Rack & Pinion DOA

[N40GL]

:tantrum:

My rack and pinion has failed (well, leaking, but that's the same thing). I probably have Baltimore to blame, which Philadelphia can share (I think there was a family of five living in one pothole), but it got me to wondering whether anyone else has experienced this. Or am I just another 'groundbreaker.'

:coffee:

[DOOM]

Dam that sucks! Thats why i do my best to keep my car off of D.C. streets. How bad is it? Is it an expensive repair?

[Cheeseheadbob]

Just be happy your beautiful MM did not contract a STD while travelling through Baltimore.... I don't know how antibiotics would mix with the various cooling fluids...:D
:tantrum:

My rack and pinion has failed (well, leaking, but that's the same thing). I probably have Baltimore to blame, which Philadelphia can share (I think there was a family of five living in one pothole), but it got me to wondering whether anyone else has experienced this. Or am I just another 'groundbreaker.'

:coffee:

[RoyLPita]

I've seen replacements happen in OASIS reports. Just so you know, the MM rack is different in part numbers then the GM, CV and TC.

[N40GL]

How bad is it? Is it an expensive repair?

Five bucks for the Rack & Pinion (latest updated part as advised by Ford, whatever that means). Three bucks to put it in and flush the whole system, plus an alignment. As long as the whole thing was apart, I noticed some cupping on the front Goodyear F1's, so four Monroe Severe Service (#5530001) shocks/struts are going in as well. I'm at 60K, and that seems to be the fail point, so I'm right on target. State inspection sticker completes the job.

I'd had little spots of oil on the garage floor and I thought it was a mis-assembled timing chain cover (the idler pulley seized up suddenly a few months ago, wrapped the serpentine belt around itself and then yanked itself off the timing chain cover at the mounting point - big gaping hole) from when that was replaced. Nope - the rack and pinion was the culprit.

If nothing else, I'm inventing new ways of repairing the car!

[ts-pa]

I've seen replacements happen in OASIS reports. Just so you know, the MM rack is different in part numbers then the GM, CV and TC.

What is the part number for the MM rack & pinion?