couple of questions for 316i lux 1990

[Bob_S]

HI all,
wondering if anybody could help me on these..
what type/grade of fluid is it for the pas
how easy is it to change the steering rack
thats all thanks!

[jamesroools]

steering rack is very simple to do, ive done many, but only on 320i's, i imagine its the same on a m40, jack the car up, remover engine undershields, undo engine mounts, jack up the engine or crane it up about 3 or 4 inches, undo the track rod ends, then the rack mounting bolts, then undo the bolts joining the rack to the column, then using some swearing and a hammer try and seperate the column from the rack, disconnect, the hoses that go to the power steering pump and reservoir, but you may want to drain the power steering fluid using a pump, or just let the fluid drain into a bucket underneath when you unbolt the hoses, then just try and get the rack out, pulling it towards the rear of the car, be patient its a simple job, but can take a long time, reffiting is pretty much the reverse, just make sure all the hoses dont get tangled up or bent out of shape beyond use, and be very patient reconecting the column to rack, this is the longest, most annoying part, once all is done, fill it up with some good, fluid, take it for a spin, the steering wont feel that great for a few miles, and will drink a lot of fluid as it will take some time to get the whole way round the rack, thats all i can say really, good luck
cheers
James