I'm rebuilding my power steering rack on my 84, and the manual says to use "Valiant Grease M2" (part number 003608001) for the rack and pinion gears. The dealer wants $90 for about 1 pound of this stuff! So what's the generic equivelent?

 

GD

crisco:lol: sorry gd just had to do that.

ask delo, they should know

 

http://www.chevrontexacodelo.com/en/products/grease/default.asp

 

you may want to try john deere corn head grease

valiant, baaaah!

 

parts store, ask for VW cv grease....

grey graphite grease, six bux

i use it for nearly everything

I don't think CV grease is the answer here - CV grease is a high pressure moly-based lube. It flows too well for this application. The original grease is about the consistency of vasaline, and is a yellow-white color. I'm assuming this is some sort of lithium based lubricant. CV grease would flow out of the small pin and ball bearings and into the tie rod boot as there is no seal between the grease chamber and the tie rod boot. The grease needs to stay pretty thick when it heats up so it will stay on the rack and pinion gears.

 

Looking around online I found reference to this grease being used in the STi's rack as well - same part number even (and I got that part number from a vintage 84 FSM!). So it's still being used to this day and it must be something very special indeed to command the price that it does, and have retained the same part number all these years without being superceded.

 

If I don't get an answer soon I'm just going to use GP Lithium grease I guess. I don't know what else to do as I cannot afford $90 for a 1 lb can of grease.....

 

GD

I did a search on rack and pinion grease and found, most people doing rebuilds on cars that you can't buy a new rack for like a XK120 Jag and such, use a high quality waterproof synthetic grease. aka, Wheel bearing grease.