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Thanks everybody i found a local shop that actually did a "demo day" 10 years ago for our local Porsche 928 club and has experience with our steeringrack. I am going to bring it to them tomorrow morning. Do need new bushings, @ROG100 i think your Delrin bushings are out of stock if i look at the website?
Please keep this in mind: If you purchase a seal kit from us (or anybody else) and replace all the seals in your rack, you have not rebuilt it. You have replaced the seals. A rebuilt steering rack has new bushings ion it, and is tighter as a result. Test: before you remove your steering rack from the car, grab the tie rod end where it attaches near the steering rack and push up and down on that tie rod end. Any motion you see is a representation of bushing/bearing wear in the rack itself.
This may help you decide if what you need is only to replace the seals, or whether you need a complete steering rack.
Thanks for the feedback: Let me check if they will also replace the bushings at my shop, i already am sure that they need to be replaced, but i am interested in the Delron ones, thats why i ask if Roger has them in stock.
The steering rack bushings that you refer to are the ones that hold the rack to the crossmember. Not of a big concern.
What Carl refers to are the internal parts of the rack. If they are worn, the seals will work initially but it'll leak again in no time.
Go with a quality rebuilt from a shop that does nothing else. After all what is it all good for if you have to do it again?
Right, the shop does only racks and again: invited the Dutch Porsche 928 club for a "open day". I think they know what they are doing. They already told me they will give me a headsup when they open it up, to discuss any other problems. I understood the bushings are also important (and while i am working on it you know)...
I just saw 928international has them in stock so i will check that out too...Again thanks for al the feedback!
The steering rack bushings that you refer to are the ones that hold the rack to the crossmember. Not of a big concern.
What Carl refers to are the internal parts of the rack. If they are worn, the seals will work initially but it'll leak again in no time.
Go with a quality rebuilt from a shop that does nothing else. After all what is it all good for if you have to do it again?
The big problem that Carl refers to is the bush that prevents the rack bar moving fore/aft, this seems to affect the passenger side most
My rack was 'rebuilt' professionally (i.e. I paid to have it done) because of a catastrophic leak, but within no time after it was refitted the play in the rack bar was making the car unpleasant to drive
Apparently the bushes often need to be replaced and then reamed to size, check whether your rack rebuilder actually does that
Check the rack bar doesn't move left/right as you look at it from the wheel well, that is where the force from the tie rod acts
I don't think there is a straight line from one steering arm across the rack to the other steering arm when the steering is centered
Apparently the bushes often need to be replaced and then reamed to size, check whether your rack rebuilder actually does that
This —^.
I have been told that many of the internal bits that are required to rebuild the rack - NOT the seals - are only available in the ZF rebuild kit. That kit is >$750. Ask many, many questions of a ‘rebuilder’ that charges less for their rack than the cost of the ZF kit.
Got it back from the refurbishment guy. He told me it looked very good inside, and replaced it with correct seals. Also tested it, an it works fine now. Looks good too right? Now waiting for the bushes and the i can start buidling it in. Can't wait...
Has anyone put a manual rack in a 928? I just converted my 944 rack to manual (a real conversion) and it's a little heavy but manageable. Wondering if the same procedure works on the heavier car? It would be nice to get rid of rack leaks. Forever.
Last edited by Otto Mechanic; 05-25-2020 at 09:47 PM.
Has anyone put a manual rack in a 928? I just converted my 944 rack to manual (a real conversion) and it's a little heavy but manageable. Wondering if the same procedure works on the heavier car? It would be nice to get rid of rack leaks. Forever.
Since the early 944s had manual racks, there are manual racks around to convert a 944 with power steering to a manual rack. We did this often, on vehicles that were exclusively used on the race track.
There were no manual racks, on a 928, which makes it more complex of an issue....
Semi-retired, as of Feb 1, 2023.
The days of free technical advice are over.
Free consultations will no longer be available.
Will still be in the shop, isolated and exclusively working on project cars, developmental work and products, engines and transmissions.
Have fun with your 928's people!
By the way someone pointed out that there is a black line (see picture) on the top of the rack that he did not have on his rack. Is that only on early racks? It is not on the PET either? Anybody knows?
By the way someone pointed out that there is a black line (see picture) on the top of the rack that he did not have on his rack. Is that only on early racks? It is not on the PET either? Anybody knows?
I can't imagine it being left out? That should be a balance line that allows PS fluid to move both directions as the hydraulic assist moves the piston (via hydraulics naturally). Without it, the fluid would have no place to go as the piston moves left and right under control of the A/B hydraulic ports in the pinion. There's a very long thread I participated in on the 944 list that describes its function in detail. See:
That should help you out? The 944 uses a different rack (different part #) but functions identically. The two hard lines connected to the pinion housing supply the assist on either side of the enclosed piston. The black line carries fluid from one side of the piston to the other as the piston moves in the rack housing.
Since the early 944s had manual racks, there are manual racks around to convert a 944 with power steering to a manual rack. We did this often, on vehicles that were exclusively used on the race track.
There were no manual racks, on a 928, which makes it more complex of an issue....
Well, yes and no. My experience with the 944 powered rack is they can be depowered using the technique describe in my last reply to wopfe. On the 944, a power rack can be converted to a manual rack using that method and my experience has been it works very well for track cars but it's more difficult (though far from impossible) to manage in parking lots or on the grid. It requires removing the power assist pump, dismantling the rack to remove the piston, then locking the PS spools in the pinion tower using washers. The rack is heavily greased and grease ports (zerk fittings) are added on the A and B hydraulic ports of the rack housing, and another for the pinion housing.
I was just wondering if anyone had depowered a rack on a 928 using the same method, and what their experience was?
What does continue to mystify me is why the black line doesn't get blown off the rack by PS pump pressure? It's just a plastic barb fitting, I can't understand how it holds pressure?
05-11-2020, 09:18 AM
