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DemonHunter

What is the difference with ford ef an el racks an columns

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Ok l am at a massive loss an having issues like no end , as some ppl know l am rebuilding a ford ef after my el was crushed by a tree ages ago and lve converted everything from the el motor harness etc which means it’s just ef body all el stuff in it.  I didn’t change the rack in the ef shell as it was a good rack.  Problem is l fitted the el column as it had all the cruise controls an everything.   Wheels are straight ahead but the steering wheel is 90 degree to the right an the clock spring is too.  Ppl tell me el column will do that to a ef rack for some reason but didn’t say why.   Then l get told l can’t fit a brand new el rack to to Ef for some reason due to bolt mounting holes being in different spots or some shit.  Spoke to a steering place and they told me a el rack is same as ef  so l can bolt it in no problems  everyone is speaking bullshit.  an my column is damaged which it is not.   
 

l can’t take the rack out unless l remove the bloody motor an trans due to sfa room to get at it on drivers side an pass the trans lines are in the way an can’t use a breaker bar as it hits the k frame when l go to use it tension bar is too bloody long an smacks into the body an l can’t use a small extension bar as l hit the starter motor  an without lm hitting the k frame. 
so which is the issue the column is wrong an l need a ef one instead or ppl are wrong with the matter of racks being different as my workshop Manuel doesn’t mention any of these things being like that.       Also where can l get ef el wiper arm bushes as passangers is fragged 

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i'll ask a mate of mine who did basically the same thing, with a V8 EL into an EF body. had a lot of issues. not a direct swap. he'll probably know about the rack issue but so might @Thom


you'd probably have to support the engine and drop the k frame if no space? no idea though to be honest

 

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1 hour ago, DemonHunter said:

so which is the issue the column is wrong an l need a ef one

 got a reply already

 

Rack and column and intermediate shaft all need to match, but EL will work in EF and EF will work in EL, just needs to be ALL EF or ALL EL

Mine is an EF, but those parts are ALL EL

EL rack won’t fit an EF = RUBBISH(bullshit)

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 got a reply already
 
Rack and column and intermediate shaft all need to match, but EL will work in EF and EF will work in EL, just needs to be ALL EF or ALL EL
Mine is an EF, but those parts are ALL EL
EL rack won’t fit an EF = RUBBISH(bullshit)
That's exactly what I was going to say, even to the point of you want all of those parts out of the same car if possible

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Yeah l got el rack but to get the ef one out is a bloody bitch cause I will have to take engine out so l can get at the mounting bolts   The complete column is el with the shaft that connects to the rack.  Hmmm might just take the el column out an fit ef seems to easier 

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Well did the rack from ef to el an found that there is a difference in the racks. The difference l found with the 2 racks sitting one infront of the other is that the el an ef have different lengths in the rods that the tie rods connect to on the racks. Ef is longer so it seems to the el and when l had the ef one in my alignment was screwed up with all my el front suspension. I could have wheels straight but if l did a full lock to the right wheel would hit the radius rod   Had a mate try an do the alignment an didn’t matter either way a wheel would hit the radius rod on either side when adjusted an l didn’t mess with the rods at all. Fitted the el one in wheels were spot on except for drivers being a fraction out as l knocked the nut when fitting it   Just needs a minor adjustment and wheels are spot on an everything. Who would of guessed they’re different in the lengths of the rods lol. But now l need the piece that goes between the rack an the column to connect it all up an then it will be mobile again. Thing is what’s the difference with the color of the rubbers on the tops of the racks as the el is green an the ef is black.  

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Could it be that the tie rods and steering arms (spindles) are what make them different, not the racks themselves? The difference in colour of the bushes might just signify different materials or could have been replaced at some stage with aftermarket ones (these are cars over 20 years old now).

The steering being 90 deg out may be from how the coupling is attached at the end and where the master spline sits. Could you pull the pinion out and re-time it to the rack suit the earlier setup, then any further correction done through re-mounting the steering wheel?

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

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Turns out that the rack in it is a original but l got it all done in the end a mate gave me a intermediate shaft from what ever it was an the end fitted the rack no problems so l took it off an fitted it to the ef intermediate shaft and bingo wheel straight when wheels are straight ahead  which is awsome but only issue now is that it’s tight when turning the steering wheel none of that sorta spring bounce back when u rock the steering wheel  like it did before l changed the rack. Could it be because the new el rack had sat for some time wrapped an covered up ?? I purged it of air and every thing but it sorta feels like bloody Manuel steering to a point when stationary to turn but not as tight even with front of the ground it’s tight an that was before l even fitted the new intermediate shaft so l could see if it leaked or not from the lines   Or could l of possibly put lines on the wrong way??

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If you put the lines the wrong way (if that's even possible), I think something would blow out or the rack just wouldn't work.

 

If you pop the rod ends off the steering arms and work the rack left and right, you could find out if that resistance is in the rack or if something else is wrong (bent ball joint or suspension part)

 

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

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