Steering rack install help, please.

[vagt6]

This refers to a MK III Midget with the late 1275/1500 steering rack.

AT the top of the rack, where it goes into the firewall, there's a sliding yoke or sleeve into which the steering column goes. You can see in this photo that mine just slides up and down and is not secured.

I took the steering column out recently and this part is not secured: it just slides down the rack.

Question: how does this sliding sleeve secure to the rack or firewall? What am I missing?

In the first photo, it's all the way up to the firewall:

In this photo, below, it's slides way down. It's supposed to be connected to the firewall somehow. How does it attach?

 

[JPSmit]

Mark, just looked at mine and it appears that the bell shaped piece (on the left) is permanently mounted about where it is in the second picture. I did not see anything resembling the white piece that slides - could it thread into the piece that comes through the firewall?

 

[vagt6]

I'm going to remove it and try agian.

Very strange, hopefully, I can fix it.

 

[JPSmit]

does the white floating collar fit inside the white piece that comes through the firewall?

 

[vagt6]

JP, it must somehow.

I have a helper, we'll prolly figure it out when we remove the column again. At least the removal will be easier this time.

By the way, the shop manual does not address the later steering columns, this one is different, only installed on later manufacture 1275s and 1500 Midgets.

Oh well. If anyone has other suggestions, please let 'em rip!

Thanks, JP. :thumbsup:

 

[Jim_Gruber]

This is different from the spare '68 Column I have sitting in my garage. The Rack and I'm guessing the column changed in 72? when there was a switch to the Spitfidget Rack.

 

[vagt6]

Hey, Jim.

Seems you're right on regarding the steering rack switch. The Moss catalog indicates the later 1275 & 1500 rack is "from mid-1972 model year.

I'm gonna figure this one out, one way or the other. I'll take photos, if it seems useful.

Please keep any suggestions coming . . . and thanks to you all for the help.

 

[vagt6]

OH, I forgot to tell you all how the locksmith got the broken key end out of the ignition switch. We removed the whole column and took it to the local locksmith, steering wheel and all.

It took him almost an HOUR to get the key out (about $40 worth). After removing it, he sprayed a ton of WD-40 in the lock and a HUGE amount of graphite/greasy crap oozed out of the switch area. He sprayed it thoroughly about 5-6 times until relatively clean WD-40 residue came out.

I'd always heard that you're never supposed to use anything but graphite in locks. He said the graphite tends to get packed down into the bottom of the lock, causing a big glob of packed-down graphite that can impede operation of the lock.

Mine sure had a big glob of graphite in there. Now the switch works MUCH smoother.

Strange but true.

 

[JPSmit]

Interesting about graphite - makes sense.

Here are a couple of pictures of mine - thought they might help though I'm not sure they show the solution. Good Luck!!

 

[vagt6]

JP, thaanks for the photos.

A buddy is coming over to help me fix it on Monday. I'm betting that it's something stupid I did when I took it out last week. That's usually the case when something doesn't work.

I'll see Monday. More later on this exciting topic . . .

 

[JPSmit]

I'm betting that it's something stupid I did when I took it out last week. That's usually the case when something doesn't work.

story of my entire life right there.