car is a 2003 touring 6speed Z
has 108k miles on it
i have no problems with the car whatsoever but i noticed the steering rack has a leak while i was installing tein tie rods and energy suspension compression arm bushings and controll arm bushings

here is a pic


it doesnt leak on the ground and you could barely tell that it had even leaked on the plastic undertray below it, also i havent had to add any PS fluid, its just leaking enough to make the big nut damp

has anyone else ran into this problem?
any input is welcomed
thanks

 

That nut is used to adjust the pressure between the rack and the pinion. It's installed with a thread locking adhesive that also seals the threads. You cannot just tighten it to make the leak stop.

As long as the steering feels OK and the fluid loss is very minor, I'd just leave it alone. The procedure for setting the contact pressure is pretty involved, and it's just not worth the trouble for a minor leak.

 

i know what its for and how it works... ive adjusted this on a few cars ive had in the past. Since this car doesnt need to be adjusted currently i can mark it with a sharpie since ive already cleaned it as soon as i took the pic and just put in back to the exact same spot and take a punch and punch the edges of the nut again when i reinstall it..

My question here is has anyone else run into this problem? is this common?

I love my Z but out of the 55 cars ive owned this one has the most factory problems and recalls
tread feathering
fuel tank hard to fill
defective fuel lines
compression arm bushings
front lower inner control arm bushings
03-05 6speed trans problems
03-05 clutch problems
07 slave cylinders
clutch release fork pivot ***** snapping off
brake squealing and rattling
axles clicking
front upper a arms not torqued enough
VDC issues
NAV issues
Airbag issues
Window motor issues
headlight fogging
impossible fuel door alignment
dome light recall
fuel door not opening recall
will not crank below 10 degrees recall
the list goes on and on...

im tryin to find out if my leaking rack fits in with the rest of commin issues with the 350z

 

Mine is leaking in the same place and it is fairly significant I top it up every few weeks actually....

My car has 13500 miles on it.

The car is 8 years old expect problems. It is not like this thing was made to last...

 

I'm ordering an aftermarket LSD, in the next week or two, when i have it on my lift changing it out and doing diff bushings I'll probably mark it and remove it and put it back in with some Hondabond

I'll let you know how it goes, it should be an easy fix as long as you mark the bolt head before removing it and put it back in the exact same spot.

Still wondering if there are more people that have run into this, if they have tried to fix it, and what was the outcome

 

I think I've seen two threads on the subject in the past two years.

 

Let me know.. My leak is fairly significant it leaves about the size of a dvd when it sits for awhile.


THANKS

 

Did you end up doing this?
The FSM says that it needs to be loosened to take the rack apart and service all the seals,etc. but to not loosen it more than two turns out or take it out. If you back it out too far or take it out you have to replace the rack.
And when you put everything back together you put Threebond on the threads ( i guess the one or two threads that are exposed by backing it out slightly) then turn it back in to the measured height. They show measuring how far the back surface of the head sticks out from the case, not angle/number of turns. I would think either method is just about as accurate.
I'm thinking about monitoring mine once a week and if I get the same amount each week find a sealant that will cure in that application on the outside. Usually contacting Loctite with strange problems gets a recommendation on what to try. It depends on if Threebond is an aneorobic sealant or more like an RTV or pipe dope. Have to look that one up. I'm guessing Threebond is not the thing to use around the outside surface. It may be a shadetree idea but I'm all for preserving my rack if I can to save it if it could be that simple. Just a first idea...

 

So here is an update...

All I did was clean it with brake parts cleaner and apply a light coat of hondabond around the threads... I did NOT remove or loosen or adjust anything...

Here is a pic i took of it last night. No more leaking at all



before is was dripping on the plastic piece below it and making a mess under there... everything is dry now and has been for over a year

 

Thanks! That's a great update.
I took a similar approach a few weeks ago. I cleaned it very good with a Q-tip but didn't use any solvent since I didn't want to break up/weaken any more of the original Threebond from the factory. It was bone dry by sight. Then I applied a generous amount of Shoe Goo based on other experiences I've had with it in other situations and it was the best thing I had on hand.
Shoe Goo sticks alot better than RTV or a few other adhesives I had on hand plus it is the easiest to remove and start over for some reason. Hoping for the same results you got If not I'll get some Hondabond or try the Toyata packing sealant I bought to put the valve cover back on my wife's Toyota

 

I was reading over these threads because i have a leak also. Looking at the picture, mine is leaking in the same place. Fluid covering the bolts in the picture, but I'm a light unclear about the fix. Although it would be great not to have to replace the rack. So i clean everything up with parts cleaner and put the hondabond around both bolt heads? and if that doesn't fix it's a replace job?

 

I THINK (read not sure) without looking that Hondabond is more for sealing something that mates together and MAY need to be covered to cure properly. Just use ShoeGoo instead. Get anywhere like WalMart, Target, etc in the shoe department. That has been working for me since I posted above. Clean it up good and put SHoeGoo on it when it's dry.

 

thanks ill give it a try.