At 10:04 AM 8/18/98 +0000, you wrote: >My '87 Westy (84k miles) is dumping power steering out fluid out >of the rack seals into the boots at each end. The Bentley manual >says to replace the power steering assembly when this happens.The >local honest VW shop has quoted me $550 for the unit (not including >labor). > >My questions are: > >Is this a typical problem, kinda like the head gasket ordeal? > >Does anybody know of a cheaper alternative to replacing the whole >unit. Can it be rebuilt, are they readily available? > I had the same problem ( though I never pumped out all of the fluid ). After checking on rebuilt racks, I decided to remove the belt driving the pump. To my surprise, I found NO difference in steering effort at freeway speeds; parking lots, U turns, etc are harder. I just consider it a bit of a workout! I also found that my gas mileage went up by at least 3 mpg. I would give it a try before investing in a new rack. Regards, Chris 87 Wolfie |
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