I've done it by sticking the nut and washers to an open-ended spanner, then
carefully turning the mount into the nut to get it started before attaching
the mount to the engine front plate, then turning the spanner over and back
for each half-flat. However that was on a V8 that uses the same rubber
mount but a different engine bracket. Having said that it's really not that
difficult to remove the rack - one clamp bolt on the UJ and four nuts and
bolts to the cross-member. I've had my roadster and V8 ones off any number
of times for dealing with the drivers side exhaust manifold on the V8 and
the UJ on the roadster. If removing the rack watch out for shims on the
cross-member brackets. These were originally riveted to the bracket by the
factory, but can rust through over time so come free when you remove the
bolts. If you know the rack and column were correctly aligned to start
with, and don't alter the column, then the rack will go back in the correct
place with the shims as they were before. If the column is moved, then you
will need to do the alignment check, as that just slides on bolts.
Moss sell the alignment gauge. They appeared on the US website long before
the UK, but for some reason the UK price was much cheaper (when I bought
them) than the exchange rate would imply. Whilst a bit of plastic or metal
could be drilled and turned on a lathe to fit the shafts, the distance
between the hole for the screw that clamps into the recess into each shaft,
and the point of the cone, is critical. It must be exactly the same as the
distance between the centre of the UJ clamping bolts and the centre i.e.
pivot axis of the spider. I've used wire wrapped round the shaft myself,
but it's a real fiddle spinning each shaft to get the point of the wire
aligned with the central axis of each shaft, as well as the correct distance
from the end of the shaft, so I eventually bought the gauges. For the early
fixed column, and the middle era collapsible column, the distance between
the recess and the point on the *column* gauge is not critical as the shaft
is positioned lengthwise in the outer by the UJ and the rack, but the up and
down and side to side alignment *is* very important. For the later fully
collapsible column the in and out adjustment of the column is also critical
as the position of the inner is fixed in the outer, and this column has
shims as well as sliding bolts where it attaches to the body member.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Schauss" <rpschauss@gmail.com>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 8:16 PM
Subject: [Mgs] Tightening the nut on the left side motor mount
> On the left (driver's ) side, the steering column runs through the
> bracket where the motor mount is supposed be fastened to the body.
> This makes it virtually impossible to get the nut started on the stud
> which runs into the bottom of the rubber mount. I have managed to do
> this twice before by using an refrigerator magnet to position the nut,
> but this time that trick does not seem to work. Is there any
> alternative to removing the steering rack?
>
> If I have to remove the steering rack, where can I get the special
> tool that the manual shows for aligning the upper an lower parts of
> the column?
>
> Thanks,
> Peter Schauss
> 1980 MGB
> _______________________________________________
>
> Mgs@autox.team.net
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation $12.75
> Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
> Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
> Unsubscribe:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/mgs/paul.hunt1@blueyonder.co.uk
_______________________________________________
Mgs@autox.team.net
Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
Suggested annual donation $12.75
Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
Unsubscribe:
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/mgs/mgs-archive@autox.team.net
|