Bloody steering rack

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:33 pm

So i've been waiting 3 months for a pinion shaft seal from a bearing shop. The seal is 20mm ID, 30mm OD, 5mm wide. The common width for that ID and OD is 7mm..
So I thought i'd try Suttons, but it's a whole rack rebuild kit and they don't have them anymore anyways. Barry Smith Holden/Isuzu can probably get one from Japan but that'll cost shitloads and surely whoever supplied Isuzu with racks also supplied other Jap manufacturers and used the same seals!

Maybe i'll have to goto the wreckers and rip apart some steering racks to see if any are the same.. That could take a while..

Post by **wedgenut** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 7:10 pm

Panic not Bugle. Sure the 20x30x7 would be a problem whan you need 5mm width but there is another way. I have a guy i know groping around in the dark looking for a NAK seal but in the meantime what about fitting a 20x30x4. I can get those easily enough over here. They are what is called a wiper seal, in other words they don't have a tension spring around the lip. Not sure how it would go, they don't usually stand up to high pressures but I don't know what kind of pressure the pinion seal is subjected to. It could be worth rying to track down a chicago rawhide metal case seal as the seal lip is well back from the leading edge and five minutes with a smooth file will bring the outer case back to 5mm. I have done this several times in other applications with good success.

There is a crowd here in NZ that recon racks so they be worth an email to see if they can supply a seal, they offer recon Piazza racks for about $400.00 so they must do it somehow. Give em a try. Go here for a look <www.psh.co.nz/retail.htm>

Best of luck and if you want to try a wiper seal let me know and I'll grab one for you, I think they are about $10 each

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 1:26 pm

Yeah the bearing shop here is trying to find a NAK seal he reckons they probably don't make that size anymore so they have to wait for someone to find some old stock somewhere.

The pressure they have to take is probably reasonably high not sure. Probably best to use a seal with a spring.

I bet it's the same as other power steering racks particularly RB Gemini ones so maybe if Holden have a rebuild kit for those I could use that. Holden aren't too good with their parts cross referencing between models. I'm gonna have to investigate that one at the wreckers

Another thing I was thinking of was machining out the lip that's holding the seal in so I could fit a wider one. It would probably be ok without it there. This is a drawing of what the thing looks like

Post by **wedgenut** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 4:27 pm

Looking at the drawing I would try a wiper seal. They are designed for hydraulic applications and cheap enough to get (apart from the time and trouble if it doesn't work of course) I would have been concerned if it had been a plain bore in case it pushed the wiper out but with the retaining lip that is no problem. If you did machine out the lip for a wider seal you may want to stake the rim after fitting the seal and use some sealant on the outer as you fit it to be sure it doesn't move. Did you try the recon mob website I gave you to see if they can supply seals or a kit even?

I'm going to see my bearing guy tomorrow anyway so i will grab a wiper and see what it looks like and maybe take a photo. I'll also see if they are pressure rated or anything.

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:54 pm

Yeah I don't wanna have to remove it again so not sure.. Want to install the crossmember with the rack attached as it's so much easier that way. Wouldn't be fun to have to remove it again. I'll check the wreckers first to see if other racks are the same if so should be easy enough to get a seal kit from whoever made the car.

I don't think the seal would move without the lip there, most seals in the car don't have anything holding them in. If it really does need that then it must be pretty high pressure

Rodeobob · Post by **Rodeobob** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:12 am

Have you thought of trying to chase a kit up in the US for an impulse. I doubt that there would be much difference in the important bits. You might be able to find someone in the know on the net.

Well you coudl try that if the NZ lead fails.

Cheers. Bob.

Post by **wedgenut** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:41 pm

I checked out the 20 x 30 x 4 wiper seal today and to be honest if it was me I would be quite confident about using it. It is a metal case seal and the elastomer is quite firm and the lip shape indicates that internal pressure would serve to make the seal contact harder on the pinion shaft. providing the shaft surface has no corrosion pitting or seal grooving it SHOULD be okay. It is the same type of wiper seal used in Jaguar steering boxes and while they leak like a dribbling drunk from the pipe unions they don't often leak from the pinion.

Cost is $8.50 NZ and stuck in a normal airmail envelope it would still be less than AUS$10 in yur mailbox, but you can probably buy them over there anyway. I took a picture but my camera batteries are stuffed so i can't post it tonight. If you want a photo let me know and I will splash out for some new volts and stick it on tomorrow.

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 1:01 am

pics would be good thanks! Sounds like the same as a normal seal but without the spring? The surface is in perfect condition as you'd expect as it doesn't do much work in comparison to something like an engine crank seal!

Now i'm not sure if I should just replace that seal or do every seal in the rack.. There's a seal between that outer seal and where the actual high pressure fluid is getting pumped through so maybe that seal is stuffed as well. But it's a strange type of seal. Just a solid ring. I'll take a picture of the assembly.

US impulse kit would probably do the job wonder if any isuzu dealers over there would send stuff to Australia!

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 1:15 am

Oh yeah shit farken one of the boots is ripped too

Post by **wedgenut** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:14 am

This picture is lousy but they are a tricky thing to get a decent picture of, the boot should be no hassle, most places like supercheap etc. sell universal rack boots. Unless of course you are referring to one on your foot in which case you need a shoe shop

Impulsive Yank · Post by **Impulsive Yank** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:42 am

i took a look at my sources and found something listed under "Steering Worm Shaft Seal" made by BCA Bearings #222220.
no dimensions and a confusing picture I guess is a cross section view of the seal:

it costs $4.36 US & that part also crosses to honda cars up to 1987.

Post by **wedgenut** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:51 pm

Yep, that is a typical cross section of a rubber cased seal with spring tensioned lip and primary dust wiper. If you can get those with a 5mm width that would be best and don't lose the info on the source for the rest of us when ours start weeping

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 9:43 pm

Yeah if you can find the dimensions anywhere that'd be sweet.. I couldn't find anything using google.. Or else i'm gonna have to go butcher some Hondus

Post by **wedgenut** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:44 pm

The numbers don't make much sense to me but I have found something on the net that might help if you can track it further. The following part number is a 20x30x5 oil seal and I think it may be a honda stationary engine application. Worth checking out with your local Honda generator shop as they may recognise the number.

OIL SEAL 20X30X5. 38212000 www.mtadistributors.com/ is the link I found

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:27 pm

Found this online shop with them from a Yamaha outboard motor should be easy enough to find an outboard motor part locally I think the bearing shop I tried just only deals with 1 brand which doesn't happen to make that size..
http://www.buitenboord.com/product_info ... cts_id/417