Pictures of your looped rack for EPAS. What fittings have you used?

[GrahamS]

Morning Chaps

At the moment I'm undecided on whether to loop my existing rack or replace it with a DCI option and the decision is down to cost effectiveness.
If I were to loop the rack I'd want to do it for under £25 but would need the tools, pipe, unions and blanking plugs. Any recommendations of these parts and pictures of how you've done yours would be really appreciated.

 

[Bluebeard]

I've got two bolts and some chemical metal in mine.
Little drop of oil in there first to keep things lubed up.

Both me and a mate have done it.

 

[NorthloopCup]

You need m12x1 fittings with a hole to accept 3/16 copper pipe. Piece of piss to make up the pipe as well. Any garage should be able to flare the ends for you for next to nothing.

 

[NorthloopCup]

I've got two bolts and some chemical metal in mine.
Little drop of oil in there first to keep things lubed up.

Both me and a mate have done it.

Mine used to be like that as well but it kept pressurising and stopping the rack from going to full lock.

 

[car.crash]

Mine used to be like that as well but it kept pressurising and stopping the rack from going to full lock.

Fluid boiling over?

 

[NorthloopCup]

Fluid boiling over?

No mate just no where for the air pressure to go as I don't run fluid in the rack. The original pipes act as a transfer pipe for the fluid to give assistance to the steering. There's a seal inside the rack to stop the fluid going on to both faces and counteracting each other. I've done away with this on my new rack along with various other bits.

 

[Bluebeard]

Fluid boiling over?

There's no fluid in it.

 

[Bluebeard]

Mine used to be like that as well but it kept pressurising and stopping the rack from going to full lock.

Interesting...
Do you use it as a daily? I used mine for about 6 months as a commuting car and it was fine. But that was, at most, 2 miles max and a top speed of 30mph! Lol
Not being able to steer sounds a bit like a potential issue to me!!

 

[dmallett]

How to do it like a pikey

 

[Rubicon_]

We just used the original pipe and fittings. Bent the correct size to shape and flared the ends, also toped up the rack with fluid.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Interesting...
Do you use it as a daily? I used mine for about 6 months as a commuting car and it was fine. But that was, at most, 2 miles max and a top speed of 30mph! Lol
Not being able to steer sounds a bit like a potential issue to me!!

No mate not used as a daily. More like a 6 monthly. Lol! The issue on mine only ever showed itself when going for full lock. Never had a problem with the steering locking up as you could always overcome it.

 

[NorthloopCup]

How to do it like a pikey

Why have you looped it there? That's just fluid feed and return into the rack.

 

[dmallett]

Why have you looped it there? That's just fluid feed and return into the rack.

As i saw someone else had done it like that so did the same lol

 

[NorthloopCup]

As i saw someone else had done it like that so did the same lol

Lol! Fair enough mate.

 

[dmallett]

Lol! Fair enough mate.

Not the way to do it? Im all ears!

 

[car.crash]

I th

There's no fluid in it.

i thought some would have been added and then blanked off to save the rack from drying out.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Not the way to do it? Im all ears!

I wouldn't and haven't done it that way mate. I blanked off those 4 pipes on mine and made up a new transfer pipe for the middle of the rack. You could do as @Arran_ has suggested and use the original pipes and either bend and re-flare the pipe or just cut them and join together with some rubber pipe.

 

[NorthloopCup]

I th

i thought some would have been added and then blanked off to save the rack from drying out.

The residual oil that gets left after draining the system will lubricate the seals in the rack, but it doesn't matter if the rack is dry tbh. The only bit that needs lubrication is the rack and pinion end (drivers side). Grease it up with high temp grease (wheel bearing grease is ideal) and away you go.

 

[Akay]

Just to revive this, I am looking to get an EPAS setup, I have a column and ecu etc, but not yet sourced a rack. Am I better off looping my current rack?

Seems like it would save a lot of hassle.

Cheers.

 

[Martin.]

Come down and have a look at mine I need you to help me finish off adjusting the PMS shifter too anyway

The EPAS is all working and we started the car for the first time in two months yesterday!

 

[Gaverick]

I've had both a DCI rack and looped rack on mine. I much prefer the looped rack, it has a better feel to it and feels stronger too.

 

[Akay]

Any pics? What do i need to block and what do I need to loop?

 

[Gaverick]

Not a great picture but block all the ports in blue. Connect together the two ports in yellow. I just used the original fittings and piece of brake pipe

 

[Akay]

Thanks. The blue is looped in your pic though?

 

[NorthloopCup]

Thanks. The blue is looped in your pic though?

That's the bit you need to loop mate.

 

[Gaverick]

Thanks. blue is looped in your pic though?

Sorry got the colours the wrong way round lol. Loop blue and block yellow.

 

[Akay]

Thanks. Can this be done with the rack on the car? And anyone got any sizes for blanking plug screws.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Thanks. Can this be done with the rack on the car? And anyone got any sizes for blanking plug screws.

Yeah piece of piss mate. It's a bit tight for space but it's doable. M12x1, M14x1 and M16x1 from memory. The last 2 may be 1.25/1.5 but without looking I can't say 100%. I'll have a look on my spare rack on Monday night when I'm back in work.

 

[Gaverick]

I just used chemical metal to blank mine off as it's never going to need to go back to hydraulic. I did mine off the car but should manage with it on especially once all the PAS pipes are out of the way.

 

[Akay]

Thanks guys

 

[Akay]

Did you ever get round to checking @NorthloopCup

 

[NorthloopCup]

Did you ever get round to checking @NorthloopCup :smile:

Sorry mate completely forgot. Because I'm a bell end! Tag me again on Sunday after 10pm. I'll be in work then!

 

[Akay]

No problem haha, thanks.
Im the bell end who cant be bothered to check!

 

[Akay]

@NorthloopCup forgot to tag you -_-

 

[NorthloopCup]

@NorthloopCup forgot to tag you -_-

I remembered mate! Ok so you need 1x m14x1.5, 1x m16x1.5 and 2x m12x1.0 blanking plugs. You then need 2x m12x1.0 brake pipe unions for 3/16 pipe to make the link pipe.

Get the Allen key head blanking plugs as well mate as you can't fit anything else in there.

 

[Donkeyding]

I'm new to the clio scene and have a 182 track car. What is this epas system all about. Cheers. Dave

 

[GrahamS]

I'm new to the clio scene and have a 182 track car. What is this epas system all about. Cheers. Dave

It's removing the standard fluid driven pas pump driven by the engine, looping the rack or fitting a DCI rack and changing the column to a 1.2/dci version which has electronic assistance. There's a control knob which you get form eBay which allows completely variable assistance. Search for epas on 172 cup to find the original thread by cup Phil

 

[GrahamS]

I remembered mate! Ok so you need 1x m14x1.5, 1x m16x1.5 and 2x m12x1.0 blanking plugs. You then need 2x m12x1.0 brake pipe unions for 3/16 pipe to make the link pipe.

Get the Allen key head blanking plugs as well mate as you can't fit anything else in there.

Are you blanking all four holes mark and then just looping the two holes on the tube of the rack?

 

[NorthloopCup]

Are you blanking all four holes mark and then just looping the two holes on the tube of the rack?

Yes mate.

 

[barnesautos]

I found this - looped twice ?
Any ideas why it's looped at the rotary valve head as it's been suggested it's to be blocked off.