How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

[tjts1]

This plate.

http://www.rmeuropean.com/Articles.asp?ID=136

[nefarious7907]

I dont recall seeing that where does that go?

[tjts1]

Inside the cabin behind the pedals where the steering column passes through the fire wall.

[e30love]

the firewall plate

[CorvallisBMW]

Who hear had to get new PS lines from an e36 or make their own? my stock lines don't fit for shit and they are a PITA to work with. I don't think they will fit.

[e30love]

are you able to put the plate back in?

Who hear had to get new PS lines from an e36 or make their own? my stock lines don't fit for shit and they are a PITA to work with. I don't think they will fit.

You can use e36 lines or bend yours to fit. That what i have read

[nefarious7907]

Like i said a few pages back, I used my stock lines, I put the straight fitting on the power steering pump and the u shaped end on the rack. I had to open up the u shaped arch about 20-40 degrees but otherwise the stock lines fit without a problem. I was waiting to reply because I was going to take a picture for you.

[CorvallisBMW]

^ pics would be awesome. I got the low-pressure line on, only to realize it was blocking the high-pressure port. My high-pressure line has 2 or 3 coils in it for cooling, near where it attaches to teh rack. Is this a normal e30 hose? RealOEM.com shows that as an e36 part, while the e30 line is strait.

[Sean]

I think I got an e36 high pressure hose - this part number is in my engine rebuild spreadsheet: 32 41 1 141 953 - I think that's it. Then i did some slight bending in the vice.

[CorvallisBMW]

I think I got an e36 high pressure hose - this part number is in my engine rebuild spreadsheet: 32 41 1 141 953 - I think that's it. Then i did some slight bending in the vice.

Yeah I've been looking in to that, but the cheapest I could find was $86 new

[Sean]

Yeah I've been looking in to that, but the cheapest I could find was $86 new

Yeah, they're not cheap. When I bought mine back in May 06, I spent $66.99 @ FAP99.com

But now that same hose is over $240! I have no idea what happened! - oh that's the LIST price - looks like it may not be in stock?

I was able to have a ton of stuff pricematched by my guys over at http://importpartsspec.com/ they kickass.

[LovableSheep]

Well chalk up one more (formally) airbag car install with no firewall modification.

I finally got done with the install last night, got it aligned this morning.

I grabbed a rack from a salvage yard & used new E36 inner & outer tie rods.

I bolted it up stacking some 3/8" washers for spacers. I did not bend the subframe mounting tabs, but instead jacked up the engine slightly.

I unbolted the firewall plate, but did not have to actually cut up the firewall. I had to loosen the big nut between the pedals in order to get everything to line up, which was a hassle because mine was very very tight, plus the little fact that it's reverse-threaded, which I somehow failed to gather from all the info I read about the swap.

The high-pressure line did need to be bent, and my car had the one that coils on the end that goes into the rack. Unfortunately, I somehow managed to put a big hole in it at some point, so I am now running power steering delete until I feel like taking everything apart again to replace the hose.

The only other modification necessary was cutting off a bit of the splash guard/dust shield that covers the front part of the engine bay so it wouldn't cut up the tie rod boots.

[tjts1]

I had to loosen the big nut between the pedals in order to get everything to line up, which was a hassle because mine was very very tight, plus the little fact that it's reverse-threaded, which I somehow failed to gather from all the info I read about the swap.

I had no idea it was adjustable. Good to know

[knotcher]

hey...you guys see anything wrong with swapping in an e36 rack AND delting power steering...i know there'll be extra steering effort but it's a track car not a daily driver.

thoughts?

[CorvallisBMW]

You can do it, just fill the rack up with fluid and plug the 2 holes that normally carry the PS lines.