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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Steering column bush renewal

Can someone please confirm following is correct:

remove steering wheel
remove / loosen the column outer support
remove the column outer
replace the worn felt bush with a pre soaked in oil new bush

ie removal of the column itself is not required.

Thanks in anticipation of your assistance.



Doug Plumb

When I did this I think I removed the inner column, though posibily only partially.

Removal of the outer column surely means removal the indicator shroud and indicator assembly though I guess if you disconnect the wiring it might be ok. You have to be careful not to damage the contact for the horn which is a think copper strip with a 'button' of copper or brass on the end.

I trimmed the felt bush before installation as I couldn't see there was any way it would fit as supplied. I installed the bush dry and then once in place I squirted oil down the tube. If you oil the bush before installation it will swell and be more difficult to install.
Daniel Stapleton

Thanks Daniel for the point about inserting the bush dry as that makes a lot of sense.

I should have said its on my track car so doesnt have a shroud, horn etc.
Doug Plumb

Good idea Daniel. Wish I'd thought about doing iy that way rather than trying to install a slightly too large, very oily, seal.
There's a lower one as well!
Has anyone fitted/tried to fit the plastic bushes from the collapsible column? Seems a better solution if they fit.
Jeremy Tickle

Never attempted it Doug, but Haynes agrees with you.

"...it will be necessary to renew the felt or nylon bush which is fitted between the top of the inner and outer steering columns. The bush is renewed after removing the steering wheel and prising the old bush out. The new bush should be soaked in heavy oil and slid into place".

It can be hard to get the wheel off its spline though. I had a hellish job getting mine off to fit the motolita wheel. Apparently it's common to give it too much wellie and break the plastic "shearpins", if you have that type of column. If you have a suitable puller it might help. I bodged up a kind of home-made puller for it which finally worked, but bent so badly that I chucked it in the skip afterwards.

There are some youtube clips showing other methods.

What Daniel said about installing dry and then oiling it sounds like good advice. Haynes always makes it sound easy!
Greybeard

As Daniel points out the bushes are almost always oversize by quite an amount. If you don't trim them they will want to overlap and you will never get it home. Check it against the one coming out.I think when I did it (on a Mk 4) I just removed the wheel and the plastic shroud. I had pre-oiled it and used a suitable sized tube to gently tap it into position. Not a difficult job.
Graeme Williams

Hi, I use a Mini steering column nylon bush to replace the felt top bush.
s page

S Page which bush is that? There seem to be several
Has anyone replaced the bottom felt bush with a nylon ine too?
Jeremy Tickle

Hi Jeremy,
I cant remember exactly but I got it from MInispares and its red nylon.
Simon
s page

Thanks Simon,

seen those so will order one as despite having new oiled felt ones, there is still some movement between inner and outer columns.
Jeremy Tickle

I have actually disposed of the outer column and machined the column bracket to take a captive nylon bush, I intend to fit a Moto-Lita steering wheel on a Lifeline quick release boss - the indicator switch will be in a centre panel
Martyn Wilks

Martyn - how will the horn work?
Daniel Stapleton

I will put the horn on the centre panel or maybe on the RH side of the dash by the steering wheel, it will only be a momentary toggle switch
Martyn Wilks

I renewed felt with felt two years ago. It's done 10000 miles since and remains good.

I'm sure it's possible without removing the whole column but I did remove it. I suspect that doing so was why I did not have to resort to trimming or otherwise abusing the new felt before insertion - things are just easier when you're not in the confines of a midget cockpit.

http://mollymidget.tumblr.com/post/67253885639/steeringcolumnbush

http://mollymidget.tumblr.com/post/67255545000/bushpart2
Pete AC

This thread was discussed between 06/12/2015 and 16/12/2015

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