I was experiencing steering fluid loss which turned out to be a worn rack & pinion on my 01 Grand Prix GT (196K+ miles). Fluid was dripping from the boots on both sides, I was adding fluid once a week and it was making a mess on the driveway. Time to fix or replace. Repairing the unit is more trouble than it’s worth, so I started looking for a replacement. There are several choices out there but I wanted to find a rebuilt OEM unit. Not cheap. I got lucky and found a “Rebuilt for AC Delco” unit from eBay, still in the box and shrink-wrapped for only $225.00. Almost half what everywhere else was asking for one.
I followed the procedures found in a half dozen threads here and elsewhere, and I have a few suggestions that differ slightly from the most common instructions.
To begin with, I only raised the front of my car. Most threads recommend raising all four corners, which is probably a good idea, but I’ve spent so much time under a car I was comfortable doing it with only the front raised. If you have a lift or know someone who does, that’s the way to go.
The removal process is straight-forward enough, but I recommend this order and a few additional steps:
1) Disconnect the battery.
2) Raise the car, remove the wheels/tires, support the car (use good jack stands) avoiding the engine/drive-train cradle as that will have to be lowered. Disconnect tie-rod ends from the steering knuckle.
3) Disconnect the coupler. A note here about the YouTube videos that show a bellows type boot that easily slides out of the way. Not what I experienced. The boot (not bellows) over the coupler on my car had a hard rubber end that had zero give. It took a good bit of work with a long pry bar to work that thing back far enough to get to the bolt. Once exposed, getting the bolt out is easy. Slide the coupler up.
4) Disconnect the wire coming from the steering unit.
5) From the top side, unclip the throttle cables from the bracket on the throttle body. (Note: If the cradle is lowered enough, it will pull these loose if you don’t, A lesson learned the hard way.)
5) Lower the cradle. This may not be the sequence listed in other places, but if I had to do it again, this is the next step. First support the cradle with a floor jack and remove the rear bolts. (Note: Some threads suggested leaving the rear cradle bolts in place but I found that it didn't allow the cradle to drop enough. I also found it unnecessary to loosen the front bolts.) Lower the rear of the cradle about six (6) inches.
6) Remove the sway bar. It’s easier to remove when the cradle is dropped and it is going to get in your way. Get the thing off the car.
7) Disconnect the two hydraulic lines coming from the pump. Have a drain pan handy to catch the fluid.
8) Remove the two bolts holding the unit in place. You will need to get a wrench on the nut to keep it from spinning, but there’s plenty of room.
9) Remove the rack from the left (driver’s) side. There should be more than enough room.
10) Count the exposed threads to the tie rod end and remove them and put them on your new steering unit at the same length. Or put your new tie rod ends on your new unit at the same length. I recommend replacing the tie rod ends unless you've already done it recently.
11) Install the new unit, using the reverse sequence.
It isn't nearly as difficult as it might sound from the write-ups, and except for the coupler, it really is a piece of cake. Getting the coupler back on is a challenge because it must be perfectly aligned to fit. Once aligned, it slides back in place and then you get to struggle with getting the boot back in place (you must do this).
Tighten everything back up correctly (important), add fluid and turn the wheel lock-to-lock about 20 times (motor off) before lowering the car.
Get the front end aligned. You're done.
