Turn indicator unobtainium canceling ring

[Mark Gordon]

I try not to do duplicate posts for questions on E Type UK and J-L, but I thought that this might interest members here who don't read J-L.
My turn signal has never worked properly; it has refused to hold in the left turn position and doesn't cancel on right turns unless the wheel is turned enough to make a 90 deg. turn. When I recently replaced the steering column bushings, I found that the problem was a broken tab on the plastic canceling ring. Those puppies are NLS. Our fellow lister, Marek, has made a prototype by using an unmolested original as a pattern. I got my sticky fingers on it and installed it last night. It fit perfectly into the column and now my turn signal cancels like it should for the first time since before I owned the car. Another excellent product made by Marek. If enough interest is expressed, I'm guessing that he could be persuaded to make a production run of them.

[Hugo]

Funnily enough I just found myself looking at this part - is it a split ring with a tag sticking out? There's one on this page (although it says Series 1); http://www.jagshop.co.uk/products/jsste ... 5492/?bid=.

[sjclark]

Glad this worked for you.

I eventually found that the switch assembly sold by a UK supplier (I think it was by SNGB) came complete with the plastic ring. Unfortunately the switch assembly itself was not a great fit on the column/brackets and the indicator stalk was a different shape, so I eventually carefully dismantled the "new" switch assembly to liberate the white plastic ring, then fitted it to the "old" switch.

An expensive way to buy a few grams of plastic, but you do what you have to do...

[Mark Gordon]

Hugo, I don't see the canceling ring listed in the link that you supplied. It's a white plastic ring with tabs around one end that make it look somewhat like a castellated nut. I know that you can buy the entire turn indicator assembly including the canceling ring, but I just needed the canceling ring and I'm too cheap to buy the cow when I only want a cup of milk for my corn flakes. I certainly could be wrong, but I don't think that any of the usuals sell the ring by itself.

[Mich7920]

Hy Mark,

The canceling ring is the 2nd right at the 7th line but it's not the one you discribe.
This one is ok for my S1 1965 I don't know when Jaguar change for plastic.
However, I wish you have a good breakfast...


Mich

[Mark Gordon]

No, that's actually the bracket that holds the canceling ring in position on the steering column. The bracket is attached to the steering column by two screws and that tab sticking up engages between the "castellated" tabs on the canceling ring. The slots in the bracket allow the canceling ring to be turned and then held tightly to precisely align the nub on the periphery of the canceling ring to centered between the right and left turn canceling pawls. As you turn the steering wheel (and therefore the column with the bracket and canceling ring firmly attached) the canceling ring rotates with the column and strikes the canceling pawls, first setting the appropriate pawl as you turn the wheel and then again to cancel the turn indicator as you move the wheel back to neutral position.

[thaviland5]

I would be delighted if your contact Marek is able to supply the plastic part. It's exactly what I need. However, I don't quite know how to find him to ask. Can you help?

[Mark Gordon]

Go to the tab "Search" at the top of this page, click on "Find a member", click on "M" in the alphabet row, scroll down to MarekH, then hit "PM" and send him a personal message.

[thaviland5]

Many thanks. Message has gone out.

Tim

[thaviland5]

No reply from Marek, but I found a repair kit (plastic part and metal rivet) from RM & J Smith for £28 including postage and VAT. You can contact Richard Smith at rmj@rmjsmith.fsnet.co.uk This should represent the production run we were hoping for.
Just watch for all the loose springs and contacts that want to fly away when you disassemble the switch to fit the replacement parts.

[MarekH]

You did get a reply from me but you didn't look in your inbox until today! Also, the price I quoted you was cheaper than Mr Smith.

The sender always knows whether a private message has been read or not because they appear in the sender's "outbox" when they are sent, but automatically jump to the sender's "sent items" folder once they have been picked up by the recipient via their "inbox".

kind regards
Marek

[KingRichard]

Hi Marek,

I also have interest in the ring. I have a series 2. Can you send me details?

Many thanks.

Beste regards,
Richard

PS I will look in my inbox

[KingRichard]

Hi all,

I received the canceling ring from Marek and installed it this weekend. The ring was sent very quickly by Marek and payment was easy using PayPal.

I had to fix my steering lock also, so two jobs done. For the steering lock I needed a shear bolt which I recently discovered SNG sells them.

The ring is compared to the original ring dimensions spot on. It is clear but you never see the ring, so that is not a problem. The material is different. The original looks like some white delrin, the new one I don't know, perhaps Marek can fill in. The original ring looked reasonably OK, some slight wear on the edges, but I had on some occasians the indicator wasn't canceling.

Hereby some pictures. The job is quite easy, but if you do dismantle the steering column for the first time use the manal and take pictures, and be careful because there are delicate parts involved like very little springs! It took me together with the steering lock some 2 hours. Todat I took her for a drive, and all worked very well. A nice cancelation after every turn. Thanks MAREK.

Regards,
Richard

[KingRichard]

Here are the other two pictures:

[38E]

I have a related question regarding an upper steering column I am working on and I hope it's ok to include that here. This is an earlier version, 1965, I think.

I've reassembled the column on the bench and find that the metal tang that cancels the indicator fouls on the bracket lugs for the cover- see second photo.

So my question is, what is supposed to limit the movement of the column down into the outer cover? If it was held up about 1/8", then the tang would clear the bracket but I'm sure I've left nothing out. I wondered if it would be prevented from moving down too far by the lower column once installed but I doubt that's right.

I've temporarily installed an old switch (different from the one previously shown in this thread) to test the action and it does cancel ok but pushing on the column causes the tang interference. There's nothing similar to the plastic ring on the later type switch that would act as a bearing for the column and prevent downward movement.

[Mich7920]

Hi Clive,
There is no plastic ring in our case ( I have the same column as yours )
For the metal tang which touch, I think it is too hight, it must passed under the bracket lugs for the cover.
The distance between the metal tang and the column is not good.
It's not easy to set up because too close from the column and the indicator doesn't work and too far the tang tuch. Find the balance.
Mich

[38E]

Thanks Mich, I guessed that the switch must be an older type that doesn't have the plastic ring.

The tang will turn under the cover bracket but if the column is pushed, it will hit on the bracket. Since I'm positive that I haven't omitted any parts, I'm trying to find out why this interference is happening. I can pull the column up bit to clear but it will just push down again. If the tang was slightly shorter, it would clear. (This is a spare part that I'm restoring so there's no car for me to try it on.)

The only thing I can see that would stop it is the connection to the lower column but as I said, that doesn't seem positive enough.

On yours, is there anything else in between where the tang is bolted and the top end of the cover that you don't see in my photos?

[Mich7920]

All seems clear for me. Check with the frame I did this resto there's two month...

[38E]

Yes, I have the shop manual and the parts list of course and all the parts shown are installed correctly as far as I can tell.

Anyone else have any idea, what keeps the steering shaft from slipping down into the cover so that the end of the tang will hit the bracket?

There's obviously supposed to be a gap of about 1/8" between the tang bracket and the end of the cover, referenced by the existing marks on the horn ring contact.

It might be held out somewhat when connected to the lower column but I can't believe Jaguar would only rely on that to prevent the interference.