Leaking rack and pinion assemblies are real common. No professional is going to waste your money trying to repair one. It requires special tools, and parts that are usually not available except to the professional rebuilder shops. If you did find a mechanic willing to repair a rack, and he could get the parts, you'd pay about three times as much due to the time and labor cost involved. I've been a steering and suspension specialist for over 25 years, and I've never rebuilt a single rack assembly. Leave it to the professional rebuilders and you'll get a warranty with it.
As for the "mechanic-in-can" additives, if it's made specifically for power steering systems, I suppose there's no harm in trying it. If it really works, everyone would be using or recommending it, and mechanics would be out of work. What you're referring to is a seal conditioner. Rubber seals often get hard and brittle from heat and age. If one cracks or chips, softening the rubber isn't going to make it seal. The seals don't have to flex, so if one is leaking, it's usually not the fault of the seal. It's the rack that slides back and forth through the seals that moves away from them due to worn bushings that causes the leak.
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Sunday, July 13th, 2014 AT 10:28 PM
