As an alternative method of putting gear oil in the steering rack, I
usually remove the two bolts and top cover over the rack damper pad,
then carefully remove the shim(s), the piece that holds the damper
pad and spring, and the pad and spring, then slowly drizzle in the
oil with one of those pointy-spout Castrol 1 qt. bottles. Don't turn
the steering wheel if you can help it, and carefully replace all the
bits when you're done. This also gives you a chance to check the
wear in the (copper, bronze?) damper pad, and renew if necessary.
I don't think you can really fill the rack boots completely, at least
not with the boot clamps or tyraps that come with the boots. Not
that you want to, since the first time you compress the boot quickly,
it would blow out or act as a primitive steering damper.
I don't know how far you can deviate in weight in selecting shock
oil, but I remember reading a piece in Moss Motoring mag. about the
big mistakes one writer had made in his youth with British cars. One
was stiffening the suspension by using very heavy oil and blowing out
the shock absorber. Right up there with Peter Egan's teenage story
about taking all the chrome bumpers and trim off his junkyard-find
straight-eight Buick to make a racing car, without changing the
spring rate or ride height.
Chris Attias
'64 MGB
'84 Alfa Romeo GTV-6
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