TR2/3/3A TR3 turn signal return mechanism?

[PeterK]

I have the ss tube from macysgarage.com and a new SC94 harness from britishwiring.com. The wire slid effortlessly through the tube w/o coaxing.

Well worth the $$ IMO.

 

[newmexTR3]

I had one of those "wish-I-hadn't-bothered" days yesterday trying to get the new stator tube on.

First and foremost, if you have a new control head (TRF) with the thicker cloth covering for the wiring harness and you're using the stator tube from Macy's Garage, DO NOT BOTHER trying to feed it through the tube. I spent hours trying to do so- I removed the bullet connector ends, lubricated the tube, used the push and pull method, etc. Nothing worked.

I was able to get the 4 wires through, but then the cloth got stuck halfway through and became thoroughly stuck. So much so that I couldn't move the harness either way. I end up having to ream the tube out with a hammer and some threaded rod. and in the process breaking one of the wires. And cracking my new control head. ugh. The cloth is simply too big to get through, so I stripped it off and voila, easy fit.


The real problem was yet to begin though and here's where I could use some advice. I ordered a new olive & brass retaining nut from TRF, but I spent hours trying to get them on the tube. The problem seems to be that the olive they supplied is so big within the nut that I couldn’t get purchase on the threads on the end of the steering box. I even tried grinding the height of the olive done more the half way. This worked a little better, but then the nut would strip and I’d have to start all over again. Eventually the olive actually cracked, so I had to give up and clean up without accomplishing anything other than breaking parts and feeling defeated.


Is this just an issue of the olive being too big? I can't believe it would be so hard to get in this thing installed. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Gavin

btw- just found this vintage driving light site: /www.vintage-headlamp-restoration.com

 

[DNK]

Somebody check British wiring. Can't get the site.

 

[sp53]

So I take it that the cat is still alive? I have been down that road your on, so you are not alone. Anyways the plastic parts are not hard to find and easy to replace. I might even have one. There was somebody selling them on ebay new awhile back. Like Randall said the ferrule and olive should be just basic hardware store stuff and your end plate looks right. It does sound like you have some steering issues going on , and from the way things look, at best, you only had the box half full of fluid. And clearly a total rebuild would be one way of fixing it. However, throwing money at a problem is not always the best solution because some new parts are crap. The PO might have filled the box with grease because it leaked oil and that probably would have worked fine and kept everthing ok . I would pull the top cover off the box and look inside at the worm gear. Put the top cover back on right away because if you turn the steering wheel with the cover off the peg will lift out and damage the gear. Do not turn the wheel with the cover off because the adjustment screw is on the cover and not in place to hold the peg down. It is easy to do I promise( you might want to pull the driver horn off), and if it looks good meaning there are no visible chips in the gear, I would then check to see if the steering box holds fluid. In your case, I would pull the stator tube back a little and find/fit the proper brass fitting for the end then put a piece of rubber plug in that to seal the end and fill the box with 90 oil and check for leaks. If the box does not leak, it might be ok.

 

[TR3driver]

Hmm, does sound odd. Does the nut fit on the thread OK without the sleeve ? How tall is the nut ?

"The nut would strip" sounds like you have some badly damaged threads now (even if you didn't before); which probably means more new parts.

I've probably got an extra front plate up in the attic somewhere, but can't get it down until I get the Stag done and out of the way. (It's getting closer, though, the diff is all hooked up and I just have to finish the exhaust.)

But if memory serves, the hardware store sleeves actually let the nut run a little closer to the box than the original sleeves did. The hardware store sleeves are tapered on both sides, while the original was only tapered on one side.

Don, https://www.britishwiring.com/ works for me. The steering column subharness is at https://www.britishwiring.com/CAT28_29.PDF

 

[DNK]

Randall- wasn't working on Monday Am. Seems ok now

 

[newmexTR3]

I ordered a new olive & brass retaining nut from TRF, but I spent hours trying to get them on the tube. The problem seems to be that the olive they supplied is so big within the nut that I couldn’t get purchase on the threads on the end of the steering box.

I finally got around to trying to get this installed correctly this weekend with a new control head. I'm encountering the same problem with the compression nut just not having enough height to start threading. Any suggestions?

I've tried a few different compression nuts from different hardware store, but none of them has proved any different even though they are slightly different in height. It seems like this would work if i could find a compression nut that was 1" tall. Haven't had any luck finding such a thing though online.

Now I guess I'll try re-threading the threaded portion of the steering box. Anyone know what size thread die I would have to get to do that?

Cheers,
Gavin

 

[TR3driver]

What happens if you try to thread the nut onto the front plate without the compression sleeve?

I don't recall the size offhand, but it's not a common thread.

 

[newmexTR3]

What happens if you try to thread the nut onto the front plate without the compression sleeve?

It goes on just fine- that's what's so frustrating.

The off the shelf compression nuts must be a common thread- so I don't mind rethreading the bit on the front plate to match that. I'm just unfamiliar with buying dies... so I wouldn't know which to order. The compression but is sold as a 3/8" size, which I assume refers to the diameter interior hole.

 

[TR3driver]

Well; someone pass the crow, please. I would have sworn I used a common compression nut in the past, but I just dug a front plate out of the parts bin, and a brand new 3/8" compression nut from Home Depot doesn't fit at all! The thread is the right pitch (24 tpi), but the threads in the nut are too large in diameter. The front plate only measures .525" across the thread peaks; while the compression fitting is .558" and the nut is a sloppy fit even on that. Likely if the nut were a snugger fit, it would work, but these sure don't.

The off-the-shelf nuts are supposed to be 9/16-24, which is a 'standard' thread but certainly not a common one. But since the front cover is already too small, that's not going to help. I can only suggest trying to find an original nut; or perhaps buying a 5/16" compression nut and cutting it to fit.
5/16" compression nuts should have 1/2-24 threads, which are technically somewhat smaller than the front plate I have, but if they fit as sloppy as the fitting I got from Home Depot, they'll probably go right on.

Or, I see MMC has a 3/8" compression nut with 1/2-24 threads (P/N 51745K292). Might work.

 

[newmexTR3]

Well; someone pass the crow, please. I would have sworn I used a common compression nut in the past, but I just dug a front plate out of the parts bin, and a brand new 3/8" compression nut from Home Depot doesn't fit at all!

That explains a lot, thanks so much Randall. Mark from Macy's told me that the Home Depot one would work, as well as some other people too. In truth, it does "sorta" work w/o the compression sleeve, but obviously in my case it's not gonna cut it. Anyone on list got an extra original one they'd like to part with?

Thanks for the mcmaster link!

 

[Twosheds]

Anyone on list got an extra original one they'd like to part with?

Found one!

Yours for postage. Send me your mailing address in a personal message.