Stator/Traficator [Control Head] Question

[BruceAllcorn]

I am in the process of replacing the steering wheel on my '62 BT7. I ordered a new control head and stator tube and have got the wire from the control head thru the stator tube. My problem is that the short tube on the control head, which "slips" over the stator tube, hardly "slips" at all. I have the 4 inverted notches lined up with the slot on the stator tube but it takes quite a bit of force to get the short tube to slide over the long tube. I am wondering if anyone else has had to deal with this problem. I have applied grease, but to no avail. I could, I suppose, grind out the slot in the staror tube and then squeeze the tube to make the diameter along the slot a little smaller, but before I start experimenting with $400.00 dollars worth of new parts I thought I'd ask the experts. Since it is an adjustable steering wheel setup, I am presuming that it should slide rather easily. Any advise?

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Sounds like the new parts are not manufactured to the correct clearances/tolerances (not uncommon in the 'Made in Taiwan' era). The long and short tubes should slide easily, else you'll have trouble adjusting your steering wheel (chances are you'll want it all the way in all the time anyway, but you can remove the control head without removing the stator if they slide easily). You'll have to either file out the slot a little, or file down the pegs ('inverted notches') or maybe a little of both.

Note the problem with these--even with the OEM parts--is the corners at the end of the slot on the stator tube aren't radius-ed, so you'll get cracking there eventually.

 

[rjc157]

I would take the stator tube out and dry fit the 2 and see what needs to be done