Steering column Turn signal thingie...

Well heck I don't know what else to call this.... thing. It's the uhm... lug? that sticks out on the side of the steering shaft just behind the steering wheel. It's purpose is to disenguage the turn signal as the car is straightening out of the turn. Well, mine seems to be 90 degrees'ish off. Is there a way to reposition this device without realigning the wheels?

I had a quick glance at it this past weekend, but didn't see anyway to remove and reposition the thing. I'm just wondering if i might have over looked the obvious with my quick look. If I can reposition it without re-aligning the wheels, awsome. If not... eh I need to take the tie rod ends off anyways...

thanks for any tips on this anyone might be able to provide.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Does you turn signal not disengage automatically. The "knot" on the steering wheel is fixed if I remember correctly. More than likely it is the plastic "thingy" that is part of your turn signal switch that is not working properly. I think the knot is set up so that if you rotate the wheel 180 degrees it back it should disengage the turn signal. Your's may be in the wrong spot it is just that I've never hear of one moving.
JC

Steering column has likely been apart for some reason.

Wheels straight ahead, steering wheel off, remove the pin bolts from the U-joint at the firewall, fuss it around to allow you to disengage the column shaft then rotate the shaft 'till the "nubbin" is between the ears of the switch (90-degrees left), and replace everything. It's a "contest" to get at the U-J, but if ya want something badly enuff, ya gotta work fer it ;}

On my car the previous owner didn't reassemble the column tube to the rack correctly so the turn signal cancel mechanism was out of time with the wheels. The column tube had to be repositioned and then the steering wheel.

Take a look at https://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/electricstext2.htm#cancel and look at “They don’t cancel”

jcatnit: eoh mine cancel ok, but there is a HUGE difference in how far I have to turn the wheel one way to cancel versus the other way. For example, left turn signal on: turn the wheel 45 to 90 degrees to the right (from straight) and the signal cancels. Right turn signal on: turn the wheel 270 degrees to the left (from straight) to cancel...

DrEntropy: are you talking about disassembling the U-Joint itself? Or is there a splined sleeve and shaft in that area that I can fiddle with to correctly recenter the steering shaft? ermmm... never mind... I just looked over the URL that ChrisS provided... in clarified my questions. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

ChrisS: thanks for the link, I think it answers exactly what I want to know on how to correct this problem.

In short it looks like there might be two ways I can correct the problem, because I have a "late model" MGB. The 'nubbin' should be a "tight fit" type and I might be able to move it into the correct position. If not, I'll have to take DrEntropy's method. Then again, DrEntropy's method may be the more correct way of fixing it.

While I'm in there this weekend I think I'll have a look into why i have a little slack in the steering column. It's not much but it's noticeable. I can jiggle the steering wheel up & down and side to side, but it doesn't seem to move in and out at all. Plus, there's maybe 1/2 of a degree of turn (maybe not even that much, but I can know it's there) in the steering wheel before I feel it catch the rest of the steering system.

"thingie?"

Picking up some jaybirdspeak?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

eh... my room mate's wife calls EVERYTHING a "thingie"... hear it enough you'll pick it up... I use to call namelesss (rather items I didn't know the name of) chingadero, doohickey, whatchamacallit, yahoo, etc... but there's one name that I use to love using all the time... but for some stupid reason I can't remember what it was... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

On my 71 GT, that indicator return lug is fitted stiffly onto the steering shaft, and merely needs to be shimmied/rotated/moved into an operative position to return the turn signals. Shouldn't be any need to go pulling everything apart. You just need to remove the plastic cowl and take off the universal switch, and there she is!

SoS

[ QUOTE ]
"thingie?"

Picking up some jaybirdspeak?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


Not olny jaybirdspeak, but jaybird stage direction. As in his post about a new Lotus Elise:


*turns green with envy*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

weeeee... got the nubbin move to the right place! and while I was at it, I disassembled the front turn signal lights and cleaned up all the contacts. I also, decided I've had enough of my turn signal stalk falling out when I use it and Gorilla Glued it into the switch. It's good to have my turn signals automatically cancel like they should... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif