Rack and pinion leaking and pump

1999 NISSAN MAXIMA
170,000 MILES • 3.0L • 6 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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RAUL_MECHANIC
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  • 1 POST
Would like to know how to replaced seals on rack and pinion. also, how to remove rack to reseal?
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:11 AM
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CARADIODOC
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 34,321 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
That type of repair is never done in the field by mechanics. You will have a very hard time even finding the parts, and if you do, special tools are needed that you may not find a source for. None of us have ever done the repair this way, so we cannot offer any advice or warnings. You will not find this in any service manual either. If you could overcome all these obstacles, once you are done, you will have to warranty your work, and if you did not find and correct the cause of the original seal leaking, you will have to do the job over again for free. Twenty years ago a professionally-rebuilt rack with a warranty could cost over $400.00. Today they are less than half that, and someone else has to cover the warranty if something was done wrong. Just replace it.
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:41 PM
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STRAILER
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 54,832 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
The only seal you can replace without rebuilding the rack is the pinion seal. Here is instructions on how to get the rack out.

Here is a guide to get the tie rod end off:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/tie-rod-end-replacement

Diagrams (Below).

Let us know what happens and please upload pictures or videos of the problem.

Cheers, Ken
Oct 20, 2017 at 2:44 PM
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