Dear All,
I would like to remove the lower steering column and steering box on my Mk2. The lower steering column is the version with 2 universal joints and a rubber coupling. It is LHD with automatic transmission. The PAS box is still fitted although an electrical steering has been installed by the previous owner.
1) Is it possible to remove the lower column and the box without touching the upper column? I could remove the bolts fixing the box and all pinch bolts on the UJs to give some flexibility
2) Assuming no, I need to pull up the upper steering column to detach the upper UJ. This means at least loosening but probably removing the upper steering column. It's unclear in the workshop manual how the gear selector mechanism has to be handled. Where do I separate this mechanism (eg. the control rod) if I remove the upper steering column?
Regards,
Dave

 

Dave first of all slightly easier I would imagine on a LHD car than a RHD car as it is more accessible. When I did mine I found I had to release the steering column from under the dash just to give myself a little bit of wiggle room to get the ends back in. I managed to get the lower column out without removing anything else but it is getting it back in that is the problem. The splines all have to line up so the pinch bolt goes through its hole and on a RHD car it is very difficult to see. Then you have the carbs blocking you from the top and the starter motor blocking you from the bottom on a RHD car. I release the upper column from under the dash. There is a support bracket under the dash with two bolts and then at the base of the column on the floor there is a plate with three bolts. If you undo these it gives you enough movement, maybe an inch or two, to allow you to draw the column up away from the lower column so you can line up the splines. You need a helper to push the upper column down into the splines as you line them up. I used the Jaguar tool "Wife" which is not normally successful but on this occasion worked a treat. You do not need to disconnect any of the electrics or gear change linkages as there is enough wiggle room in them to move the column up the inch or two you require.

 

Cass,
I appreciate your reply. My case is special because of the automatic transmission mechanism and the already installed electrical steering support.

I actually found something in the Haynes workshop manual regarding the automatic transmission aspect: remove casing to gain access to the gear selector adjustment rod then lift out the ball joint on the crank lever. I didn’t find a figure which helps to understand the second part so I would appreciate any input on this.

Regarding the already installed electrical steering support, this means the inner part of the upper steering column doesn’t simply slip up the outer tube. Hence, I would have to pull up the whole inner and outer upper column assembly to detach the UJ. I don’t have any information on the installation of the electrical steering support so I would prefer not to do this but suspect that it’s necessary. I’ve not found anything on the feasibility of removing the lower part of the column without pulling up the upper part…

Regards,

 

You are right Dave. You do not pull the inner out of the outer, the whole column, inner and outer move if you detach the three bolted plate in the foot well and the bracket under the dash. The whole column including the steering wheel move backwards giving you room to remove the lower column.

 

Photo shows the lower end of the steering column (black) and the gear selector control rod (silver) on its right.

 

Still looking for anyone with experience on this subject. The manuals are not clear.

See the photo above looking down the steering column inside the car. At the lower end of the control rod is a bush in a bracket connected to the steering column. This is visible on the photo.
The control rod continues through the bulkhead into the engine compartment and then has a bend so I can’t pull it up into the car together with the column.

Assuming I can release the top ends of the column and the control rod (ongoing), how do I extract the column?

Is this done by releasing the jubillee clip holding the column and pulling the column up with the bush sliding up the control rod? Obviously I have to first release the splined tip of the column from the top universal joint in the engine compartment.

Who has done this job on a LHD automatic?

Regards

 

Being a '61 I presume your car has a BW DG 250 Auto Box? Cass' late car has a BW Type 35. My car is MOD so I can't help but we can at least identify which Auto Box you have and let someone with experience of your setup take it from there.

 

This is a different set up to the S Type with the BW35 gear box. This is a photo of the drivers foot well of my S Type. The black arrows indicate the cable for the BW 35 gear change mechanism. The yellow circle is the plate I mentioned that holds the bottom of the complete steering column to the bulk head. When you undo these bolts along with the clamp that holds the column to the underside of the dash the whole column slides up to wards the driver with the steering wheel attached breaking the contact between the upper column and lower column.
Looking at your picture you do not seem to have the bracket at the bulkhead and a completely different set up for the gear change mechanism.

 

Yes it’s a DG250 automatic transmission. The change over to the Bowden cable is in the engine compartment. Turning the control rod results in pushing/pulling the via the (90 degree) bend in the control rod which I mentioned earlier.

 

I finally managed to release the steering column and pull it out of the top universal joint. The method is as follows:
- Don’t release the jubilee clip.
- Below the jubilee clip, there is a circular plate fixed over a hole in the bulkhead (hidden beneath the carpet on the photo above) which holds the bottom end of the steering column. The control rod passes through a hole in this plate. Remove the 4 fixings holding the plate: 3 bolts from inside the car (nuts are captivated on the engine side) and 1 nut from inside the engine compartment (bolt head is captivated on the car side of the plate).
- Detach the gear selector control rod from the Bowden cable on the engine side of the bulkhead. Release the control rod fixing screw at the joint near the top of the column. Mark the upper and lower control rod parts to be able to line them up later. Twist the control rod by hand so that the L turn in the engine compartment gets close to the top universal joint in the engine compartment. Then it fits through the hole in the bulkhead.
- Remove the pinch bolt at the top universal joint.
- Support the top end of the steering column so that it won’t fall down but can be pulled up about 4-5cm. Check that the wiring can handle this movement or disconnect. Remove the 2 nuts fixing the top end of the steering column. Pull up the column together with the circular plate and the control rod, extracting the tip from the upper universal joint.
Hope this helps whoever wants to do this job on a LHD automatic…

 

I can see that DaveinG has now sorted this but for future reference the automatic gearbox selector arrangement on the steering column is different between LHD and RHD, on RHD cars the mechanism at the top of the column connects to a cable inside the car whereas on the LHD car the rod from automatic gear selector goes all the way through the bulkhead/fire wall into the engine compartment and the cable connects inside the engine compartment.

On my 1959 MK2 which was originally LHD the hole for the column has a notch out of the side of it to accomodate the gear selector rod. My 1967 MK2 being RHD originally has both holes as just circular. I'm not sure if the notch on the 1959 car was cut into every LHD car or if there is a reason that it was done on this one being an early one.