(SOLVED!!) Stripped out steering rack bolt hole! Need help ASAP!!

[JunkCrzr89]

This thread is a roller coaster.

And I like it.

 

[Chibu]

Okay guys, update time. Cheers...and no cheers. Good news is that I tapped the hole (flawlessly if I do say so myself) and the bolt went in and tightened the hose and gasket down without issue. I stuck my finger in (before tightening the bolt of course) and noticed, though, that there were a lot of the "metal flakies" as stated by @nukegoat from the re-threading inside the hole. Now the horrid news....we (my dad and I) started the car. The pump was whirring as usual, but louder and for longer. After a few minutes I tried turning the steering wheel (it's completely straight and still is) but when I go to turn it, it's a bit stiff, like something/someone is holding the column then suddenly releases it and you can turn the wheel, but I barely turned it because the pump was screaming murder. What's really horrid is that after some few more seconds (now about 3 minutes from engine start-up), smoke started rising up from steering column area. Power steering fluid was overflowing out of the plastic power steering container and also seeping very slowly from that hole that I tapped. I turned off the engine, waited about 10 minutes and started it again. Same thing, except no overflowing from plastic PS container. I know I've ****ed up, I know you told me so, don't roast me (too hard). Is there any way I can clean up that hole while it's in there? Could I drain all the PS fluid, then spray some degreaser into that hole and try to vacuum all the particles out? Would it be safe to put water into that hole? Thanks for being there guys!

P.S. I genuinely forgot I could get a tiny piece of cloth, or wipes and clog the hole while tapping. I am an idiot

 

[nukegoat]

I told you so.

Now that that's out of the way, every part of your PS system that has little passages (in particular the spool valves in the pump and in the rack) could be clogged. I am guessing the rack is completely blocked based on your story. Since the pump basically was dead heading against a blockage, it had to bypass. The bypass is designed to operate for a few seconds, not three minutes. So now the pump is screwed because it overheated/fried

My $0.02 - replace the pump, the rack, and probably the reservoir. You're wasting your time otherwise

 

[Chibu]

Kill me already pls . But is it safe to try to clean out that hole (the previously stripped one) with water/degreaser? And maybe a rag to dab it out?

 

[nukegoat]

Kill me already pls . But is it safe to try to clean out that hole (the previously stripped one) with water/degreaser? And maybe a rag to dab it out?

It's not going to explode if that's what you're asking. 'safe' ? It's already bungled

 

[Chibu]

*sighs heavily*

"it would be fun!" they said

 

[2001LC]

What a mess. Sometime longest route (removing rack) is shortest. Nuke warned you!
Now, Bit the bullet and replace the rack. Blow out all the lines (HP & LP along w/suction and return (03-). You "MAY" or may not have damaged the vane pump. Reservoir has a screen. You can clean the reservoir. Also pull the vane pump apart and clean it (you can get a reseal kit for Toyota). If you find any metal in the vane pump, you may be better off replacing the whole pump.

 

[Chibu]

Is there any way to react to messages with a weeping emoji at this point?
Once more if I had just clogged that hole with a little wet wipe, this would have been avoided. Now I have to go there and hope for the best (yet again). I highly doubt we have the money to get new parts for any car right now, if cleaning that hole out does not work, I will deem the parts as "utterly ****ed" and will bite the bullet and buy new ones (maybe).

 

[2020 Rocks]

You are paying the price for ignoring superb advice….this forum is active and honest as they come, if any of the advice that had been provided to you had been wrong others would have spoken up, when multiple people advise remove rack then you should remove the rack. Sucks to know this now with 20/20 hindsight, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

 

[2001LC]

Cleaning HP line rack hole at this point, is useless. Metal has entered the rack & pinion. You can try rebuilding the rack, but parts are pricey and take some tools not in DIY bag.

You must get every particle of metal out of entire system. Do not even start with drive belt on, if you hope to save any part of system.

Any parts rigs in your area!

 

[Chibu]

This is bad. This is really, really bad. So, to rectify this, I have to change the steering pump, rack, and column?

 

[xplore]

This is bad. This is really, really bad. So, to rectify this, I have to change the steering pump, rack, and column?

It sounds like you're in panic mode and not thinking clearly right now. Calm down and take a breath.

No need to replace the steering column. The hydraulic system is what is contaminated. As others have mentioned, replace the rack, flush the lines (before connecting to the new rack), clean the reservoir out, and replace the ps pump.

For others, I would recommend tearing down the pump to inspect for damage before possibly rebuilding it, but after everything you've been through on this job, just buy a new one and call it done.

 

[Chibu]

Welp, we'll see what we can do. Just so we're clear: The long rod with a plastic boot on it that goes from the steering wheel to the rack does not need to be replaced?

 

[xplore]

Welp, we'll see what we can do. Just so we're clear: The long rod with a plastic boot on it that goes from the steering wheel to the rack does not need to be replaced?

Just so we're clear: No.

You now have metal flakes circulating in the fluid of your power steering system. The part you are referencing is not a part of that hydraulic system at all. If it's a steering component with fluid flowing through it, it needs to be addressed.

 

[Chibu]

Oh ok. Like I said, i'm an idiot. Thanks for clearing that up. That's the part that smoke was coming from.

I have literally gone from the frying pan, directly into the blazing fire.

 

[xplore]

Oh ok. Like I said, i'm an idiot. Thanks for clearing that up. That's the part that smoke was coming from.

I have literally gone from the frying pan, directly into the blazing fire.

I would definitely find out where that smoke is coming from, but I thought you said it was coming from that "area". That doesn't mean it's coming from that specific part. This is purely conjecture, but I would suspect that the fluid was burning off the exhaust manifold or something like that. Perhaps with the system blockage, and possibly with messed-up threads on that bolt hole, it could have even sprung a leak which is spraying fluid. Do you have any leaks at all after testing it? Did you look at that area closely while you actually had the engine running?

 

[Njck22]

I'm a little more optimistic. Drain all your PS fluid, disconnect the high pressure line and get every spec of metal out of the metal screen as you can. (I'm not familiar with the steering rack, but I'm assuming there's a metal screen right where the high pressure line banjo connects.).

Also, why do you keep calling yourself an idiot over and over, instead of performing corrective behaviors? It's childish to see. Here's some advice, don't blame others for you mistakes, if you start making mistakes, slow your roll and start listening carefully to what others are saying, or don't bother posting here at all. It's just wasteful to see perfectly good parts ruined by incompetence.
Can you count how many times people told you to pull the rack?

Imho if you haven’t already, pull the rack back out. You can fix it no problem, you just need room and light to get everything lined up.

Tapping it in place sucks because you can't ensure you remove all the metal flakies and you don't want them in the spool valve.

Remove the rack.

Just pull it out as already mentioned

and your response. Are you twelve years old? Because that would explain most of this thread.

Dun dun dunnnnn, yeah I thought about that but idk, I think maybe we'll wing that.

 

[bhsdriller]

close, 13

 

[bucfl]

Bite the bullet and take it to a mechanic. My $.02

Good luck!

 

[Chibu]

I would definitely find out where that smoke is coming from, but I thought you said it was coming from that "area". That doesn't mean it's coming from that specific part. This is purely conjecture, but I would suspect that the fluid was burning off the exhaust manifold or something like that. Perhaps with the system blockage, and possibly with messed-up threads on that bolt hole, it could have even sprung a leak which is spraying fluid. Do you have any leaks at all after testing it? Did you look at that area closely while you actually had the engine running?

Yeah, I had a leak from under that same hole that I tapped. Didn't look behind it to see if it was spraying fluid though. But it's relieving to know the steering column wasn't on fire.

I'm a little more optimistic. Drain all your PS fluid, disconnect the high pressure line and get every spec of metal out of the metal screen as you can. (I'm not familiar with the steering rack, but I'm assuming there's a metal screen right where the high pressure line banjo connects.).

Also, why do you keep calling yourself an idiot over and over, instead of performing corrective behaviors? It's childish to see. Here's some advice, don't blame others for you mistakes, if you start making mistakes, slow your roll and start listening carefully to what others are saying, or don't bother posting here at all. It's just wasteful to see perfectly good parts ruined by incompetence.
Can you count how many times people told you to pull the rack?






and your response. Are you twelve years old? Because that would explain most of this thread.

Yeah after draining quite some of the PS fluid out, I saw all the metal bits and gunk in the old fluid. I'll do a complete flush, clean out that hole with degreaser and maybe blasts of brake cleaner, and see what happens. We're taking out the pressure line to (hopefully) get air blasted and the rubber part changed out (mostly unrelated to this issue). And also ouch, but I guess I deserve that tough love at this point, sorry for trying to throw some comedy into my major tragedy. It's not that i'm stubborn, i'm just looking for the "easy-way-out" for now because of the lack of time/tools to pull the rack. I enjoy working on cars, I spend my (barely) free time (between grade 11&12 work, extra-curriculars, college apps, SAT studying, etc.) to be here, posting, learning, cursing; why would I shortcut out knowing this would likely happen if care wasn't taken (which it wasn't [my bad])? Wait, when did I blame anyone for my mistakes?! (i'm joking)

close, 13

you're warmer, but ehhh

Bite the bullet and take it to a mechanic. My $.02

Good luck!

I'm saving this bullet for myself lol. A mechanic really is not an option in my country. Either we buy the tools and wait for the time, or we park this car till infinity (damn those big hydraulic floor jacks are enticing right about now). The only difference between the dealer and "indy" (aka roadside) mechanics is the exorbitant amount the dealer charges for the same trash work. Some posts ago I told my tale about the guy that came to tap the hole; now generalize that level of brains across the entire profession in my country.