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sjensen24 Member
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Can someone provide a procedure for installing this? It appears that it is necessary to remove the shaft between the firewall and the rack, pull out and install the bushing from the engine side of the firewall. Correct or not. |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator 
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Sounds right. I did mine years ago when the engine was out of the car. I removed the entire column to replace the plastic bits that make the column collapsible. Kurt |
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Art DeKneef Member
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Are you talking about the steering column bushing? Loosen the bolt on the knuckle that holds the spline end of the shaft. You will need to pry it open a little to remove the shaft. The knuckle shouldn't twist but remember the position before you do anything just in case. The spline end will have a flat area, remember its position for when you install the steering column. Go inside the car and remove the 4 bolts that hold the steering column in place. You should be able to remove the steering column. Or at least slide it out far enough to remove the old bushing. Clean the area, apply included grease to new bushing and slide on steering column. Slide steering column back into firewall making sure steering wheel is in the same position. It helps to have someone assisting at this point. One to guide the spline end onto the knuckle and the other person to push the steering column. Put the 4 bolts back, tighten everything up and you are ready for a test drive. Art |
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sjensen24 Member
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thanks |
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Jim Ketcham Member
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You must remove the bolt completely from the steering knuckle as it acts as a safety lock against the flat of the shaft. The knuckle can only go on one way for the bolt to go back in. Gently slide knuckle off so you do not damage collapsible link in steering shaft. I have found it helps to warm new bushing to get it in. |
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Lash Russell Member 
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If you currently have some play you will love this relatively simple and inexpensive repair! I was pretty amazed at how much play it took out of the steering. Now, on to getting my front bushings replaced>>> |
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scottsmi Member
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Hi Kurt , What did you use to replace the plastic bits in the steering column? Thanks, Scott |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator
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Believe it or not, string trimmer line. Yes, Weed Whacker line. Don't blame it on me, I wasn't the first! The two halves of the steering column are held together by a plastic pin. Any sturdy plastic of the correct diameter should do the job. http://www.mcmaster.com may have something more elegant. If there is a big impact on the end of the column, the pin shears off and the column collapses. Kurt |
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scottsmi Member
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Thanks Kurt! I will give it a try. Scott |
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atgparker Member 
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Wish I had read this before last week. It would seem that my plastic pin/s was indeed sheared and was in part the reason for the bushing in the fire wall getting wasted. I have just replaced the bushing but am dashed to understand were the shear pin/s are located in the column. Is/are it/they in the section were the steel outter housing is like expanded metal plate with a plastic shroud that covers the opennings? With out the shear pin/s in place the column keeps getting longer and the boss on the shaft for the bushing to act on keeps sliding out of the firewall and folding up the steering shaft uni-joints. Not a good situation! Can you get at the pin location/s with the column in the car or will I have to take it out again? Are there one or two of these shear pins? Last edited on 07-09-2013 09:18 pm by atgparker |
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Art DeKneef Member
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You are correct that the shear pins are underneath the plastic cover and the mesh. I thought I had pictures of when I rebuilt my steering column but can't find them now. So with that in mind I believe there are 2 shear pins. I'm guessing that you might be able to fix by leaving it in the car. But I know it is a lot easier working on it and cleaning it when it is out of the car. I took the opportunity to clean the steering column and freshen it up when restoring one of the cars. |
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atgparker Member
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Art, Thanks for the clarification on the pins and there location. I took liberty last night and made an aluminum plate. It is mounted to the studs which are part of the column and poke through the fire wall. This plate has a 5/8 hole in the middle and a bunch of urethane grease behind it! I then took a standard garden hose washer and backed it with some orings on the steering shaft. Then I put the splined u-joint back on and set the distance to buffet the o-rings just a tad. Now the steering columb stays put and I have a killer heat shield covering the bushing. |
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Art DeKneef Member
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Glad to be of help. You should be good for several years with that fix. On to the next item on your list I imagine. |
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atgparker Member
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Art I hope I get more than a few years out of the new bushing? But too that end has anyone thought about covering the ruddy steering shaft with some 5/8 hose pipe and aluminum foil? This might help curb the heat-load that has to assuradly travel up and into the bushing not to mention the blasted joints and thier respective sleeves and bearings? I had a Discovery 1 which had a foil cloth wrap on the steering shaft as the cast manifold and the shaft were close together on the Rover V8 but nothing like the Jensen's thread it through the header north american specification. |
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Art DeKneef Member
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I'm sure the bushing will last for a real long time. I asked someone who replaced the bushing about 6 - 7 years ago and said it was still good. The idea of wrapping the steering shaft is good but in checking my cars it wouldn't work. As it is now the rubber hose would either touch the header or be really, really close and probably burn and smell. Might depend on the car though. |
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Brett Gibson JH5 20497 Member
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The permant fix is to have a bushing made out of bronze or brass, I had access to a lathe and made my own minus the small nubs that stick out of the plastic one, the fire wall flange holds it all in place without them, many miles later all is well and still no play. Brett |
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