The 'E' Type Forum

Hi all,

I will be attempting to carry out the above but being a bit dim I cannot fully understand the procedure .

I grasp that the existing pin needs to be drilled out and a new pin screwed into the alternative hole but can someone clarify the following;

With the Ignition/Steering Lock Housing indexed to its new, RHD position using the Steering Lock Pin, drill a hole through the wall of the Steering Column Tube using the drill guide screwed into the New Location Pin bore.

How do I index it to the new position? I assume that once the existing pin is drilled out the outer case will simply spin around the column tube so is it simply a case of spinning the outer case 180 degrees and drilling it there?

I am sure this is a simple operation but I am worried about doing it wrong.

Have a look here viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8117

Rereading Bill’s write up and having previously followed his advice you need to appreciate that you do not rotate 180 degrees. Whether LHD or RHD the lock angles down slightly. If you look carefully you will then see where the pin should locate as shown in Bill’s photos. You don’t drill any holes as they are already there to be used. Remember all E Types were built for either RHD or LHD so parts were essentially the same not different. So the hole is there, you just need to gently rotate the ignition/lock and you’ll find it. And it is a different hole/bore in the lock housing you use, not the one for the LHD.

Geoff

Kev Wrote:

How do I index it to the new position? I assume that once the existing pin is drilled out the outer case will simply spin around the column tube so is it simply a case of spinning the outer case 180 degrees and drilling it there?

Hello Kev,
As Geoff points out, the hole for indexing the Steering Lock and Ignition Switch to it's new, correct position, is already there. You move the Steering Lock/Ignition Switch assembly around so that the Lock Pin of the Steering Lock assembly is in line with the alternate of the two holes provided, engage the Lock Pin in the hole and finally centre the pin in the hole by eye. With the Steering Lock/Ignition Switch assembly in this position, use the Drill Guide grub screw I've described to hold the assembly in place whilst the hole for the Spigot of the Dog Point Grub Screw is drilled.

Regards,

Bill

Apologies guys, but at the risk of being stupid (what do you mean too late? ) this isn't sinking in.
Am I trying to line up the currently not in use hole in the column with the blank port in the ignition assembly and drill, tap, insert the dog point screw?
Bill, can you explain further

engage the Lock Pin in the hole and finally centre the pin in the hole by eye

I am sure this is a simple procedure once you have done it but I want to be crystal clear before I start.

Edited as the below is for fitting the lock to the housing. However:
Have you drilled off the housing from the column? If so have you now got the two holes in the housing where a bolt can be inserted through to the column? Assuming this you should now be able to rotate the housing until the steering lock goes into the slot on the inner column to lock it with the lock in the new RHD position.
Have you got all that?

If so what do you see through the second hole in the housing, not the one used to secure it in the LHD position?
Tell us what you see, then we can help you again.

The rest of this might also help if you’ve removed the lock from the housing.

It is the shear bolt you’ve got to try and fit to the steering lock assembly. Part no. 12641, shown as NLA at Barratt’s. You must find one from elsewhere or use another type of bolt to fit into there. Do you have one or what are you planning to use? Once you got some sort of bolt then you’ll be able to see how that fitted to the old location and hence how it’ll fit into the alternative location. It is a shear bolt so that once it is tightened up the head shears off and the lock can not be removed without the steering column being taken out of the car and the bolt drilled out as described by Bill.
Once you’ve understood how the steering lock has been originally secured to the column the rest will be easy.

Geoff

Thank you Geoff,
I think I just heard the click of a light bulb being tentatively switched on.
I haven't started it yet, it is on the bench staring at me but if I understand correctly the sequence is;
Drill out the shear bolt and the existing screw holding the housing to the column.
Rotate the housing until the alternative slot for the shear bolt can be seen and insert new shear bolt.
Tap for new screw to fix housing to column in alternative position and drill hole in column for dog point.
Have I got that right?

Kev Wrote:

Drill out the shear bolt and the existing screw holding the housing to the column.
Rotate the housing until the alternative slot for the shear bolt can be seen and insert new shear bolt.
Tap for new screw to fix housing to column in alternative position and drill hole in column for dog point.
Have I got that right?

Hello Kev,
In a word, No. There is no shear bolt, or existing screw holding the housing to the column. The following picture shows a steel plug enclosed in the Red Ellipse, that has been inserted using brute force and holds the housing in place via the pressure it exerts on the Outer Steering Column. This plug is a bastard to get out; I've tried drilling and tapping the centre of the plug then used various methods of jacking or pulling the plug out, but its interference in the bore in which its inserted is too great. I have a good system now employing a fixture to hold the Steering Column in a Machining Center and a CNC Program to machine the plug to make swarf out of it, just kissing the bore in which the plug resides. The same can be achieved with a manual Milling Machine.

The plug can be drilled out, using progressively larger drills until close to the ID of the bore. The advantage of using a machine tool that can use an End Mill, is that you can get very close to the bottom of the plug, right out to its OD, whereas, with a twist drill and its 118 degree included angle point, you can't unless you drill into the wall of the Steering Column. One Forum Member, who will remain nameless, suffice to say that he also perpetrated sacrilege by trimming a Radio Fascia with black gaffer tape , removed this plug by simply drilling right trough into the bore of the Outer Steering Column.

I like to keep things as pristine as possible and if using a drill to get rid of most of the plug, a Dremel, or similar tool can be used to worry the remainder of the plug away until it can be picked out.



The following picture shows the alternate bore to use when converting a Steering Column to the opposite hand to what it was originally.



Once the original Steel Plug has been removed, the housing that holds the Ignition Switch and Steering Lock Mechanism can be rotated to its new, correct position. You will see that there is another hole, identical in size and shape to the hole the shot pin of the Steering Lock engaged when the housing was in its original position. This new position hole is used to correctly index the housing to its new position. Simply rotate the Housing until the Steering Lock Shot Pin will engage with the new position hole. Once the shot pin is roughly engaged with the new position hole, the position of the housing can be fine tuned by rotating the housing until the shot pin appears to be centred in the hole.

By the time you're up to positioning the housing as explained above, the hole shown in the picture immediately above should have been tapped M12 x 1.5 through. To do this the housing is removed from the Steering Column. I chose the M12 x 1.5 thread because the ID of the hole is the correct size for that Thread size. With the hole tapped and the housing in position, as described above, the Drill Guide grub screw described in the other Thread relating to this procedure, is screwed into the hole and firmed up on the OD of the Steering Column to hold the housing firmly in place whilst the 5mm hole is drilled through the wall of the Steering Column for the 5mm spigot of the Dog Point Grub Screw used to permanently hold the housing in place. Once finally held in place via the Dog Point Grub Screw, I wash the old location bore and the top of the Dog Point Grub Screw with Wax and Grease Remover and fill both with Epoxy Resin. This step is not necessary, I just like things to look tidy and it adds some form or anti tamper to it.

Regards,

Bill

Kev, Bill’s explanation is what you need. My comment about the shear bolt is for the steering lock to the housing which is why I edited my post to reflect that.
Follow Bill’s posting exactly and you’ll get what you need. As I didn’t have a metric thread tap I think I found a UNF bolt and tap that did the job, but that depends on what you have to hand.
Bill’s advice on all things is well worth following but read it all carefully.

Geoff

angelw wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 07, 2023 11:56 am

One Forum Member, who will remain nameless, suffice to say that he also perpetrated sacrilege by trimming a Radio Fascia with black gaffer tape , removed this plug by simply drilling right trough into the bore of the Outer Steering Column.

Actually my procedure was this:
Drilled out the existing plug – without drilling all of the way through the steering column tube by carefully ensuring the drill was centred and radial.

Didn’t remove the housing; rotated it until the steering lock pin was exactly centred in its new (RHD) hole.

Through one or both of the housing plug holes, approximately in the centre, drilled and screwed into the steering column tube; the nose of the screw just slightly past into the id of the tube, the head of the screw some 5 mm proud of the od of the tube.

Filled the plug holes up with epoxy, thereby burying the screws and permanently locking the housing onto the steering column tube.

Great stuff guys
How do I know when the shot pin/steering lock pin is centred over the new hole

Kev, you’ve been told enough to do this, just follow all the instructions Bill, Colin and I have given you step at a time and you’ll know when you are there. If you can’t manage a simple thing like feeling when it is in position then maybe you should leave this to a n other to do the work!

Kev Wrote:

How do I know when the shot pin/steering lock pin is centred over the new hole

Just look inside the Steering Column Tube and you will see when its roughly in line. Engage the Shot Pin and fine adjust by observation.

Regards,

Bill

Bill,
Done, dusted, sorted.
I can't thank you enough for your help.