Best advice I can give is remove the oil filter and power steering pump for easy access to the high pressure line at the rack. Stubby wrenches will also be useful.
I got the power steering pump off but I cant disconnect the hose from either the pump or the rack ! I started to strip the nut on the pump so I called it quits foe today .
Does the thread go backwards on the hose or do I need a special wrench ?
What size wrench ?
I borrowed a flare nut wrench and that helped with the pump side now I only need to remove the rack side and this bithc is not moving I'm afraid of ruining the rack side fitting .
Did you use a flare-nut wrench? It's leaking, so the nut is soaked, and a normal wrench won't hold strong and may slip, Possibly that's why it started to strip.
I cant use the flare nut wrench because it wont go over the nut since its attached to the other rack end .
sorry I can't comment on what size, but I need to do the same because mine is leaking too.
Did you use a flare-nut wrench? It's leaking, so the nut is soaked, and a normal wrench won't hold strong and may slip, Possibly that's why it started to strip.
sorry I can't comment on what size, but I need to do the same because mine is leaking too.
I don't know for sure if there is room for this but...
if there is, cut the metal line above the nut. You can now slide a 6 point socket or wrench over it that won't slip.
You need to remove the powers steering pump& hose's , the bracket ,oils filter undo the lower water hose unbolt the rack move it around till you see the nut .
Then you need to get a wrench on the rack side of the hose nut then wrench the nut on the power steering pump side and undo .
This is a pain in the ass job I now have a new leak from the rack side !!
I called it quits for now and I might start saving for a newer car since I have this new leak now .
Is 33 to young to start hating working on cars ?
I agree, when i did mine, all i could do for the day was curse the damn engineers that designed this setup. It's gotta be the worse damn power steering hose i've ever replaced.
I have to re -do the whole job now but I'm going to take my time maybe work on it over a few weekends .
Looks like the rack might have to come down but not sure yet , I'm hoping its just an o ring that needs to be replaced .
Awww man, that sucks. Last time I did a rack install in a 93 cougar I wound up bending the tubes that come out of the rack and meet the hoses The tubes no longer were sealing inside the nuts. I had to replace the nuts and push in a new tube (relatively cheap parts from ford). That's what I get for thinking I found an easy way to change it and not just doing it the sucky way like i do on my 94. On 3.8, you can just reach down by the power dist box to unhook the lines from the tubes, but on 4.6 i just do it all from the bottom and dont remove anything.
-Rob
Yes , that's what happened to me too lol , it was much easier this time around though . I left the pump on and just moved the rack till I got a good view after undoing the steering column .
Not too bad though , I guess after the first time you learn .
Thanks
Ohh I got away without replacing the o rings , the two bigest Ford dealers didnt have them in stock .
This sucks!!!!!!! I wanna be taking my car in for paint in about two weeks too! been working diligently on this too. Any idea how much time you had into the repair?
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