Steering rack - Orifice on pressure side?

[itwonder]

Anybody ever notice this little orifice that sits down in the bottom of the pressure side fitting on the steering rack? It fell out when I removed the original rack. The replacement rebuilt rack does not have it. The rebuilt one i'm using is a SLO rack; wonder if that's why it's missing? No mention in the instructions about it. My inclination is to swap it over. But still wondering what it's for. My wild guess is maybe it has something to do with compatibility with the SHO PS pump or to get a little different steering feel.

Both have same PN on the rack RF-E8DC-3550-AA. No VAPS, two port rack

This end faces out, toward the hose

 

[Eric VerValin]

Hey neat.. I found something very similar when I was working on the Malibu. Looked like a restriction to me.. I pulled it out.

Hopefully someone will chime in on why to or not to do that....


And... take off those boots, and get that nylon washer thats behind the tie rod ends. Ford calls it a travel limiter, and the new rack will not have these. You should swap those over from the old rack as well.

 

[gmorrell]

I have vague memories of that being a check valve/orifice, the check disc is spring loaded and will open up at higher flow rates. It can be omitted without detriment, I removed mine many moons ago, never noticed anything different, YMMV.

 

[itwonder]

FWIW, the center part of it, where the hole is drilled, is able to move up and down against the spring. Pressure/flow from the pump will tend to compress the spring and open the valve. When it moves down, the flow through the device increases. There is no ball or anything like that in there, so it doesn't have a check valve function.

 

[AREA 91]

Anybody ever notice this little orifice that sits down in the bottom of the pressure side fitting on the steering rack? It fell out when I removed the original rack. The replacement rebuilt rack does not have it. The rebuilt one i'm using is a SLO rack; wonder if that's why it's missing? No mention in the instructions about it. My inclination is to swap it over. But still wondering what it's for. My wild guess is maybe it has something to do with compatibility with the SHO PS pump or to get a little different steering feel.

Both have same PN on the rack RF-E8DC-3550-AA. No VAPS, two port rack

This end faces out, toward the hose

That little guy alway's falls out into a pile of kitty litter on the floor for me.
I alway's swap it over. New racks do not have them.