I have a major issue I can't figure out. I have a 1990 xjs which had steering rack leak. I had a good used rack from a 1987 xjs that I installed into the 90 model. everything went in fine but the steering wheel is about 180 degrees out of the correct position. Does anyone know what I could have done wrong? Is there some trick to getting this right?

 

So you pulled the old rack and installed the new one and the wheel/column presumably turned sometime before/while you installed the new rack, right?

Assuming the wheel turns the proper number of times to each side and the car tracks straight (IE this is just an aesthetic issue), the easiest thing to do is pull the wheel and refit it in the proper position. Thats better than dropping the rack again just to reset the wheel anyway.

 

Yes you are correct. The wheel turned when I released the ujoint coupler on the shaft at the rack. There is only one position to reattach the u joint for the lock bolt to run through the ujoint. This car has the airbag and I haven't pulled that steering wheel to see if it is rotatable. The earlier car the rack came out of the steering wheel is rotatable. Do I need a puller to remove the airbag steering wheel? I would to avoid removing the rack if possible. I took the car to alignment shop and they were hillbillies. They wanted to put another groove in the pinon shaft to move the steering wheel. Needless to say I didn't let them do anymore work.

 

You don't normally need a puller. Loosen the nut but leave it on so that the steering wheel doesn't hit you in the face, then pull. Not too hard, or you'll break the plastic tabs in the column.

 

I will give it a try tomorrow.

 

The indicator cancelling mechanism will also need resetting.
Did you centre rack when reassembling, there is setting hole in rack specifically for that purpose.

 

any interest in selling the leaking rack ??

 

Do you know what rack the 1990 has, there are a couple of different types, if it is a sport rack I would rebuild it and put it back. The sport rack has a larger diameter torsion bar and better road feel. Then there is the ZF rack, not sure when Jaguar put this in the XJS.

 

Hi Jagwarman

If you remove the Oil Plug from the Rack and then insert a Torx screwdriver in the hole while a mate slowly turns the wheel, then you will find an hole which is used to line up the Rack up to centre it

After which you can line up the Steering Wheel to put it back in the correct position

As for taking the Steering Wheel off, my 1990 didn't have an Air Bag

If you need to take the Steering Wheel off and it has a large pad in the middle with an oval Jaguar logo, the Pad pulls off with your fingers and underneath that is the Nut that holds it on

So after taking the nut off tap the Wheel from behind it using the palms of both hands and it should come off
(Thanks to SomedaySomeday) for showing me how to remove the Steering Wheel

 

Orangeblossom is dead right. First, centre the rack using the centring indent; second, see where the steering wheel is and centre that if needed; third, adjust the roadwheels to the straight ahead using the track rod end adjusters; fourth get the front wheels tracked up precisely on a laser tracker at a garage.