Steering rack issue

[95Compact]

Looking into a clunk in my front end, I took off the passenger-side inner tie rod boot and this is what the end of the steering rack looks like!!

While leaning on the tie rod towards the rear of the car:





And towards the front:




Is there a bushing missing or something? Like one that guides the rack through the end of the housing tube? Yikes..

[95Compact]

Oh geez, lemme guess.. it's (was) blue plastic?

It's shredded all over the grease.

[zoom zoom]

Yep...was blue kinda orangeish and now gone! Mentalmark might have some left? Can you twist that steering rack a little?...just curious..

[95Compact]

Haha, I knew it.. Did mentalmark fabricate some replacements, thats what I planned to do out of Delrin...?

Do you mean can i twist it in its mounts?

[zoom zoom]

The rod that goes thru the middle, does it want to twist or try to roll a little in the rack?

[95Compact]

Nope, the rack shaft itself is pretty firm in there - I can rotate it about 2-3 degrees, but it takes some effort and there' s really no 'slop'. I think the bushing on the driver's side is ok.

Is the rack-to-pinion mesh adjustable on these? I think I'm going to pull out the assembly and rebuild it. My neighbor has a machine shop, I'll have them cut new Delrin bushings for the ends and clean everything out..

What grease/lube goes in the rack housing?