Power Steering Rack needs replacing on 1.6 - any help appreciated!

it's not too bad of a job really

Should be about £75 for a genuine rack and pas pump from a breaker.

Pump only takes 30min to replace and is easy. Rack is a bit harder.

How do yo know its the rack also?

I paid between £20-£30 for a genuine used rack. It's not too bad a job, some 1.4 and 1.6 have a gear linkage that bolts to the rack but they can be removed or added from your old rack if you need them

Check it's definitely not one of the pipes, they can and do rust and do leak like water out a tap. Just done another 1.6 the other week with that problem.

The RAC guy had a look under the car and said it's the rack. The fluid had leaked out really quickly.

Yeh but check the pipes anyway as the leaks I've seen are where they join the rack and then of course it leaks down and appears underneath. Might be the rack but no harm in checking.

How do I check if its the rack or pipes? I have no idea what I'm doing so heed someone that knows or get it to a garage. But it obviously won't drive now..

How much do you think I'm looking at in total if it's a) the rack b) pipes?

I'm thinking of just buying a new car if its a bomb

Thanks

Don't buy anything untill you know where the leak is from.

If its the rack it will be leaking from the rack, probablly pissing out from where the track rod joins to the rack ... all fluid will be pissing from the cover here.

If its seeping from where the pipes join directly to the rack then it may need new crush washers (2 each connection) ... once crushed too much they will leak untill replaced.

I priced up a PAS pipe, one from the pump to rack and it was £200. There is also another pipe, the return from rack back to reservoir, not priced this but i expect its about £100+.

Second hand rack and fitting should be manageable for around £100.

It's not soo much of a bad job.

To lens perspective, I had my 4th steering rack fitted in my car this week. (mileage: 205K)