New to the group and need advice

[qld779]

Hi all I am new to this group and hope you guys can give me advice.
The story goes like this.
My daughter owns a TS 2002 Astra and had a gearbox failure.
Her boy friend decided to put in a new gearbox and dropped the engine and box out.
To his credit he put in a new rear engine oil seal and clutch.
However for some reason he stuffed the concentric slave requiring him to take it all out again and fit the old box concentric back.
I know this is a bit long winded but about this time he left the scene.

So now I have to try and piece together the meccano set left behind.
Not sure all the bolts are there but I will work through it as time goes on.

Here is the first question.
When he put the engine and box back in and bolted up, somehow he neglected to slip the steering column shaft onto the steering rack.
So is it possible to fit this back without dropping the engine/box out or pulling the steering column out.

Thanks in advance
Peter R

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[guy 27]

Welcome to oa. For steering column you can slide up the universe joint in the car up a bit to help line it up. Make sure wheel is centre and rack is centred otherwise you will damage clock spring.

[qld779]

Thanks for the reply,
Do I have to undo anything or is the universal joint floating and just need pushing up the column to fit over the rack spline.
Also should I move this thread to a more appropriate section of the forum.

Cheers
Peter R

[guy 27]

It just slides up and down the column.
Don't forget to put in the 13mm bolt in the clamp after. It only goes in one position.

[qld779]

It just slides up and down the column.
Don't forget to put in the 13mm bolt in the clamp after. It only goes in one position.

Thanks,
READ THE DOUBLE EDIT AT THE END

I assume the 13mm bolt is on the spline fitting at the rack?
As mentioned the car is partly dissembled and nuts and bolts everywhere and perhaps some lost. So thanks for the reminder and I will make sure.
The aim at the moment is to get it to a stage to flatbed truck it back to my place to finish the work. I need to find all the bolts etc to secure the hubs, sway bars and calipers onto the strut so I can put the wheels back on and make it movable. Once the steering wheel and road wheels are on it should be good to go.


The next issue is the connection to the slave at the gearbox. I have found most of the parts and short length of flexible line that I presume goes from the fitting to the master cylinder tail. I seem to remember he (the ex boyfriend) saying he could not get the fitting to click on? I had a look and it seems there may have been two rubber seals in the fitting. Hopefully this is why it didn't fit.

Also I hear you have to be careful bleeding the slave to ensure you don't over extend the concentric (perhaps this is what happened to the first one)

A lot of questions I know, no manual to help, but with the groups help I will get there.

Thanks again

EDIT
I am not near the car but from googling am I correct in thinking there is no spline on the rack and just a flat where a bolt locates and clamps the steering column to the rack, and I need to be sure I don't get it 180 out?
Do I just centralise the steering wheel then measure the tie rod boots uncompressed length to be equal. That should give the correct position of the bolt?
Or have I got it completely wrong!!

DOUBLE EDIT
I have gone to my daughters to have a look and now I'm totally confused. What I thought was the end of the steering column is not. The shaft I can see is a knurled shaft and a black fitting with a torx bolt is sitting beside it. I'm guessing it goes over the knurled shaft and the bolt nipped up.
The end of the black fitting has some sort of bush affair and certainly wont rotate. Is this some kind of dampener and can it easily be put on the shaft?

[sskustomz]

Whereabouts are you? I'm brisbane west if you'd like some help


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[qld779]

Thanks I am in the Aspley area.
I think I'm getting my head around it and the mystery part is the gear linkage selector from the gearstick.
I am technically savy just not use to Astra's and an Astra in a meccano set form and a box of sundry parts.
I should be OK (I think) just need to know the correct setup of the linkages to get the gear stick setup.
That's job one. Job two is to get the hubs, calipers and road wheels on to get it onto the flat bed to get it home then job 3 is to fit all the clutch lines and try to bleed it without stuffing the concentric
Looks like I need to buy some torx sockets etc, what selection should I buy?


Cheers
Peter R

Whereabouts are you? I'm brisbane west if you'd like some help


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[sskustomz]

I just have a set of torx keys that go from t10 to t50, seems to cover most of it.
With the gearshift if you put the stick in reverse position and then work out where reverse is on your gearbox you should be able to just tighten the clamp bolt and you're done, just check you can then select all gears. I'd just get the wheels pointing straight ahead, (string line down the side of the car from back wheels works then get your wheel straight and put clamp bolt in.
Hope this makes sense!
Steffi


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[qld779]

Can someone tell me the torque values for the various component around the front struts, hubs, axle nuts, ball joints, calipers etc
Thanks in advance
Peter R

[Raisin]

Can someone tell me the torque values for the various component around the front struts, hubs, axle nuts, ball joints, calipers etc
Thanks in advance
Peter R

Send me a PM and I'll try get you some details at home, I don't know them off the top of my head.