M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS

DISCUSSION => Suspension => Topic started by: CePa318IS on July 03, 2009, 07:56:54 PM

Title: Request steering rack help
Post by: CePa318IS on July 03, 2009, 07:56:54 PM

Hello all,
 
I recently purchased a supposed good "NON LEAKING" used 95 M3 steering rack from someone on r3v and am curious as to a couple things. Let me start off by saying I am a novice when it comes to auto repair. I picked this up as a hobby and have just kind of fell in love with it. Anyway, I just received the rack in the mail earlier this afternoon and was so excited to take it out of the box and hug it and err...um yeah. Well anyway I open the well secured box.
 
(http://freefall0118.googlepages.com/IMG_0045.jpg/IMG_0045-large;init:.jpg)
 
I was happy with the packaging. So I took it out and laid it out to inspect. I find something out of the ordinary (to me that is).
 
Drivers side of rack:
 
(http://freefall0118.googlepages.com/IMG_0035.jpg/IMG_0035-large;init:.jpg)
 
A few more of the mess on the drivers side of the rack:
 
(http://freefall0118.googlepages.com/IMG_0041.jpg/IMG_0041-large;init:.jpg)
(http://freefall0118.googlepages.com/IMG_0038.jpg/IMG_0038-large;init:.jpg)
(http://freefall0118.googlepages.com/IMG_0040.jpg/IMG_0040-large;init:.jpg)
(http://freefall0118.googlepages.com/IMG_0039.jpg/IMG_0039-large;init:.jpg)
 
Passenger side of rack:
 
(http://freefall0118.googlepages.com/IMG_0036.jpg/IMG_0036-large;init:.jpg)
 
I am curious as to a couple of things. In the drivers side pics, is all that crap a sign of a "leaking rack?" The gunk is red and grease-like and not fluid. I have not contacted the seller yet because I wanted a third party opinion on the condition. I also want to make sure this is actually a 95 M3 Steering Rack. Here are all of the numbers I have found on the Rack that could help pertain to the identification. It is a ZF rack with the BMW logo etched in the mold of the rack.
 
On the green BMW label in pic two, starting from the top these are the following numbers:
 
7852 955 237
2 227 192 0
012034 0894
 
There is another number etched in to the mold of the rack. It is:
 
7852 501 174 042
 
 
Sorry, I am not sure how to resize pictures correctly. If you go to the following link and click the pictures individually, you will see a blown up view of them.
 
http://freefall0118.googlepages.com/pictures
 
Any help at all is appreciated.
 
Thanks for your time
Scott

Title: Request steering rack help
Post by: DesktopDave on July 03, 2009, 09:00:06 PM

An oil-encrusted rack is typical of these cars.  It sits right under the pan where the oil from every other leaking part can encrust it.  The packaging is a bit minimal, but a rack isn't very fragile.

I'd also assume that the seals or the p/s lines are the leaky bit, and I wouldn't consider that a 'leaking' rack if the hoses failed.  I'd guess it's OK...clean it up and enjoy the quick ratio!

I don't know what part those numbers refer to.  Picking a random '88 M3 on RealOEM lists part # 32132225556 for the ($2,067!!) rack:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1003&mospid=47312&btnr=32_0030&hg=32&fg=10

Welcome to the club...sounds like you're going to enjoy that car!