1996 neon 2.0 SOHC

Passenger side rack and pinion bellow started leaking at the beginning of the summer and has gotten progressively worse. Now the drivers side is starting to leak. Saw a seal kit for $20 and thought of going that rout. instead of the $150 for a new rack. If it lasts a year I'll be happy. Steering is nice and tight and the car handles great... but the leaks. It has gotten so bad that I removed the belt from the power steering pump. This is what it looked like when I took the bellow off.
I can find info on swapping out the rack and that seems rather strait forward but I can't find any real info on how to replace the seals. Are there any special tools required? Today I worked up the nerve to get into the job. I can get in there (barely) to work. I removed the inner tie rod and bellow and there is what looks like a slotted nut. Tried unscrewing it and after a dozen or so turns... ran out of time and had to stop and pick up my son.
So, the question really is how do I gain access to the seal behind the bellow? Keep turning that slotted bolt? Is there a spring in there or such so I have to push in and turn? If I have to pull the rack off to properly do this? I'm up for removing the rack after the fun I had today.

Please help. Gunna grab the camera and try to record this folly for others to learn from.
Need to do work on my gas tank and exhaust system. I kinda need the cash for that work.

"Like a blind man at an orgy I'm just gunna have to feel things out"

 

How did that work out ? Did the seals work or did u replace the whole works. Mines bleeding like a stuck pig and I need a fix but wanna save money if I can.

 

I am not to familiar with the rack, but I have never heard of changing the seals, I am pretty sure it requires the entire unit. Maybe someone else can chime in here to verify.

 

I've heard of changing the seals, but the entire assembly needs to be removed from the car to be able to service it. On top of that, if it is leaking from the internal assembly, you'd also have to completely disassemble the entire thing to be able to replace those seals. Hence the reason most just go with a new/rebuilt assembly.

 

Yes, the rack has to be pulled out to change the seals. There is a U shaped pin on the passenger side of the rack. I still have the seal kit.

After removing the rack it was clear the rack was not serviceable. There was too much corrosion on the piston. A replaced seal would have gotten eaten up by the rough surface and leaked.
The replacement tie rods were too long. That was another issue. I could get the alignment right but the steering wheel was upside down. I had to use a grinder to shorten the tie rods to get it right.

First time is normally the hardest. Pulling the lines off the power steering pump was easier than trying to undo the lines on the rack. I didn't have to drop the K-frame. Just rotate the rack and pull it out with the lines attached.
Sorry if the vid sucks but when trying to record something like that it's such a pain to get the camera and light right. Spent as much time dicking with the camera as I did working. After a while I gave up on recording.
So far no leaks and the rack works fine.

 

All the time and effort is for naught. Replace your rack and pinion and stop wasting your time with the seals. To replace the seals you must completely remove the rack from the car and dis assemble the intire thing to replace those seals.

 

Outside clamp had come off boot. I put that back on. then I wiped off all the wet spots and checked the levels.it doesn't actually seem to be leaking now. So why would there be fluid all over the main housing of it? ( before I wiped it off.) Is it normal to have a small leakage over time?

 

If crap gets in that boot... It will drip at first. The contaminates corrode the cylinder and the seals start leaking. You can put a new boot on but in a week it'll be full of fluid again. Buy the rack and just swap it out.

I had the seal kit... 14:30 mark on the video you can see the 'pin' and the piston. I would have rather spent the $140 on something else. No way I'm delusional enough to think a seal kit would have lasted. Save the $20 for a rack and just do the job once