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TR2/3/3A Installing wiring harness in steering column

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R

Redoakboo

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I am midway through the restoration of my 1954 TR-2 Long Door. I have just attached the steering wheel and am getting ready to pull the wiring down the column. As I recall, when I removed the wiring oil kept leaking out the bottom tube. Don't remember what I did to stop it but think I tighten the nut on the bottom of the tube.Does that nut hamper, not being loosened, the pulling of the wires now?

Dick
 
Indeed it does.....that nut is what keeps the center hub from turning with the steering wheel. Remove the nut and follow the procedure in the service manual.
 
I find it easier to work the wires through the tube with the tube out of the column. That way, you can attach the pulling wire to something else (like the bench vise), then pull on the tube while feeding the wires into the other end. Doing it on the car makes it a two-man job (one to pull, one to guide the wires).

But if you're doing it on the car, there is no reason having the nut tight should interfere with the pulling process. You'll want it loose for the next step (installing the control head in the proper orientation), but it doesn't impact the path the wire takes.
 
Sounds good, but how do you remove the tube from the column? After I loosened the nut, on the bottom of the tube, I noticed oil started dripping out again?I have the TR Mtc Manual but, couldn't find the section on the Control Head?

Dick
 
Found the procedure in the manual. I assume after removing the bottom nut I should be able to pull the tube out from the top?

Dick
 
Right, remove the nut and the gland/olive/compression sleeve under it; then pull the tube out the top. But the oil in the steering box will drain out; not really any way around that.
 
I found that putting some heat shrink over the end of the wires before you started to pull them made life much easier. Managed it in the car single handed. All I did was made sure the wire at the steering wheel end was in line with the tube.
There is a piece of black heat shrink in the first photo and the red piece covers the end of the wires down onto the pull wire.

David
Wire Pull 2.jpg
Wire pull.jpg
 
Randall,

I have reached the Peter principle on this one.
I did get the tube out and eventually got the wires in the tube; after many tries. I pulled the wires so there was only about 2" sticking out of the tube, and I put shrink wrap, as recommend by one of my helpers, on the ends.
I got the tube almost re-installed, about towards the end when it apparently pushed out some kind of metal sleeve at the bottom? After twisting and turning the sleeve, which came apart in pieces, I was able to grab each wire and pull it through until the steering head was almost installed.

My problem now is the tube has not come out at the bottom, and I have about 3" to much on the top? I have tried to pull the tube back out from the top, won't budge? I tried tapping the tube with a punch from the top, all it does is bend the end of the tube.

Help!
 
Hmm, sounds like a mess! I think I would pull the wires out at this point, and concentrate on trying to drive the tube upward. Get a piece of smooth rod the same outside diameter as the tube, maybe even turn a spigot on the end to fit inside the tube.

The other alternative, I'm afraid, is going to be removing the steering box and drilling out whatever is jammed inside there.

A photo of the mystery sleeve might help; only thing I can think of is that maybe one of the "lantern" springs didn't come out with the tube and is now jammed between the end of the worm and the cover.
 
The mtc manual is not very helpful in the way of parts pic's.After what i went through to get those wires in the tube, I hate to pull them back out.

What is a Lantern Spring, and what is it's purpose? Would removing the bottom plate on the steering box help me find what causing the blockage?
 
Sorry, I don't have a photo handy to share. There should be two springs on the outside of the stator tube, shaped a little bit like Chinese lanterns. Each end is a solid ring of very thin steel, then the two ends are connected by multiple strips that arch to the other end. The book calls them "spring, anti-rattle", P/N 56334 Whole thing is only about 1" long.

Removing the end plate might help, depending on where the jam is.
 
Randall,

After your description, it was definitely a lantern spring. I removed it, along with all the pieces. Is this something I should replace, when I finally get the tube back out? Is this spring inside the steering box? I did not see if when I removed the tube.

Dick
 
If the Lantern springs are damaged I think either Moss or TRF sell a "O" ring that does the same job. All it is doing is keeping the tube centered in the column.

David
 
Thanks David,

Apparently one of the two springs is still there, and is blocking the tube from exiting the steering box. I am removing the cover today to try and find the obstruction. I don't dare pull the wires back out considering how long it took to get them pulled!

Dick
 
It's been awhile since I've removed the tube but:
If you take it out the bottom you definitely leave the lantern springs
in the column. Based on their design, it is VERY unlikely
that they will automatically "thread" on the tube upon reinsertion.
If you pull the tube out from the top, the lantern springs will
SOMETIMES come out with the tube. Either way if they are
floating around in the column there is a reassembly problem.
This revelation is probably to late do help.
 
I removed the bottom plate on the steering box and was able to unjam the second lantern spring. I am going down to buy some "O" rings to replace the springs with.
 
You could probable get the "O" rings at an ACE or other big box store. All they do is stop the tube from rattling.

David
 
David,
I have the tube loose now, need to go to ACE tomorrow to get a new sleeve and Gland nut; mine's cracked. How do I install the "O" rings, one at the bottom and one at the top? I imagine they must be thin enough to be able to re-insert the tube without them binding?

Dick
 
Dick I believe the threads on the end cap are proprietary threads meaning the tread is of their own making. I would take a step back and look at the race and bearing and shim pack that are next to the endcap which needs to be sealed and set. Did you rebuild the steering box? I have never tried the O ring idea, but if I did, I would install about 4-- O rings in line next to each other about where the Chinese lanterns were set; you will see the scare where they were crimped in place that way they would be about where they should be and less apt to slid; they would choke on each other and bit into the column when you push the stator tube down.
steve
 
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