The 'E' Type Forum

Hey all, I’m having issues with assembling the upper column on my 63fhc. Attached are a few pics, when the inner column is inserted, the horn ring misses the copper wiper by half inch or so. If you line up the horn ring and wiper the column misses the rubber bushes. In the manual the lower end looks a little longer? Sadly it was not assembled when I got it. Also, there seems to be a friction weld, is this normal? Help appreciated. Thanks. Chris.

Hi Chris,

It looks like you may have the wrong upper steering column. Here is a picture from my 63 FHC when I first disassembled it:




Cheers.

Chris, it looks to me like you have the wrong outer column, or more accurately, your outer and inner are not compatible. Here are pics of my 1967 S1 on dismantling. AFAIK it is the correct set up for the car (I note yours is earlier). Your inner appears to be the same as mine but the outer is very different, with the bracket for the wiper assembly fixed in a completely different place:

Thanks Simon and Jeremy, both pics are a help. It does look like I have a mismatch of parts. I now just have to figure out which is the original, my inner column is the same as yours Jeremy, although the manual pictures it like Simons. Hopefully another kind soul can pitch in and assist also. Many thanks, Chris

The 3.8 column:




This thread shows the rebuild of the steering column for a 1963 car which may help as there are more photos if you page back: viewtopic.php?p=7754#p7754

I too, am running in to similar difficulties, I am trying to build a Series I column from a bunch of parts I have acquired - Here was what (I think) I have found out -

1) There seems to be 2 different lengths of housing


2) There seem to be two different types of outer shaft



3) The inner shaft that extends the steering wheel seems to be universal (The same shaft was used and works in both outer shaft examples)

4) There are 3 "rings" involved with the turn signal cancel function (#2 seems to match with the white plastic ring- pictured below)




I'm not sure if the longer "finger/ring" works by itself or in conjunction with a white ring
This white ring I believe is from a series II? It has a wider inner diameter than this shaft





So, I'm not sure if I'm missing anything to make a working column -
Is there anything (other than the column being attached to the lower column that keeps it from sliding
forward and back in the housing? I appreciate all of your help

I went through this problem myself. Why people seem to feel the need to strip sub assemblies fully down, lose parts and then sell the car is beyond me. Never strip a part unless you are going to rebuild it straight away. Anyway, rant over, it caused me untold problems as there are several different combinations. The man who appears to know his way around these and has most of the solutions is Richard Smith, contact details in the Knowledge base. When I got mine eventually sorted , i.e the inner and outer worked together, I was very pleased indeed only to discover that the indicator stalk would not fit and fouled the tang for the cancel. Dont fall into that problem as that is a different set up again and adds several options to the combinations. The tapped hole that takes the tang is in different places on the inner column dependant upon which bits you have. Not an easy job to get this right and certainly not easy to advise without having it all on the bench in front of you.

For clarification, I did not strip this down, loose anything or sell a car. I removed my steering column from my 1969 car. (I have owned it since 1981) I am back-dating the car to Series I style, so have been accumulating parts for that purpose.

Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find a picture of the turn signal cancel mechanism for a series I car that clearly shows what I need - (without the plastic cover hiding the inner parts)

Thank you

mitchmaulfair wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 05, 2018 2:45 pm

For clarification, I did not strip this down, loose anything or sell a car. I removed my steering column from my 1969 car. (I have owned it since 1981) I am back-dating the car to Series I style, so have been accumulating parts for that purpose.

Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find a picture of the turn signal cancel mechanism for a series I car that clearly shows what I need - (without the plastic cover hiding the inner parts)

Thank you

I was not suggesting you had stripped it down ! I was rather referring to the clot
Who stripped my last rebuild I bought in bits. Every component was stripped fully down rather than left intact until rebuild. I had school friends like that. They tore their toys apart as soon as they got them ! Must be something in the psych

I have reached this point now as well and it is getting even more confusing

1. As some of the Gentleman mentioned earlier above. The outer tube exists in 20 and 22 cm length.
What for? Is it a later improvement to give more room to your belly?

2. Some of those outer tubes do have a cut out, what is that for? Is that for the lock to be attached?

3. if the hole is for the look, then the later cars did have a 22 cm outer tube.

In which time sequence were these tubes used?

Here's some more research
column part numbers
C17648 3.8
C20558 3.8
C20158 3.8 w/o tab
C23053 4.2 w/ tabs

Jaguar Lucas
C16069 34361 Early 3.8 to chassis 850726RHD 879551LHD roadster
861198RHD 888767LHD coupe

Jaguar Service Bulletin Q67 Aug 1963

C21710 34662 Later 3.8

C25254 34791 4.2 up to 1E1457RHD 1E12033LHD roadster
1E21206RHD 1E32200LHD coupe

C25256 35531 1E1458RHD 1E12034LHD roadster
1E21207RHD 1E32201LDH coupe
All 2+2

It seems that it is easy when ordering parts to get a mis-match

After trying a few combinations- This all works together- Easy, once you get the right combination of parts
tabbed housing with "full circumference" turn indicator

Good time to check horn button operation, since it is all easy to at this point

Now my column is complete, on to the next item

A different problem with my column - I can't undo the large adjuster nut to dismantle the column, the threads look rusted. i have tried turning it with a leather strap oil filter wrench but that broke! I don't want to wreck the adjuster, any tips would be welcome.

I found a need to strip and repair the upper steering column this week. The lower bush had finally and completely given up, leaving a line of dust in the under dash shelf and a steering wheel that had over an inch of up down movement. Simple job, nothing was rusted in place, but I did find several other items that need to be replaced in addition to the top and bottom bushes. The striker ring that resets the indicator was showing signs of previous damage and repair, and both horn contacts were severely worn.

My 67 S1 column sleeve (and the various worn parts) looks like this. I assume this is original to my car, even though a lot of other things are not. There was no plastic ring with the indicator striker.



The horn contact on this column faces up towards the driver, not down to the footwell.

My car is a driver so just the bushes were replaced. The other parts will be replaced over the winter. One other thing I might do at that time (purists please avert your gaze now) is to convert the indicator to left hand working. If noting else it will stop me indicating right with the wipers on my other daily drivers.

Hi all, other works took over but I still have a mismatch of parts for my upper column. I'm now at the point where I need to get this resolved.

I either need an inner column which I believe is part number C20160 (the longer one) which is correct for my car and the original outer that I have. Or, the outer tube, without tabs to suit the (incorrect) C15179 inner that I also have.

I believe either pair will fit, but I have one of each..

If anyone has either it would be greatly appreciated. I've posted on the Wanted section, but no luck yet.

Thanks, Chris

Changing the outer tube is cheapest as inner columns run at around £ 500. It is easy to fabricate an outer column tube from a mk2 or similar saloon- if you have access to oxy acetylene (the bottom mounts are brazed). I have made a few of them.
I am using an outer column the same as yours in my '64 3.8 .I believe the low mounted slip ring type is late S1 4.2.
Have you tried Richard Smith?

Barrie
ps the upper inner columns are the same length AFAIK the reason for the short upper tube is to accommodate the plastic ring type indicator/headlamp flasher. The short tube also incorporated the switch mountings (and they are handed RH-LH)

Thanks Barrie, all sorted now. Managed to get a new (old) inner column from Maikel at e-type spares in Germany, nicely priced too. Column assembled and all is good. Thanks for your help Chris. PS, yes, they are indeed the same length.