Installing Steering Valve Assembly

[CBRRICH]

My 05 GT has about 170K miles and the steering rack started leaking fluid out the top of the valve assembly probably 10K ago. I could have kept putting fluid in it but decided to somehow fix it.

 

I did some research and found these options: New rack is ~$610, a Mavin rebuild was about $500 (the only rebuild anyone seemed to trust), Junkyard rack ~ $100, replace the valve assembly $115 (shipped), or rebuild the assembly ~$30.

 

Did not want to invest $600 in this car and could not find a used rack that did not have high mileage or was rusted to death (thanks Subaru for a steel bodied steering rack that has to live in the most rust pone part of the car). Maybe in Tuscon I would have lucked out but not here in the NE.

 

Decided I would just tackle the problem directly. Seals were cheap enough but then you needed some special tools. Maybe could do without but I figured the easiest was to get the valve assembly.

 

I have a 34110AG06A steering rack (P/L also says a G05 is possible) and Shaun at Subaru Parts Warehouse confirmed the valve assembly was a 34113AG05A (there is also listed a G04, probably goes with the G05 rack). I would validate the part numbers yourself just in case.

 

You then need some incidentals:

Dust cover 34136AG00A

Base O-ring 34192AG01A

O rings for the supply/return pipes 34192AG04A and G05A

 

Recommended Tools:

Flare nut wrenches

Crows feet

 

Process (with recommendations):

1. Jack up the car and put on stands, remove the front wheels, and split the tie rod ends but leave the nuts holding them up until you are ready to remove the rack

2. Remove the splash panel

3. Soak the supply/return connections, steering universal bolt and all the other bolts in penetrating oil and let it soak in (remember what I said about this being the rust prone part of the car) the biggest fight I had was getting the high pressure connection apart. It is really hard to get to and was frozen solid making every wrench flat a struggle.

4. Remove the bracket that covers the steering

5. Remove the bolt in the steering universal at the steering box input

6. Disconnect the supply and return lines (if you can get to them, I disconnected the return line to the "cooling fins" and removed the bracket that holds the lines and that gave me more flexibility to work the fittings once the rack was partially out, I hope you are luckier than me)

7. Remove the (6) bolts that hold the rack in and wiggle the steering universal free (you may have to spread the clamp slightly, I did)

8. Undo the castle nuts and work the rack to one side to clear the sway bar and then back the other way to remove. You could remove the Sway bar and it will drop straight down but that was extra work.

 

Now the Rack is on the table:

1. Match mark the adjusting bolt and remove the lock nut and bolt.

2. Remove the two bolts that secure the assembly and loosen the (4) hose lines at the valve and "spring" them enough to get the valve assembly out.

3. Despite researching the forums and the Internet, I could not find a definitive replacement for "Valiant Grease M2" so I opted for Valvoline Semi Synthetic Durablend Grease (I'll probably burn in "Subaru Hell" for not using "genuine grease") and greased up the locations on the Valve assembly noted in the manual. I also added some to each of the teeth in the rack and the backside as well.

4. Install the o-ring and dust cover, insert the assembly, pop the lines in place and torque the fittings using crows feet.

5. Go through the torque procedure on the adjusting nut (I sealed it with Honda bond, sorry again Subaru) but I found it pretty much brought me back to the match marks.

6. I tested the drag by scaling some photographs of the ST and came up with a 6.4" lever arm and a digital luggage scale that I checked for accuracy. I used a vise grip that was the right "lever arm" and the scale. It came in around 2# in the middle and the ends so I was satisfied.

7. Replace the two o-rings on the supply/return lines.

 

Back in the Car:

1. Snake the rack back into place and connect the the supply/return lines). Having the supply/return line loose made it easier connecting the lines.

2. Connect the tie rod ends and straighten the wheels as close as possible.

3. Line up the steering wheel (you may need to secure it or have someone help).

4. Connect up the steering universal and push the rack into place (mind the bellows, there are some bolts that stick out that can damage them)

5. Secure the rack with (6) bolts.

6. Fill the system. I was unsuccessful in getting the rack to fill any by just cycling it from side to side probably 50 times, not sure why. As a desperate move, I attached a vacuum hand pump to the return hose and that pulled fluid though the system! Maybe the brand new valve assembly was "stuck" and need some coaching to open the first time? Anyway I was able to get the system filled, flushed it with a quart of fluid before reattaching the return line, then started the engine and worked out any air like the videos say.

 

At this point you could finish the job but my experience was I could not get the steering wheel aligned on the first shot so I would save the bracket for once that has been accomplished.

 

Alignment:

1. Snug up the steering rack bolts and the universal bolt, tighten and cotter pin the tie rod ends, install the front wheels and get the front wheels back on the ground.

2. Drive the car forward and back until the wheels are straight and inspect the steering wheel position. There are 36 teeth on the valve assembly shaft which means each tooth is worth 10 degrees. Use a protractor (or something similar) to measure the angle and figure how many teeth you need to change it or just make a guess.

3. Jack up the car, be careful not to disturb the front wheels from "straight".

4. Match mark the valve assembly shaft to universal to help reclocking.

5. Remove the (6) bolts holding in the rack and remove the bolt from the universal.

4. Pull the rack down enough to free the universal, reclock it as many teeth as necessary, and secure the rack with one of the long bolts.

5. Check the steering wheel, it should be straight, if not go down and reclock it again.

6. Once happy with the results, Install and torque the (6) mounting bolts and torque the steering pinch bolt.

7. Install the bracket and the splash shield and you are done.

 

Hopefully I did not leave anything important out, if so just ask or add some comments to help.

 

Best of Luck!