I decided to depower my rack my self after much debate over just looping the lines. I must stress the fact that this is a BIG PAIN IN THE A** to do.

Since i am doing an auto to manual swap i decided to install an aluminum radiator while i was at it. I started taking so much apart just to remove the stock radiator that went a head and removed to power steering and Air conditioning- most people wold think i am crazy for removing the AC but this car is not a daily driver so who cares and it frees up space in the engine bay
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1239152033
inthecar.jpg

Heres the rack out of the car.
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1239152033
steeringrack.jpg

I starter taking a part the rack and although everything didn't come out nice and easy i got the steering body bolts out.
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1239152602
body-and-parts.jpg

I stripped and welded the quill. https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1239152033
quill-and-parts.jpg

welded.
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1239152033
welded-quill.jpg

Now for the part i am having the trouble with.The knuckle where the rod ties into i can`t seem to figure out how to take it apart here is the picture below.Has anyone taken this out and how.
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1239151930
knuckel.jpg

 

sorry guys i don't know how to manage the pictures to come up underneath the writing.

 

no one knows?

 

There's a great writeup for doing this on a Miata at Flyin Miata:

http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/depower.php

Not an FD I realize, but should be similar.

 

I have read all these tutorial nether one of them shows you how the knuckle comes out-plus the FD knuckle has a different joint nut than the FC or MIATA rack.

 

if you were closer jason i would have a look at it... can you send me a closer pic of the problem area?

 

I figured it out,I had to use a monkey wrench to hold back on the shaft while i twisted the nut off with a crescent wrench...now i am done with the rest of the work needed and its now installed in the car.

over all doing the job your self is not that bad,now i need to do a few more mods before i can drive it one the road and feel my new manual rack.

 

I did the poor-man's version of this a few years back... Drained some of the fluid (whatever dripped out when I unhooked the lines and worked it back and forth)... and I had a fellow RX-7 Club member weld the quill shaft up. I really like the way it drives, but it's tough to turn at very slow speed.

Overall: 5/5 stars
For tight parking: 1/5 stars - kinda sucks

 

i also removed my A/C and boy let me tell you,there is alot of room to work like a gentlemen now. My only problem now is that there is a lot of brittle wires and clips and they are braking in peaces.I have to do something with the wire harness.

 

Just replace it.

 

how much would a new one run these day?

 

Might be $800 for a brand new one.

The sticker shock hit me too, until I saw how nice it was to work with wires that didn't crinkle and crumple.

 

will it pay just to get a full EMS like "tec3 or microtech" with a wire harness instead of spending $800 on a stock harness. Or are these ems just for total raced out cars