rover 3500 steering relay

hello all , regards the steering relay box i have some wear on mine also i looked at a friends 3.5 yesterday and his is much worse giving a distinct click when the wheel is turned whilst driving , i see that they are for sale recon at 110 pounds , on the p4 the play is very often taken out by drilling the top and threading in a hard bolt and locknut is this posible on the p6 the manual says that no repair is possible and the unit must be exchanged.many thanks,rich
 
Rover100rich - Are you refering to the main box ( which has an adjuster ) or the idler on the passenger side - thats the one you drill and tap on a P4 but that is to remove verticle play, not worn bushes which would give horizontal movement ( and dodgy steering )
 
Hello Rich,

Dave was referring to the power steering box. The idler once play develops will need to be removed and exchanged for a reconditioned item. Typically the idler will have a new bush pressed into it along with new seals. There is no adjustment possibly with the idler. The little bolt on the top is where the gear oil is added.

Ron.
 
Sorry - is the steering relay box what I call the idler ? I meant the box itself and the manual box has adjustment too
 
Whats the go with replacing the idler/relay - can they be found? Anybody refurbish them? Mine has slack, and the bottom is covered in oil . I have seen one at GBP195 + shipping, which is a little rich at the moment.
thanks
 
Whats the go with replacing the idler/relay - can they be found? Anybody refurbish them? Mine has slack, and the bottom is covered in oil . I have seen one at GBP195 + shipping, which is a little rich at the moment.
thanks

TR Spares in Padstow (Sydney) used to recondition them, but of course that is not much help if you need one now. Old Auto Rubber down in Melbourne may well do them on exchange. The idler with an aluminium alloy case is not a particularly good design within the material context. A body made from steel complete with a fitted bearing and appropriate seals to retain the oil would have been much better I feel. They used aluminium I expect for the ease of casting given the mounting bracket is an integral part.

Ron
 
. They used aluminium I expect for the ease of casting given the mounting bracket is an integral part.
Is it really aluminium though? I thought it was something else, given how it actually chipped when I inadvertently mistreated it with some pliers. I heard a claim it’s the same material as the door handles. It does look like alu and deforms like it, but…
 
I class the alloy as rubbish metal - similar to door handles etc. Scotts Old rubber dont do them anymore. Would really like to get a spare and have it refurbished so I can do a quick changeover, but even thats looking difficult. I have an old 2000 one (book says same part), having trouble pulling the arm off the spline - will try the press next. Bottom where the seal goes looks a little cracked, but cant feel any slop in the shaft fit.
 
I don't know if they are all the same but my original had a crimped, or folded over lower end, this was folded over a washer, which retained a seal.
I had a shop bore it out and press fit three bronze small end bushes they had.
But on trying to re crimp the lower end the casting broke away. I resolved this by measuring the gap when the Pitman arm was fitted and turned up an alloy spacer, this holds up the washer and seal when the arm is done up. It does not leak.
I don't know how Wins or JRW get over the fragile casting issue.
 
Oz club has had some new bodies cast/machined up, and can transplant original hardware into the new bodies. I have one booked, but it will have to wait until the lockdowns end....Car is still safely driveable, so its not a hard wait.
 
Oz club has had some new bodies cast/machined up, and can transplant original hardware into the new bodies. I have one booked, but it will have to wait until the lockdowns end....Car is still safely driveable, so its not a hard wait.
Hi jp, I,m at that stage now too, just got car back from Gearbox and other issues, play now in steering idler. Are there recon parts ex aussie to NZ? Or I could get a machine shop here to make up bushes etc
 
When mine gets done I will find out whats possible and come back to you. Not going to be cheap, but you have to have a good one. Was just advised that UK post will not accept parcels over 2kg - they have to go via courier (DHL etc), so postage of an idler wont be cheap.
 
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