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Hello all! I haven’t posted on here lately as I haven’t done anything to the TDr lately. Just been driving her as is although I got an electronic ignition (pertronix ignitor II) put in.
I do have a small problem though, (and it has happened three times now) that my steering wheel adaptor starts to rub on my turn signal lever, causing it to turn on with any slight movement of the wheel. I fixed it the first time by making a small spacer on the column to hold the steering wheel and adapter out further by 1/8″ or so. However it did it again so I took a sanding and grinding wheel to the inside of the turn lever to get it to set further forward on the column. (Also used the hammering technique to install ;)) But now it has started once again, and I am not sure why.Is there any way that the inner column can move around thus causing the housing and column to move closer to each other?If anyone has any ideas let me know, I’m at a loss. And this just started maybe a month ago, so it’s not something that happened at all since I’ve gotten it.Not sure why it would move if it wasn’t all loose. But there is this: in the kit instructions I’ve seen the directions said to heat the turn signal stalk at the bend, and bend it straight. That should give you more than an inch of space between the edge of the wheel and the stalk itself.
The P.O. of my car broke the stalk and then screwed and epoxied it back on backwards. I took off that assembly in favor of an old monogrammed pen I had in my desk–nice and straight and not too obviously bogus with a VW knob bolted to the end of it.You can just about see it here:
Not familiar with the VW column, but does the stalk thread in like a domestic GM or Ford turn signal stalk? If so, the short tilt column adjuster lever from a domestic vehicle will thread in in place of the turn signal lever. Basically, 3″ as opposed to 6″. Just a thought.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"Ok, although to specify it’s not the arm that is rubbing its the part that is actually on the steering column. It is like THIS one. My dad put a washer on it while I was gone the other day so we will see how it goes. If it keeps occurring I may check out the steering box and see if something is loose.
Although those ideas are good since my lever is very near to hitting the wheel. It is all one piece though so I can’t put a threaded adaptor on, I’d have to machine something up.Nobody…Check in the front trunk area where the steering shaft sticks through the end of the steering column. My kit assembly manual says to fabricate a bushing and install it in between the shaft and column. They suggest making the bushing out of a 1/2-inch think boating nylon pulley wheel. It gets secured with two self-tapping screws. If you don’t have the bushing in there, give it a try. At the least, it will center the shaft in the column.
Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackIf it is the older style steering column without the ignition key and lock, the whole turn signal assembly can be loosened and slid up and down the column, unless I’m mistaken.
It’s been a long time, but that’s what I recall… Look for a set screw on the side opposite the turn signal lever…The assembly has to be close enough to the steering wheel so that the tang that cancels the turn signals can engage. But, the clearance should be adjustable…As far as fabricating a bushing for the column and shaft, Allen, I’ve thought of getting one of these, and splitting it so it can go on over the shaft….Mine had a beat up old bushing that had slid down out of the shaft. I slid it back up the shaft and put a locking collar on the shaft to try to hold it in place. If that doesn’t work, I’m going to try the urethane bushing route…KentT2014-03-12 19:04:00
Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...Kent,
The bushing is in the download manuals tab on the left. Look the CMC manual, Part 1, page 45. Its all there.Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The ShackI’ve been browsing TheSamba this morning and it looks like I need to loosen and move the steering column housing down. I will let you know how that goes. It looks like I just need to loosen the bracket that holds it to the dash and push it down.
When I was moving the steering column higher on the dash (had to move the seat up and then my “over the hill” stomach was hitting the steering wheel…) I found that to get the clearance between the steering wheel and the steering column I had to loosen the coupler that extends the steering shaft and then I was able to move the inner shaft in/out to get the right amount of clearance.
That’s the good news…the bad news is that this adjustment coupler is under the gas tank, and you have to pull the tank to get to it…I’ll see if I can find a picture of this coupling on my car. My car is a FiberFab II — 1969 VW chassisHope this helps…Here’s a picture of the adjustment on the steering shaft. This attaches to the steering rod extension that was added as part of the kit build.
Ok, I didn’t have to get under the gas tank. Luckily all I had to mess with was the housing for the column (the part that the turn lever screws onto) and it’s only attached under the dash on mine.
Although I do plan on raising my steering wheel some so I can see the gauges better so I will keep that in mind.Thanks for the input guys!!Now to make time for the next project. 😀
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