OK, so I got the rack and coupler in the car, hooray! That was a hell of a lot harder than I expected.
I'll explain what I did, in case it helps anyone, although if there is a better way, I sure wouldn't want to do it this way.
I haven't done the PS lines yet, this is just the physical removal of the old and install of the new rack.
To remove I just removed the PS lines, and 2 bolts holding rack to subframe. Then bent the subframe tabs. This allowed the rack to fall down but was still held tight by the steering coupler. After removing the pinch bolts, spraying a ton of PB Blaster and driving a flathead screwdriver into the gap, it still wouldn't budge. Then I got out the pickle fork and tried prying the coupler off at the top (steering column side) putting the pickle fork between the firewall and coupler. Still wouldn't budge. Thats when I gout out the torch. I held the pickle fork in place both as a pry and as a shield to protect the rubber coating on the firewall and torched the coupler block as much as I could, after maybe 5-10 min's of this, a couple whacks on the pickle fork and it fell right out. Of course in the course of that proccess I burnt myself 2 or 3 times on the hot pickle fork, fun.
After the rack was out I removed the coupler from the rack, same way, heated it up, until I could get it off.
The coupler I installed the poly flex disc and spacer kit both from garagistic completely out of the car. That whole process is another ton of work, but fiarly straightforward.
Now with the assembled couple and rack out of the car, I made sure the rack was centered and the steering wheel in the car was centered and locked in place. With the pinch bolt still out of the block I coated the inside of it with assembly lube, and the shaft on the rack. I then heated up the block with the torch for about 5 mins. I then got the couple started onto the rack and then whacked it with the hammer to get it the rest of the way and put in the pinch bolt.
Now, more assembly lube to top couple block and steering column splin shaft, lift the rack up into place, get the coupler started onto the shaft, bend the subframe tabs back into place, and get the passenger side bolt and space installed, but not tight.
At this point I couldn't get the coupler onto the shaft any further, so I sprayed it liberally with some white silicone. I already had the assembly lube on there, but it wasn't helping. After the silicone spray I was able to push up on the rack and get it to slide on a good bit, but not all the way. It was almost there though. SPrayed more silicone, then with a rubber mallet hit the bottom of the rack at the steering box, or whatever that part is called, and got it to go on the rest of the way. Got the driver side tab totally bent back into place, and got the bolt it. Strangely the bol on the driver side was a lot easier to get lined up and installed. Probably because the rack was alligned properly now whereas when I put the first bolt in, it was still low on the drivers side.
Thats where I'm at now. Rack is physically installed. I still need to do the lines. I'm a bit confused on how to do that, I keep seeing people say they jsut installed the high pressure line backwards. At first I thought this meant, they juest moved it to the other side, and bolted it right on. But now I think they mean the removed the line from the rack and pump, and turned it around so the original rack side goes in the pump and the pump side goes in the rack? At least thats what I am going to try tomorrow. Hopefully that works, then also swap out my sway bar end links tighten everything down fill it up with fluid and see what happens.
I'll explain what I did, in case it helps anyone, although if there is a better way, I sure wouldn't want to do it this way.
I haven't done the PS lines yet, this is just the physical removal of the old and install of the new rack.
To remove I just removed the PS lines, and 2 bolts holding rack to subframe. Then bent the subframe tabs. This allowed the rack to fall down but was still held tight by the steering coupler. After removing the pinch bolts, spraying a ton of PB Blaster and driving a flathead screwdriver into the gap, it still wouldn't budge. Then I got out the pickle fork and tried prying the coupler off at the top (steering column side) putting the pickle fork between the firewall and coupler. Still wouldn't budge. Thats when I gout out the torch. I held the pickle fork in place both as a pry and as a shield to protect the rubber coating on the firewall and torched the coupler block as much as I could, after maybe 5-10 min's of this, a couple whacks on the pickle fork and it fell right out. Of course in the course of that proccess I burnt myself 2 or 3 times on the hot pickle fork, fun.
After the rack was out I removed the coupler from the rack, same way, heated it up, until I could get it off.
The coupler I installed the poly flex disc and spacer kit both from garagistic completely out of the car. That whole process is another ton of work, but fiarly straightforward.
Now with the assembled couple and rack out of the car, I made sure the rack was centered and the steering wheel in the car was centered and locked in place. With the pinch bolt still out of the block I coated the inside of it with assembly lube, and the shaft on the rack. I then heated up the block with the torch for about 5 mins. I then got the couple started onto the rack and then whacked it with the hammer to get it the rest of the way and put in the pinch bolt.
Now, more assembly lube to top couple block and steering column splin shaft, lift the rack up into place, get the coupler started onto the shaft, bend the subframe tabs back into place, and get the passenger side bolt and space installed, but not tight.
At this point I couldn't get the coupler onto the shaft any further, so I sprayed it liberally with some white silicone. I already had the assembly lube on there, but it wasn't helping. After the silicone spray I was able to push up on the rack and get it to slide on a good bit, but not all the way. It was almost there though. SPrayed more silicone, then with a rubber mallet hit the bottom of the rack at the steering box, or whatever that part is called, and got it to go on the rest of the way. Got the driver side tab totally bent back into place, and got the bolt it. Strangely the bol on the driver side was a lot easier to get lined up and installed. Probably because the rack was alligned properly now whereas when I put the first bolt in, it was still low on the drivers side.
Thats where I'm at now. Rack is physically installed. I still need to do the lines. I'm a bit confused on how to do that, I keep seeing people say they jsut installed the high pressure line backwards. At first I thought this meant, they juest moved it to the other side, and bolted it right on. But now I think they mean the removed the line from the rack and pump, and turned it around so the original rack side goes in the pump and the pump side goes in the rack? At least thats what I am going to try tomorrow. Hopefully that works, then also swap out my sway bar end links tighten everything down fill it up with fluid and see what happens.
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