Vts Rack Disassembly

[sport1901966 8]

Hi All

 

I'm mid-process stripping down a VTS rack that will be going in the GTi along with a 106/Saxo pump but I've hit a bit of a sticking point.

 

The next step is removing the pinion assembly (see pic below) but I cannot work out how to get it fully out. I've undone the 2 Allen head bolts, and it's come away from the rack housing slightly but now seems intent on coming no further!

 

 

Any suggestions would be great!

 

[marksorrento205 80]

Not sure I would want to take it any further apart than that. I have come across a rack that leaked the pas fluid past the seals into the rack housing and filled the boots up. When pulling back the boot fluid pissed out. Unless you have new seals to rebuild it you could end up making the rack u/s. Clean up what you have got and re grease everything etc.

 

Thats only my view and if someone else knows better, like where to get seals etc from I am all ears too

[sport1901966 8]

Sorry I just thought using that image may have been misleading as it isnt my rack (actually its courtesy of Cam!). The picture shows the stage I want to get to. At the moment the pinion assembly (pictured) is still in the rack.

 

Thanks for the quick reply

[clen666 2]

I would appreciate a guide to refurb a vts rack

[Grez28 0]

Looking at the picture id say it would just require a tap with a soft hammer as you turn the pinion as it will still be meshing with the rack.

Graham.

[sport1901966 8]

I would appreciate a guide to refurb a vts rack

 

I'll try and get a few pictures as I go along and put something together.

 

Looking at the picture id say it would just require a tap with a soft hammer as you turn the pinion as it will still be meshing with the rack.

Graham.

 

That was what I had thought too, but only wanted to go so heavy with the 'tapping' before taking a step back to question it! I'll have to give it another go, just seemed very tight and obviously don't want to do any damage.

[Alan_M 66 1 Cars]

Have you taken the plastic guide off?

 

Vaguely remembering from when I stripped a GTi rack down for a quick-rack conversion, there is a rhombus shaped plate on the side of the rack held on by two small bolts. Take it off carefully and you'll find a spring and plastic guide for the pinion, that keeps it tight against the rack. With that removed, the pinion should come out with a wiggle.

[sport1901966 8]

Have you taken the plastic guide off?

 

Vaguely remembering from when I stripped a GTi rack down for a quick-rack conversion, there is a rhombus shaped plate on the side of the rack held on by two small bolts. Take it off carefully and you'll find a spring and plastic guide for the pinion, that keeps it tight against the rack. With that removed, the pinion should come out with a wiggle.

 

You remember correctly, it is a profiled plastic piston that maintains the mesh between the rack and pinion. I have taken it out but unfortunately the pinion is still resisting coming out.

Edited February 4, 2013 by sport1901966

[sport1901966 8]

Any one who has done this before have any suggestions? Going to try again tomorrow!

Edited February 9, 2013 by sport1901966

[sport1901966 8]

Had another go just now but its still seems determined to remain in place. I really can't see what else would be holding it in place, but with these things I'm a think twice, bash the crap out of it once person! Up to now I've not put a hammer to it in anger so I may just be being too cautious.

 

However I have spotted something that may be of concern. I think the rack itself may be bent, I've stuck a couple of photos below , I'd be interested to know what people think.

 

 

 

The rack does move through the whole range, but is much freer from here........................

 

 

To here.....

 

 

But moving it further in it gets stiffer. Is the rack scrap anyway?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

That looks bent to me

strip it apart and double check

[sport1901966 8]

That looks bent to me

strip it apart and double check

 

I did wonder

 

I am trying to strip it apart but really cannot get the pinion off, have you taken one apart?

 

Totally stumped now!

[B1ack_Mi16 67]

Did you take that blanking plate off, with the springloaded plastic part inside?

It will be hard to get it off without doing that.

 

If you did, and it still won't come off... who knows, maybe stuck due to beeing bent?

[Tom Fenton 1,540]

The pinion and housing is being held in by the fit of the pinion bearing into the rack housing. Ideally you would use a slide hammer attached to the square drive area of the pinion to extract it all. However with the oval plate and springloaded guide bush out of the way you may well be able to get onto the pinion from that side and gently drift it all out of the housing.

 

If the guide bush is out it also will allow the rack to go on the piss so you might be lucky and find it isn't bent either, although I have to say it doesn't look good.....

 

Edit; on the first pic you posted you can see the upper pinion bearing. The outer race will be a good fit into the rack and this is probably why you can't get it to pieces. Be very careful though with the small pinion bearing as these cannot be bought seperately.

[sport1901966 8]

Thanks Tom, thats a really useful reply. I'll have to try and get my hands on a slide hammer. Fingers crossed its just on the piss as you say.

 

Cheers,

Geoff

[sport1901966 8]

Still battling with this!

 

Slide hammer is on order, but I dont want to damage the bearings if I don't have.

 

Would anyone with a vts rack lying be kind enough to have a look and see if the rack is slightly off axis on theirs?

 

It would be a massive help!

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

I've a VTS rack at hand, but it's complete so may not be very useful for what you want to see.

 

Happy to take any photos needed if it will help.

[sport1901966 8]

I'd be hugely grateful if you could pull back the rubber (ooo errr!) as per the last set of pics above, and post up a couple of pics to compare. Just to get an idea if mine is likely to be bent.

 

Cheers!

Edited March 4, 2013 by sport1901966

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

Not a problem, will do that for you this evening.

 

From what I can see, that's where the ram was removed. Could be that with the ram removed it will go lob sided like that.

[sport1901966 8]

You could be right, but there didnt seem to be much play that would be taken up by the guide piston. I'm almost certain it wouldnt straighten it completely in any case.

 

Thanks very much for taking the time its definately appreciated!

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

Excuse the poor pics but hope they help:

 

 

 

Looks pretty straight to me.

 

If I was you I'd be popping the ram back on and see how much resistance it takes to pull that straight and see how freely it retracts on lock to lock.

Edited March 4, 2013 by chipstick

[sport1901966 8]

The pics are ideal thanks. Certainly shows up how off mine is. Good point about the ram I think your right, next step is to reassemble and see how things look.

 

Thanks again posting up the pictures as they say worth 1000 words and all that!

[jamie_1992 66 1 Cars]

i striped and rebuilt a rack this weekend had the same issues

i put the pinion in the vice and hit the rack with a rubber hammer and it poped out (it was a manual rack though so had to remove the circlip first)

i only relied the shaft in mine was bent when i put it back together with a new bush in the end of the rack and it would only slide in about half way

i put it in the press and straitened it out so it would go back together but i need to buy a new rack really

hope this helps

[sport1901966 8]

Doesn't sound promising then, maybe the fact it is bent is contributing to the force required to remove the pinion. Whatever I find I'll post it up here. May even bite the bullet and look for another rack.

[sport1901966 8]

Well definitely looks like another rack is required. Took delivery of a 2.4 kg slide hammer yesterday so headed back to the garage to investigate further.

 

First thing I did was to reassemble the rack with the ram etc. and see if that made any difference. As you can see below it didn't!

 

 

So I then knew I had to strip the rack to be sure. I used the slide hammer with the bearing puller fitting to extract the pinion assembly - it is pressed pretty tight into the bearing. I had to put the lower column on the pinion to give the bearing puller claws something to grip on, but after doing that it all came apart with a couple of firm pulls of the hammer, with no damage to bearings etc. As you'll see below, unfortunately the result wasn't what I was hoping for:

 

 

And the rest of the parts (and slide hammer setup):

 

 

So onto finding another rack! Thanks for the help and input guys. At least I have some spares I suppose!......

Edited March 9, 2013 by sport1901966