shop, Utah Imports, for their opinion. They looked it over, liked the way the threads were starting and said if it was them, they'd tighten it down. I doubt VC would want it back if I boogered up the threads, but I decided to take expert advice and the outcome was good.
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'85 Westy, 2.0L Zetec Bostig Conversion

[vanis13]

K thx for the detail.... Clears up a bunch of unknowns and gives cred to RMW
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make