Hi,

Does anybody have a rough idea how many ( professional mechanic ) man hours it would take to remove and re-fit a steering rack for a '98 XK8 Coupe?

 

I don't know what the book says, but with a coupe and if its the rack only with out removing the pump/lines, it should not be more than 3 hours total to remove/replace. With a lift its pretty easy access. It will need an alignment afterwards (Setting the toe, but that should be pretty easy, too).

A complete amateur (with a lift and air tools) could do it in less time if he was being timed and the reward was a case of cheap beer.

Unless your car is a rustbucket, if a mechanic quotes you more than 4 hours for this, find a new mechanic. If the car is rusty, however, add hours for all of the other problems the mechanic will find while the car is on the lift... but that will have nothing to do with the rack R&R.

The Caveat to all this is "what is wrong with original rack". If the inner tie rods/boots are bad just replace those for 1/2 this time. If the seals blew and its leaking this time applies. If the whole system is corroded, lines shot and pump seized, Double or triple it.

 

I recon with a lift and an extra hand I could now do it in well under 2 hours, perhaps just one hour.

 

All I can do is laugh, this post is very timely, pulling into the parking lot this morning I was at full lock pulling into a parking spot and the ol' Jag squirted a bunch of power steering fluid all over the undercarriage. I hope it's a hose and not the rack seals, but thanks RaceDiagnostics for the video link. My coworkers are constantly amused by my Jaguar problems.

 

Thanks chaps. A ballpark figure is fine, I just wanted to know if we were talking £100 or £1000.