BJ8..need help..

[MKIII_Joey]

Hello...first excuse my small english...i am a Healey Driver from germany....who can give me a tip? (advice?) I cannot fitting the flasher unit in the steering wheel hub. Its a original moto-lita Adapter. I have a new flasher unit with a short tube and and thick aluminium baseplate. The original unit had a thin steel baseplate. Its not possible to move the unit in the hub with the flasher knob on 12 o'clock.
The Picture Shows the unit before i made the mistake....
Thanks in advice...
Happy Healeying
Joey

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Welcome to the forum, Joey.

It just so happens I just bought a new wood steering wheel for my BN2 from a guy--Michael Lempert--who makes reproduction steering wheels here in the USA. In my conversations with Mike he related that some, if not all, of the Moto-Lita hubs--which is what I think you mean by 'adapter'--are not machined properly to accept an Austin-Healey trafficator (or turn indicator, what I think you mean by flasher). It sounds like this may be your problem, but maybe not. Mike bought a lathe in order to machine Moto-Lita hubs to properly accept the AH trafficator.

 

[AUSMHLY]

Welcome Joey, maybe Bob can provide Michael Lempert's contact information so you can have him help you.
The correct way for the 3 spoke steering wheel is to have one of the spokes at 12 o'clock, not 6 as in your photo. That way the other two spokes provide a better sight of the gauges

 

[Keoke]

That position U stated is correct for a three spoke original Healey wheel.

However, for Joey's wheel the position shown is correct.

 

[steveg]

Welcome to the forum, Joey.

It just so happens I just bought a new wood steering wheel for my BN2 from a guy--Michael Lempert--who makes reproduction steering wheels here in the USA. In my conversations with Mike he related that some, if not all, of the Moto-Lita hubs--which is what I think you mean by 'adapter'--are not machined properly to accept an Austin-Healey trafficator (or turn indicator, what I think you mean by flasher). It sounds like this may be your problem, but maybe not. Mike bought a lathe in order to machine Moto-Lita hubs to properly accept the AH trafficator.

Joey - you can take the adapter to a machine shop and have them lathe out the interior enough to clear the Healey trafficator flange. I think this is what Mike Lempert would do.
My Moto Lita adapter fits fine.

Having said that, Lempert's hubs (adapters) are beautiful!

 

[Bob_Spidell]

https://www.pbase.com/mdlempert/wheels

 

[Keoke]

BOB:
Did you get a Healey specific wheel as shown.



Or one like Joey's ???

 

[AUSMHLY]

That position U stated is correct for a three spoke original Healey wheel.

However, for Joey's wheel the position shown is correct.

MKII Joey, which ever 3 spoke steering wheel you have/use, set it up so that you can see the gauges. That may be with the spoke at 12 or at 6.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

BOB:
Did you get a Healey specific wheel as shown.



Or one like Joey's ???

Hi Keoke,

Well, I wasn't going to show off, but if you insist :wink-new: I got this one (which I think is the one in the photo you posted):

https://www.pbase.com/mdlempert/image/162744751

Mike says it's a replica of the wheel used in the 100S that crashed at LeMans, DMH used in his personal coupe' and is Gerry Coker's second design. I couldn't resist, the chechen wood is just too gorgeous. Mike buys black--anodized, I suspect--Moto Lita hubs then polishes them and machines out the trafficator cavity if necessary. I also sprung for the original riveting because I got a bigger-than-expected tax refund and felt a little flush.

 

[Keoke]

BOB:
That is great way to spend extra cash.

 

[MKIII_Joey]

Thanks for your answers...
But the Problem is it was previously installed as you can see on the pics. It seems there is a problem with the tube at the end from the turn indicator. It no longer fits into the steering column. There's a back stand that prevants the inserting of the unit. I can turn and move it as i like it doesnt fit into the moto-lita hub.
Happy Healeying
Joe

 

[John Turney]

The tube at the back of the turn indicator (trafficator in English) should slide into the tube leading up from the steering box. the lower tube should have a slot in it and the upper tube should have some bumps that slide into the slot. It's often difficult to get those bumps and slot to line up and slide in. It may help to widen the slot at the top slightly to help guide the bumps in.

 

[MKIII_Joey]

Hm...that was a quick Response...thanks.
I think thats the reason.
Happy Healeying
Joey

 

[blueskies]

Another thing that you can try is to loosen the nut that fits over the olive at the bottom of the tube that the wires run in. Pull the tube out a few inches towards the front of the car. Does the trafficator unit then fit all the way down into the steering hub? If so, then it likely is a problem of the bumps on the trafficator stem not meshing with the groove in the tube, as John suggested. Then it should just be a matter of modifying the fit between the tube and trafficator stem a little. I hope this makes sense.

 

[why]

Before you start work say: "right old chap here we go"

 

[MKIII_Joey]

Hello...thanks a lot for your answers....
@blueskies: Next weekend i ☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼ the car, remove the wheels and unscrew the olive at the end of the steering box. I hope with a little help from my Garage neighbour i can clear the vault....I will give a Report next week...
Happy Healeying
Joey

 

[rjc157]

Remember once you remove the olive nut at the end of the steering box all the oil will come out

 

[MKIII_Joey]

Hiii...
i will give you a short Feedback....today i have jacked off the car dismanteld the wheels and remove the nut and the olive from the steering box. Oil was'nt in.
And that was precisely the Problem ( not the missing oil..hehe)....after dismanteling of the olive the tube from the trafficator slipped into and the hole of the steering box....it had it been.
Happy Healeying
Joey