Here's a strange problem for you to solve!

[VineyardStang]

Just got done reassembling my son's GT after a motor rebuild and engine bay recondition. Everything ran excellent but after backing out of the garage we heard a loud crack!. Power steering fluid was everywhere! The steering rack housing from the return fitting to about 8" along the shaft SPLIT!!! Cracked wide open. Has this problem ever happened to anyone?? It's eerie that it coincided with the motor rebuild. Nothing had banged the rack and there wasn't any visable reason as to why it happened. I'm getting a little tired of constantly fixing things. Anybody??

 

[NKau]

That's just plain wierd. Never heard of that happening before; probably better that it happened there than on the road.

 

[noslow5_0]

"I'm getting a little tired of constantly fixing things."- thats exactly how i feel.... Im actually about to swap the rack out on mine next week.... thats crazy how it just cracked though... once again better that it happened in the driveway and not on the road.....

 

[VineyardStang]

I did discover a kink in the return line that my son said had always been there but maybe during the refilling process some gunk dislodged and blocked it off. That would take alot of pressure I would think to split the rack like that. I guess it's back under that frickin car again.

 

[shallchr]

Welcome to the wonderful world of the FOX Mustang. There is no end to the things that can break and will. Sounds odd unless the line was in a bind or was damaged during the overhaul while it was off the motor. I have seen them set on the K member and get the line kinked or pinched when someone knocks them off onto the floor. Never heard of one blowing unless the line was totally pinched with a slight crack in it.

 

[SLiM JiM 156]

maybe something got pinched when you were dropping the motor in and when it popped it blew it out so its looks like a mystery ... maybe some gunk got lodged in there and while it was sitting it hardened up so when you started it up it blocked the passage.. who knows but it is quite odd

 

[TheGTkid]

Ok guys heres the pics! yeah it was my car but thanx to my father we got a new new/used rack and installed it last night!
but heres the pics...

 

[TheGTkid]

oopps

 

[SLiM JiM 156]

oops is right, my only logic of why that happened would be because its old.. Was it a stock rebuild or did she get some new goodies??

 

[Michael Yount]

Perhaps that fitting was overtightened which started a crack, and when it got hit with pressure - voila. Or, it wouldn't take much of a bump during installation of the block to have the crack started, and then fire up pressure finished the job. Just guessing - but I doubt it just fatitqued/cracked without something helping it along the way.

 

[axeman]

i was just thinking the same thing about the bolts being torqued down too hard. seems that it's too much of a coincidence that it's centered in the bolt hole and broke right after work was done to the car. maybe tightening it down weekened it and started the crack, and the rest is history. good to hear you got her up and running agian.

 

[TheGTkid]

the rack was never touched stock original as far as i know. It worked great last year all summer long without a problem. The engine went in without a problem. im not sure what its deal was but we put another rack in and than my pump was dead and wasn't working for crap so i swaped another in and it was better but still a little wierd so we took it for a test drive and it drove good but the pump died on my on the way home!!!!! so i parked it and come to the computer and then went to pull it into the garage and i had power steering again! WHAT THE HECK IS GOIN ON! so i thought mabey air had made its way to the pump so i pulled it in the shop and sat with it idleing and after about 5 minutes the pump died again!! eeerrrr so now im gonna swap another pump in and see if it helps if not then im stumped big time! might try and change the lines as well! thanx all!