Omega Owners Forum - Steering box, play/knock on one side...?

Matchless

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Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...?
Reply #30 - 16. Mar 2011 at 12:40

It also sounds as if your steering box isnt centred properly, there is a 'high' spot on the sector which must be centred on the mid-point of the worm for mimnimal play in the straight-ahead position.

There is an alignment mark on the box case and input shaft which sets the centre position for the box. (very awkward to see in-situ...need mirrors); you then fit the column to the box (one master sline to set alignment) and the steering wheel should be straight....move the steering wheel on the splines if not. Now when you drive the car, if the steering wheel is off-centre get the wheel alignment done properly which should reset the steering arm lengths and result in the box 'tight spot' being back in the centre position again.

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chrisgixer

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Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...?
Reply #31 - 16. Mar 2011 at 12:44

Matchless wrote on 16. Mar 2011 at 12:27:

Chris,
had a similar problem with my steering box about a year ago, no play in the linkage and tightening the damper didnt help.
In the end I changed the 'box.
On dismantling the old box there was no play between the worm and nut or between nut and sector shaft. The only lost motion was between the input shaft and the worm.....the shaft isnt solid, it allows some movement which operates the hydraulic valves to provide assistance.
I guess one of the valves was stuck or leaky, I seem to remember there being more assistance in one direction than the other.

You could try a fluid change to see if new fluid can flush out any dirt or deposits in the valves.

What level of assistance is your 'box programmed for? Have you had the steering stiffened-up using Tech 2 at some point?

Suspect a box change will be the answer(without knowing anything about the thing) but there does seem to be a problem with movement one way not the other, it clonks one way and feels stiff one way(could be intermittently stiff one way, or intermittently stiff both ways, not sussed it yet, but it's always at about 25-35mph turning "into" a 90 degree junction, not noticed it straightening the steering out again, or pulling out of the same junction)
Re servo tronic setting tech2 has not been in that ecu yet, unless Kev or TB remember otherwise, but it feels the same as previous two cars, so wouod guess it's set to minimal assistance as usual, bar the intermitant issue which would equate to further loss of assistance.

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chrisgixer

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Black ones are faster.

Posts: 14570
Wokingham
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Drives: "Omega Black" 3.2 Elite. Thanks to Joshwyatt.

Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...?
Reply #32 - 16. Mar 2011 at 12:58

Matchless wrote on 16. Mar 2011 at 12:40:

It also sounds as if your steering box isnt centred properly, there is a 'high' spot on the sector which must be centred on the mid-point of the worm for mimnimal play in the straight-ahead position.

There is an alignment mark on the box case and input shaft which sets the centre position for the box. (very awkward to see in-situ...need mirrors); you then fit the column to the box (one master sline to set alignment) and the steering wheel should be straight....move the steering wheel on the splines if not. Now when you drive the car, if the steering wheel is off-centre get the wheel alignment done properly which should reset the steering arm lengths and result in the box 'tight spot' being back in the centre position again.

Yeah, been discussing that with 2 woody, might be able to meet up with him at some point to go over it. I feel I have set the box a fraction too tight ATM, deliberately so to see how it settles, but I can't honestly say there is a tight spot anywhere near straight ahead position as there was on the previous car when over tight. It feels tight ish from 10 to 12 through to 10 past 12oclock. Not what I expected at all. It feeds back a bit less and is a bit slower to centre but that means it holds a straight line a bit better, also means motorways are a bit of a zig zag rather than a weave if you see what I mean.
Clonk is unaffected with the box tighter.

Where are these valves mentioned, don't suppose they're accessible for one minute? Sad

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Kevin Wood Global Moderator Admin Team Offline Posts: 20377 Alton, Hampshire Gender: Drives: 3.2 MV6 (LPG), Westfield	Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...? Reply #33 - 16. Mar 2011 at 13:02 I'm trying to remember if we checked the servotronic assistance on that car when the 2015 was swapped over. Kevin
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chrisgixer Omega King Offline Black ones are faster. Posts: 14570 Wokingham Gender: Drives: "Omega Black" 3.2 Elite. Thanks to Joshwyatt.	Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...? Reply #34 - 16. Mar 2011 at 13:08 Kevin Wood wrote on 16. Mar 2011 at 13:02: I'm trying to remember if we checked the servotronic assistance on that car when the 2015 was swapped over. Kevin Don't think so, no codes found anywhere though.
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Matchless

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Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...?
Reply #35 - 16. Mar 2011 at 22:53

Steering code index is 008 for normal assistance as far as I remember.

The symptoms of tacking down the motorway and not improving with tightening the damper matches my experience. I even set the damper so tight it wouldnt self centre and the play was still there.
It sounds to me like one of the torque sensing valves on the input shaft / worm is stuck or leaky. A box swap will fix it but try a fluid change first.

Box swap is fairly easy by omega standards, drop the RH exhaust down-pipe and make a careful note of how the old box comes out.....you will need to reverse the twists and turns exactly to get it in again and its heavy on the arms if you end up faffing about to get it in place.

Balljoint to the centre tie rod will be the hardest bit, I had to use the two-hammer method. Dont even think about pulling the pitman arm off..it wont move.

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2woody Omega Knight Offline Posts: 1402 Northumberland Drives: '02 MV6, '99 Elite, '99 MV6 estate, '92 Evo 500, Commodore SS	Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...? Reply #36 - 18. Mar 2011 at 10:21 there aren't any valves in the servotronic system - it's simply a pwm solenoid on the side of the steering box which bleeds off some of the "normal" steering pressure. I'm in the South again next week (Monday to Wednesday) - you working normal shifts Chris ?
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chrisgixer

Omega King

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Black ones are faster.

Posts: 14570
Wokingham
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Drives: "Omega Black" 3.2 Elite. Thanks to Joshwyatt.

Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...?
Reply #37 - 18. Mar 2011 at 11:32

2woody wrote on 18. Mar 2011 at 10:21:

there aren't any valves in the servotronic system - it's simply a pwm solenoid on the side of the steering box which bleeds off some of the "normal" steering pressure.

I'm in the South again next week (Monday to Wednesday) - you working normal shifts Chris ?

Ok, let's upset TB and make a date. Thumbs Up!

Any day is good as I'm on early's finishing at 2pm next week.. Or might be able to take a day off. You playing tanks? Could bomb down to you no problem ?

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2woody Omega Knight Offline Posts: 1402 Northumberland Drives: '02 MV6, '99 Elite, '99 MV6 estate, '92 Evo 500, Commodore SS	Re: Steering box, play/knock on one side...? Reply #38 - 18. Mar 2011 at 11:51 I'll come up to you - just send me a pm. make a start by removing the plastic steering column top covers. ....... and do you want me to bring a spare steering box with me ? going to bring the track car, you can marvel at the brake set-up
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