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Trafficator is Killing Me!

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SHG

SHG

Jedi Warrior
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I'm sure everyone remembers the great trafficator posts, instructions and pics. Well, today I decided to give it a go. Either the instructions contain an error, or I misread them, but in removing the screws under the horn button, the nuts were lost so I try to take the entire unit out. The stator tubde doesn't pull out far enough to get to the 3 screws behind, and I can't figure out how to get to disconnect the wires at the end of the steering column. As long as it's open, I clean the trafficator, but have no idea what type of grease to use to lube it or what should be lubed. So now, I get it sorta back together, although the screws holding the bakelite onto the trafficator don't hold (since there is nothing to screw them into), the trafficator doesn't work to the right and doesn't cancel either side. The indicators inside the car aren't working, and, I noticed that I blew the 50A fuse (I don't even know what that's for, since the car works fine otherwise). Anybody feel like helping. I'm feeling a little burnt right now.

Scott
 
Hi SHG, What car and is the steering wheel adjustable. Betcha Horn won't work if said fuse is blown.---Keoke
 
Hey Keoke,

It's a 64 BJ8 with adjustable column. I wonder if there's a short that blew the fuse? I tried a 35A I had and it blew too.
 
Yep that did it SHG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. First look up under the grill surrond you will see a bunch of bullet connectors trace them back to the steering column stator tube. Disconnect them and feed the wiring back into the stator tube while pulling it out from the top, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif this should free the unit so you can get the unit far enough back to get at the three screws or remove it from the car. Let me know how you get on with this.--Keoke P.S. Reread this post
 
Is that where I have to tie a string to pull it back down, but have to cut the bullet connectors off because they won't go through? If I put the column all the way in, will I be able to turn the stator to get to the screws so I don't have to take the wires out?

Also, once I get it out, what parts get greased and what type of grease do I use. Thanks again Keoke.
 
You shouldn't have cut anything off. I taped the bullets to the wire in different places. Also many of the bullets are just slip thorugh wire bent over the end hole. Straighten and pull through.
 
Your first question: Maybe somtimes that can be done but most of the time it can not. You can try taping the bullets to reinstall the harness in the stator tube,However if that does not work for you,then cut them off and resolder them back on after the harness is pulled through . The harness is long enough so that it can be pulled through the grill to do this.AS for grease, any non fibre grease will work if you apply it sparingly to all of the moving parts.If you have white grease on hand that will work just fine---Keoke

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif SHG! Go back and reread my 4:43PM Post-------- OH! grease everthing that moves especially the two large springs on the half circle wire and the two little cancellation dogs.
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif[ QUOTE ]
. Also many of the bullets are just slip thorugh wire bent over the end hole. Straighten and pull through.

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonod.gif TH, Not these /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonono.gif---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Got it. Thanks. If I can get the stator tube out enough to get the 3 screws off, hopefully I can figure out the rest.
 
Mine came out easily so I didn't notice the bullets. I rebuilt my trafficator several years ago and did't think it was a big deal but I drew pictures as I disassembled things.
 
I did mine a few months ago. Mine was the non-adjustable one, so I had to pull the whole stator tube. Although with your adjustable type, in theory you could leave the stator tube in, if the wire loom has seized in the tube like mine then you may have to pull the whole stator tube out. If you need to take the whole stator tube out, first disconnect the wires under the hood at the bullet connectors, then put a container under the steering box to catch the lubricant, undo the olive nut at the base of the steering box and pull the whole stator tube out from the steering wheel end. Once it's out, you can do what I did which was to play a flame from a propane torch up and down the tube to get some heat into it, then pull on the wire loom to pull it out. To get the new wire loom back in , I did this on the bench [much easier than in the car. I soldered a pull wire to the first bullet [the bullets should be staggered if the loom has been built properly] then pull, feeding each bullet in turn into the stator tube. Once you have the wire loom through the stator, the whole assembly can be fed down through the steering column until the bottom of the stator tube is through the steering box. I found that any kind of tape wrap makes the wire loom too thick to go through the stator tube. Good luck and hope this helps

Mike
 
ditto. my problem is the same, sorta. I simply disassembled a working trafficator of my BN2 so I could polish the bakelite, and when I attempted to reassemble the unit the three screws could find no threads.

So, did you find any assembly instructions
 
There was a link with instructions for disassembling the trafficator that I had used which said to unscrew the two screws holding the horn contacts. As I learned (and so did you), this was not the thing to do. But a new link has better instructions with great pics. https://www.acmefluid.com.au/larry/trafficator.html
Once I get it all apart, I understand that there are washers and bolts that fell inside that would hold the screws. Oh well, nothing like getting intimate with a trafficator.
 
So we performed open heart surgery today on the trafficator. All went well, and I was able to get it off and out without cutting the wires. But, and here's the big but, once rebuilt, I could not get the little tab to move back to its notch, and now it isn't canceling. I have the two small pieces that cancel it in the proper places with the correct orientation, and it's all lubed up with nice clean lithium grease, but it's still not canceling. Keoke?
 
Well SHG, It may be that the oreintation of the two halves is off a bit. This implys that when the three screws on the back were reinstalled they did not go back in to the hole they came out of. Does the cancellation lever set at 12 oclock or off to one side a bit? also are the two split tangs that protrude vertically from the back located at the 6 oclock postion in the steering wheel.If the cancellation tangs are positioned correctly you should be able to make it cancel when held firmly in your hand.Finally does that part with the tab which will not go back to its detent notch move one direction but not the other?---Keoke
 
[ QUOTE ]
Maybe you put the flappers in backwards?

[/ QUOTE ]

TH,I wish that is what is wrong, but I am afraid it ain't going to be that simple. But may be easily corrected.---Keoke-- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
As for the lever and tangs, they are in the proper positions at 12 and 6. As for the tab that won't go back into the notch, it moved clockwise but not counter. The screws on the back went in well, and everything seated properly.

I spoke with Joe Curto yesterday about it, and he tells me that the large metal tab that comes off the back mounting plate was improperly located. He told me that had to be at 6 o'clock, and it wasn't. So I took the unit out and moved the metal piece to 6, but it started raining so I didn't take it out for a test drive. As Joe told me, "what do you think actually cancels the switch, you moron?" He also told me the small tab that fits into the notch doesn't actually do anything, so it doesn't matter if it's in place, though I'm surprised that they would put anything into the trafficator that doesn't have a purpose. Anyway, that's my status.
 
That was my take on the problem also SHG, so lets see if it works after the rain stops.---Keoke
 
[ QUOTE ]
I spoke with Joe Curto yesterday about it, and he tells me that the large metal tab that comes off the back mounting plate was improperly located. He told me that had to be at 6 o'clock, and it wasn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

When the large metal cancelling tab is in the 6 o'clock position, the steering wheel needs to turn one full revolution to contact the triggers (cancelling mechanism). If you put the tab in the 12 o'clock position, the steering wheel only needs to move 180 degrees before it cancels. You can observe this with the trafficator out by moving the turn signal lever to one side and then move the back plate in the opposite direction until it cancels. If it doesn't work when it is out of the car then it isn't going to work when it gets installed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif I did check the parts list and it shows the tab in the 6 o'clock position but I remember setting mine to the 12 position so that it would cancel after going through a larger radius corner where you don't turn the wheel as much. One other thing to keep in mind, it is necessary to tighten the grub screws that hold the backing plate to the steering wheel hub firmly .. if it's too loose, the plate can rotate and you won't get cancelling. Hope this helps a bit.

Cheers,
John
 
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