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TR2/3/3A TR3A steering wheel

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sp53- Thanks, I read your post and you have good suggestions. I'm sure I would be able to learn how to do the work, but since the new bushing needs to be honed I took your advice and took it to a Professional.

British Auto is about 40 minutes away from me so I drove out there and dropped off the steering column, old parts, and new parts today. They have a lot more experience than I do and they will go through the entire steering box to check specs and make adjustments as needed. One of the tips I learned today is that the peg on the rocker shaft wears down on 2 sides and if it is only worn slightly it can be removed, rotated 90 degrees, and pressed back in. If it is too worn they replace the peg.

They will install the parts I received from Moss and make sure it operates smoothly. They should have time to work on it this week and when I get it back it will be a tight rebuilt steering box. I've been thinking of how to install the new oil seal without damaging it and I feel better having a pro install it.

An hour or two of labor that it might take to do everything is well worth it. I'm looking forward to reassembling the car and driving it again. With new front brakes and new steering components it should drive nicely.

I have received great advice here on this site and if other TR3 owners have any questions about the steering that I can help with, let me know.

Finally, if anyone wants more pictures, ask now as the car is going back together soon. The other pics will be accessible for a while as a reference.
 
I picked up the steering column from Mark yesterday and it looks great and feels tight. Today I started to reassemble the steering components in the car. I put the column, crossmember, and other braces in.

I have a question about the steering wheel/stator/control head junction. I slid the control head and stator tube into the column and fished the wires out through the steering box. At the steering wheel there are 3 set screws. One of these would not come out during disassembly and I wound up drilling it out. So, my question is: if the one set screw that goes in the hole that aligns with the dimple is the main locator, what do I do if that hole has been drilled out? Tap it with a larger diameter set screw? The other two set screw holes would appear to come point to edge with a metal disc that is part of the stator tube/control head.

I am asking because I can line everything up and tighten the nut and olive and it will hold the control head from spinning, but there is some resistance when I turn the steering wheel and it wants to move the control head. I can feel the pressure build up during the turning and it is not the normal stiffness when the steering wheel is dead center left to right. If I remember how it felt before disassembly, the steering wheel turned smoothly and did not put pressure as it rotated around the static control head. The control head remains in one position during normal operation, correct?

If you view the TR3 update album and look at the last 2 pictures of the steering control head you will see the parts. There is a v shaped cut into the large metal disc of the stator tube just behind the control head. Is this v groove supposed to be there or is it from my drilling out the set screw? It looks like it is supposed to be there to retain a set screw and stop the disc from rotating.
https://photos.yahoo.com/sdelthony
 
I've been thinking about teh set screws and their purpose. They hold the metal disc (that is part of the self-cancelling turn signals) tight to the steering wheel so the turn signals work correctly. Right now I am waiting for some new set screws to come from Moss. The steering column is back together and once the new set screws are in the steering should work well.

Can anyone answer my question about the v shaped cut-out on the edge of the metal disc/plate that is held to the steering wheel by the set screws?
 
Well I don't think there is supposed to be a notch there nor can I think what purpose it would serve. If the location of that notch corresponds with where the set-screw meets the disc then 1) perhaps it occured when you drilled out the set screw and 2) you might need a slightly longer set screw in that spot to grip the disc.

Or... Sometimes the disc gets a bit of a dent where someone has tightened a set screw with too much enthusiasm -- this could also account for why that one screw was unwilling to come out. Does it look like it was formed by a screw pressing into the edge of the disc?

If it does not correspond with where a set screw meets the disc then I would think it doesn't matter.
 
I think the screw may have been tightened with too much enthusiasm as you said, that would also explain the difficulty getting it out. I've looked at the indentation/notch and it doesn't have any fresh marks that would come from a drill bit. It looks like the notch was made a long time ago. Either way, once I get some new screws in those holes it should pin the plate and stop it from moving.

I put the new idler arm in and connected all the tie rod ends and other joints tonight. The grill and front body pieces went back on and the bummper will be back on soon.

I found some grade 8 nuts and bolts in 3/8-24 thread although the nyloc nuts in that size are still elusive. If I cannot find them locally I'll order them from the bolt depot mentioned in the other post.

Things are moving along now and I'll be in for an inspection soon.
 
Aloha Sean,

The set screws are tapered at the end. As they are tightened they will engage the self canceling disk on the horn button side and press the disk down on the machined flat surface in the steering wheel hub. The friction is sufficient operate the self canceling mechanism. I believe your analysis is correct, the observed notch is the result over tightening or drilling in the past. The set screws also hold the control head in place on the steering wheel. In the past, I have replaced the mild steel set screws, aka grub screws, with stainless steel ones (found at Lowe's). The mild steel ones may rust in place and make them hard to remove.

Safety Fast,
Dave
 
Hi Dave, thanks for the confirmation. Would you happen to remember the size of the set screws? I brought one with me to the store and could not find an exact match. They don't appear to be an English or Metric sized bolt, so are they machine screws?
 
Aloha Sean,

I don't recall the exact size, but they are a standard machine screw thread, probably 10 gauge. I'll check when I get home. You mentioned that one of the holes was drilled out in the past. You can probably repair that with an epoxy thread repair kit and a long machine screw of the correct thread pattern.

Safety Fast,
Dave
 
Aloha Sean,

The ones in my steering wheel are 10-32 machine screw thread. I thing the original set screws have a slotted head for use with a screw driver. The ones I've found in hard ware stores now tend to require an allen wrench.

Safety Fast,
Dave
 
Hi Sean sounds like you are on the right track; good job. Anyways, I am just offering a word of caution that might not be necessary. Was the set screw adjusted that sits on top of the steering box? Often these screws are out of adjustment and will allow the peg to pop out of the worm gear, so make sure that the screw is turned in on the peg providing a small amount of drag on the shaft. You could probably just ask the shop if they set this. It is basically the only adjustment there is once the shaft is rebuilt. I only mention it because if they did not and you assumed that they did it could case problems.

Regards George
 
Thanks for set screw size. I received my new ones from Moss and they require an allen wrench to install. I tapped the last hole and modified a 12-24 screw to screw into the opening.

I had British Auto rebuild the steering box and he did all the adjustments so I am confident that the steering box is all set. He specifically told me not to make any changes to it except for adding lube. Thanks for mentioning it.

After I screwed the control head in yesterday I put the bumpers and wheels on and tightened everything down. Then I started it up and drove it around the neighborhood. So far so good. Now, in for another inspection.
 
George, I had British Auto rebuild the steering box and when he was finished he told me not to make any changes to the settings. I only added lube to the box.

I took the car for an inspection today and it passed! One major task is done, now on to selling it.

TR3 fans: shoot me a PM if you have an interest in buying a TR3A.
 
The car is officially for sale. Please look for the ad in the classified forum if you are interested.
Thanks.
 
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