Raise and safely support the vehicle, then turn the steering wheel with a suitable spring gauge to check the reading; if it exceeds 3.3 lbs., adjust the steering gear accordingly. Position the front wheels straight ahead, loosen the rack screw locknut, and for 1988-91 Civic Si, tighten, loosen, and retighten the rack guide screw two times to 3.6 ft. lbs. (5 Nm), then back it off 15°. Tighten the locknut on the rack guide screw to 49 ft. lbs. (68 Nm). For 1988-91 CRX Si, retighten the rack guide screw until it compresses the spring, back it off 15°, and install the locknut, tightening it to 18 ft. lbs. (25 Nm). For all other vehicles, tighten the rack screw until it compresses the spring, back the rack guide screw off 40-60°, and tighten the locknut to 18 ft. lbs. (25 Nm). Check for tight or loose steering through the complete turning travel, recheck the steering effort, lower the vehicle, and measure the distance the steering wheel can be turned without moving the front wheels; toe play should not exceed 0.4 in. (10 mm). If it does, check all steering components. To remove, raise the vehicle and support it safely, remove the cover panel and steering joint cover, unbolt and separate the steering shaft at the coupling, and remove the front wheels. Remove cotter pins and unscrew the castle nuts on the tie rod ends, using a ball joint tool to disconnect them and lift them out of the steering knuckles. If equipped with a manual transaxle, disconnect the shift lever torque rod from the clutch housing, drive out the spring pin, and disconnect the shift rod. For automatic transaxles, remove the shift cable guide from the floor and pull the shift cable down by hand. Remove the two nuts connecting the exhaust header pipe to the exhaust pipe and move the exhaust pipe out of the way. Push the rack all the way to the right, remove the brackets or mounting bolts, and slide the tie rod ends to the right. Drop the rack enough to allow the end of the pinion shaft to come out of the frame channel, then rotate it forward until the shaft points rearward. Slide the rack to the right until the left tie rod clears the exhaust pipe, then drop it down and out of the vehicle to the left. For installation, position the rack into the vehicle and torque the mounting bolts to 29 lbs. (40 Nm), connect the exhaust pipe using a new gasket, reconnect the shift linkage and adjust as required, install the tie rod ends into the steering knuckle, torque the nuts to 32 ft. lbs. (44 Nm), and tighten as required to install a new cotter pin. Connect the steering shaft coupling and torque the bolt to 22 ft. lbs. (30 Nm). For overhaul, remove the rack and pinion from the vehicle and support it in a bench vise, loosen the band retaining the bellows on the ends of the rack, and pull the bellows back. Unbend the lock washers on the end of the tie rods, hold the rack with a 22mm wrench, and remove the tie rods with a 17mm wrench. Remove the lock nut retaining the rack guide components and take out the pieces from the rack body, being careful not to lose the spring. Remove the pinion assembly dust seal, then the 35mm snap ring retaining the pinion assembly, and pull the pinion from the body. Slide the rack out of the gearbox body. Inspect the pinion assembly for wear, scoring, or damaged teeth; if any are apparent, the pinion must be replaced. Check the pinion bearing for freedom of movement and signs of damaged balls; if damaged, the entire pinion assembly must be replaced. Inspect the rack for excessive wear or damaged teeth; if damaged, it must be replaced. Check the rack guide for scoring and the steering gear housing for signs of cracking or damage to the pinion bore. For assembly, apply a thin coat of grease to the rack end bushing and install it in the housing, aligning the projections with the hole. Grease the rack and carefully slide it into the housing to avoid damaging its surface. Install the pinion assembly into the housing and the 35mm snap ring to retain it, followed by the pinion dust seal. Coat the rack guide with grease and install the guide components into the housing, adjusting the rack guide screw after installation. Screw in each tie rod to the rack while holding the lock washer so its tabs align with the slots in the rack, then install the stopper washer with the chamfered side facing out. Tighten the tie rod securely and bend the lock washer back onto the flange. Install the bellows over the end of the rack housing and secure it with the retaining clamp, then install the tie rod ends on the tie rods and fill the tie rod boots with grease before installing the rack into the vehicle and adjusting it.
Posted by HondaPartsNow Specialist 
