Replace Front Rack and Pinion because of valve oil leak?

1

1dr1s

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I am considering buying a 1998 4runner 4wd with 180k miles and took it into a mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection.

There is an oil leak from the valve gasket cover and this has caused oil to saturate the rack and pinion. The mechanic said that some bushings need to be replaced in the r&p, but that some are only available by purchasing the entire r&p assembly, which seems odd.

The total cost for the replacement and the wheel alignment is $1100 with labor.

Does this sound right? Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks
 
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You can get a used motor installed for this price.

It is very easy to install the rack and pinion in a 4runner. Try to find a different mechanic.
Get a low mile used rack and pinion (about $100).

Also get a life time alignment plan from firestone for $180. This is good for years as long you own the 4runner and unlimited alignments per year!
 
You can replace the bushings with these

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I did mine myself but a mechanic could do it very easily.

The valve cover gasket should also be pretty easy and replacement gaskets shouldn't run you too much.

Find another mechanic.
 
Yeah, it seemed pretty expensive.

The price for fixing the gasket oil leak was $425 and the price for replacing the rack and pinion was $1100, both with labor.

Is it true that the whole r&p needs to be replaced just because some bushings were damaged by the leaking oil? Would anything else in the r&p be damaged from the oil leak?

Thanks in advance
 
Are you sure the garage said the leaky rack was from leaky valve covers?

You are probably dealing with 2 completely different issues here. Regardless, sounds like a lot of coin.

I just replaced my rack last week due to the original starting to leak a little but it had 190kms on it and I had an almost new rack to put in from my "donor" truck.
In lieu of having a spare rack, I would attempt to put a bushing kit in the rack and have it re-aligned but I don't know if it would have cured the leaky rack problem.
Good news is there are many topics of discussion regarding bushing changes in these racks and I would have dug a little deeper to see if it would have cleared up the leaky rack part as well as tighten things up.
 
If the rack isn't leaking, no need to replace it. The bushings are external and are both available and replaceable independent of the rack. Most likely doesn't need valve cover gaskets either. The bolts get loose. 9 times out of 10 you can just retorque the valve cover bolts and they'll stop leaking.

If your mechanic doesn't know that, find a new one.
 
PitbullRescuer said:
If the rack isn't leaking, no need to replace it. The bushings are external and are both available and replaceable independent of the rack. Most likely doesn't need valve cover gaskets either. The bolts get loose. 9 times out of 10 you can just retorque the valve cover bolts and they'll stop leaking.

If your mechanic doesn't know that, find a new one.
Click to expand...

So...if a rack is leaking oil, the rebuild kit won't help ? No seals to replace or stuff like that ? Glad I had a donor but I was considering rebuilding my old one "in case" I would somehow need another down the road.
 
Grenvilleter said:
So...if a rack is leaking oil, the rebuild kit won't help ? No seals to replace or stuff like that ? Glad I had a donor but I was considering rebuilding my old one "in case" I would somehow need another down the road.
Click to expand...


No, they can be rebuilt. I just think its a lot easier to replace it if it is leaking. Rebuild kits can be fine buy God forbid you bend, twist, pinch or improperly seat one of the replacement parts or seals, it's a nightmare. Rebuilt unit from Cardone is $260. That'd be the route I'd go.
 
My Dealership wants $1200 for a new rack, installed (I laughed)
Your mechanic wants $1100 for a cheap re-built that costs him about $200...do the math and find a new mechanic.

At 180K, make sure the TB and WP have been done recently, or there's another grand if you don't do it yourself.
 
Wow, this mechanic that you are dealing with is doozy. Like everyone else has pretty much said:

Oil getting all over the outside of the steering rack cannot hurt the rack. Maybe the bushings are bad because they are original, are also soaked in oil.

New bushings are $20.

I had good mechanic replace valve covers on one of my previous 4Runners for $230. That's parts and labor. Total. Which is why I didn't do it myself....it was cheap enough to pay someone else to do it.

Moral of the story, have a different mechanic look at the truck, because the diagnosis may very well be completely different.


If the steering rack does need to be replaced because it's loose or it is actually leaking too much, then you can find them for less than $400, and they are easy to install. For what it's worth, almost all original steering racks on 3rd gen 4runners are leaking by this point in time. It just depends on how much, and if the truck still drives and steers fine. My rack leaks a little, but not enough to replace the rack.
 
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