Ready for road test after all brake work and find the steering is very stiff when trying to turn right. Turning left is fine but going right wards feels like there is no power assistance. Is it simply air in the PAS system needing bleeding out or is it more serious.

Quickly lifted it on the jack and checked that everything turns fine both ways with the wheels off the ground. Sat front axle on stands and twirling back and forth with pump running in the hope of shifting any air. Feels slightly heavier going rightwards but hard to tell if thats meaningful. Opening bleed nipple on steering box gives an ooze of oil. Is this right or should it gush!

About the only cause I can think of its that I had the steering well to the right when removing the old drag link. Which was very stubborn and had to be hit to shift it. Not something I like doing but I wanted finish replacing all the steering swivels this year as everything was showing wear. Could be coincidence and steering about to go wrong I suppose.

Saturday shop by motorcycle now!

Clive

Only thing i can think might have an effect in one direction only is the steering damper. Should be easy to prove by disconnecting it and seeing if theres any improvement?

Brian

Steering damper would be just too easy! Its fine. With the wheels off the ground steering moves both ways easily albeit perhaps marginally heavier and less smoothly going right.

Try to drive it and there is clearly no power assistance when turning to right. Just possible to muscle it round near to right lock in the space available on my drive. Swings back left smooth and easy just as it should.

Far as I can see its got to be either trapped air or spool valve not opening.

Maybe a full drain and oil change would help.

Clive

If you find it’s the pump, drop me a message, I’m pretty sure I have both types taking up space

Chris

Great offer. Thanks.

Had another quick play this morning. Definitely no power assistance turning right. Turning left is as it should be so pretty much confirms steering box fault. So probably best to change it.

Choice seems to be used, recon, new pattern (um looks to be Britpart, so that will be a no then) or brand new at a price that which will make the credit card scream in agony.

Clive

If you go the used/recon route, try asking Emmotts of Colne. They're reasonably priced and can do next day.

Damn, I threw steering box away, got fed up tripping over it. Have a look on the bay, I’m sure there’s plenty of them

OldShep
Thanks for the steer. Nice to have recommendations for known reliable suppliers.

Chris
Know the feeling, I gotta thin things down a bit too. Shift some old bike stuff so there is room for Rangie stuff.

If I go used probably see what the local P38 breaker over Crawley has first. E-Bay can be minefield but always a few to be found.

Britcar have refurbished exchange units by EAC which claim to be OEM, presumably the folk who do the factory ones for Land Rover, at £285 + VAT once you have reclaimed the surcharge. Looks to be as good a deal as any from a reliable supplier. But refurbs can be found for half that on E-Bay.

Clive

Are bridges still in business, they’ve been going for ages, must be 20yrs since I’ve been down there,

Oh bum. Its Britpart or bust!

Chasing round this morning and P38 steering boxes seem to be very thin on the ground. All I can find ex stock are Britpart pattern or used "think it works OK" quality from breakers. LR Direct have best price for Britpart £456 including tax but no seals or arm lock-washer. Seals & lock washer are another £44.00 from Britcar who seem to be the only people listing them for fast supply. £500 for a steering box I'm not sure I can trust.

Guess mine goes off for recon as soon as I've got it changed.

Not the best of weekends.

Clive

At that price for something with the Britpart name on it, I'd be inclined to go for a secondhand one. If you can get one from a lowish mileage car you should be fine. Mines on the original and at 364k miles, it's only needed to be adjusted once in my ownership (and I doubt anyone did any maintenance on it between the police pensioning it off and me getting it from the state of everything else).

Desperation purchase I'm afraid. Can't be impossibly bad or none of the reliable suppliers would list them. Soon as its in mine is going off for rebuild then I'll swop back.

No luck in finding any used ones that were confirmed to be from a low mileage car. Seriously tempted to pull the top off and investigate mine once its off. Not exactly complex on the hydraulics end after all and the problem is almost certainly a jammed spool valve.

Hate being backed into doing the wrong thing but car has to be up'n running by Monday. Just another thing gone wrong over a crap week.

Clive

If you’ve bought a recon, I wouldn’t bother getting yours recon’d, as Richard said, they don’t often go wrong, I hope the recon comes with the arm attached, Marty had a job getting his one off..

This worth a look?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Range-Rover-P38-1994-to-2002-V8-Remaufactured-Steering-Box-Exchange/261405233543?fits=Model%3ARange+Rover%7CPlat_Gen%3AMK+II&hash=item3cdcf75187:g:7m4AAOSw54xUVJ~5:rk:1:pf:0#viTabs_0

RutlandRover
Spotted that one. Out of stock, have to send mine off to be fixed. Claim 2 or 3 working days after they get it.

Chris
Nope, bought new Britpart from LR Direct as fastest way of getting something that ought to be good enough. Hoping that I have what it needs to shift the arm.

So far not my month for good decisions so fingers crossed!

Clive

Ah, that sucks.

At least your bad decision wasn't to do your own head gasket job on the driveway as a minor hurricane blew through town on the same day Autumn started and all the leaves fell of the row trees over the road!

Just had a thought...the trucks at work use steering boxes rather than rack and pinion too.

I'll ask the techs what might cause these symptoms and see what they say.

Redraptor141

Thanks for the advice. I'm usually pretty gung ho about trying to fix things but I'm none to sure if venturing deep into the hydraulics of power assisted steering is a good idea for someone with limited experience in hydraulics. Seals and such like yes. Valves, seatings springs et al not so sure given the specific failure and lack of test gear. Two tons of P38 suddenly deciding its not turning right at motorway speeds could be .... terrifying...at best!

Looking at the sectional diagram in RAVE I'm pretty sure I know what the problem is. There is a bypass valve in the piston head open circuiting the power assistance just before the steering goes to full lock so the last bit of movement up to the locksteps is manual only. So if the steering is set right its nigh on impossible to hit the stops! The valve comprises a pair of balls sprung loaded apart in the piston head which are pushed by pins as full lock is approached. One pin in the body whose protrusion is set by screw adjustment and the other on the end of the recirculating ball screw worm. My diagnosis is that when dealing with the drag link, which really, really didn't want to come off the drop arm I pulled the steering right over to the end of the right hand travel so the ball got pushed further than it had ever been before and got stuck. One of those shouldn't ever happen but did things.

Right hand lock valve seems to be the one pushed by the pin on the end of the worm screw. So theoretically pulling the body mounted pin, pushing a slim drift in and tapping the other ball ought to shift the stuck ball. If that actually is the problem! Could also muck things up good and proper by coil binding the spring, podging up the seats or even worse. Not going there!

Anyway I have this brand new Britpart steering box to go on when I can get the steering arm off mine. Twelve ton ram in the puller set isn't working so this weekends job is to replicate the Sykes Pickavant screw pusher assembly with internal drive rod https://www.sykes-pickavant.com/products/suspension-tools/ball-joint-removal/1579 and put that in the puller kit.

Interestingly the Britpart pattern steering box has a ZF Made in Germany label so quality should be up to scratch.

Clive

12 ton ram doesn't do it? Hell, no wonder we spent hours on Marty's!

If I remember correctly, we used a big hammer, ball joint splitter, and a fork splitter,
It’s been on there a while, I’d give it some plusgas, let it soak then a few good pneumatic shocks should do the job.
Otherwise I’m wondering if a plate surrounding it and a 2 leg pulled should do the same as the proper puller