How to attach steering lines to new steering rack in the vehicle?

[idosubaru]

Installing new rack in my XT6 and there's not enough room to get both hands down there and get the steering lines to screw in.

 

Trynf with one hand for 30 minutes and it seems impossible to get those hard line flared fittings to line up with the rack.

 

Any tricks besides removing/lifting the engine?

[idosubaru]

This seems impossible, bushings removed so I've got room to wiggle for position. I've spent an hour already.

 

I've got such limited space and movement it doesn't seem possible to line them up.....

 

Anyone?

[Crazyeights]

Can you drop the front engine crossmember down a bit for access?

[wagonist]

I don't know about LHD cars or the XT6, but for RHD cars, there's a small bracket between the 2 lines right down near where the lines go into the rack.

I always remove that first so that I can get each line started first, then I reattach it.

 

Also, undo the engine mounts from the crossmember & lift it up (you might need to unbolt the exhaust from the engine) to give yourself some extra room to work with.

Put a block of wood in between the engine & crossmember when you do for safety.

Nothing like a fallen engine & crushed fingers to ruin your day...

Edited June 23, 2016 by wagonist

[idosubaru]

Sweet. Thanks. I think there is a clip holding the two lines together in front of the cross member. I'll see if I can detach the lines from as much as possible.

 

Exhaust is off anyway for rack replacement so that's done but I don't want to touch the engine unless someone says "yeah it's easy if you lift the engine.

[wagonist]

Doesn't make it the easiest job, but it's going to make it a lot easier when you lift the engine.

Remove the stay rod between the engine & firewall & if it has the mechanical fan, remove the radiator shroud. Shouldn't need to disconnect anything else.

[idosubaru]

I'll have another chance Saturday to go at it. Lifting engine is simple enough. XT6 has one additional front motor mount than the EA engines, otherwise it's the sand and easy enough.

[idosubaru]

Odd there's no mention of this anywhere but in the event someone stumbles on this post:

 

Clean the threads of the hard metal lines and rack , and thread them into the rack before installing it. Get them engaging nice and smoothly off the vehicle. Either under the car or just remove them, which is easy, just undo the fittings on the passengers side. That made it much easier.

 

Install rack without bushings so there's some play for alignment.

 

The hard part is that there are three things that need some force applied in a very confined space and as soon as the nut grabs threads it just stops because it's not perfectly in alignment so it's hard to tell if it's lined up or gonna strip or just pop out.

 

1. The hard line itself to stay seated in the hole

2. The threaded fitting that needs turned. This can be combined with number 1 above but it's awkward and unreliable

3. The rack with one hand to get orientation right and vary angle til threads engage.

 

Install could go a few ways, this worked best for me:

I Installed the 14mm line closest to the engine first from the engine bay. It's the hardest to get to. I reached left hand between frame rail and engine (barely fit/didn't feel good) to push metal line. Used right hand to hold/guide rack by input shaft while spinning the fitting with two fingers.

 

17mm i did from underneath right hand on rack line in front of cossmember, left holds rack input shaft while turning fitting.

[wagonist]

Actually, something I'm curious about is where the PS lines are routed on the LHD vehicles.

I see they still go over to the right side of the car off the pump, but where do they go from there? Our RHD models just run down the right side of the engine & then simply down to the rack.

[idosubaru]

Steering column being on the opposite side, ours have to get across the engine. The XT6 has an electric pump bolted to the firewall so that's slightly different but from there it's all the same as EA82s. I've swapped xt6 pumps and lined into ea82s before. All the same.

 

They descend down the passengers side strut tower.

 

Straight down from there they have a bracket bolted to the top rear of the crossmember

 

They go forward on top of the crossmember parallel to the frame rail.

 

There they turn 90 degrees to go across from the passengers side to the drivers side where they tuck on top of the front lower lip of the crossmember.

 

On the drivers side They come up the front of the crossmember, wrap to the top of the crossmember And into the rack.