MG-107 TOP AND BOTTOM STEERING COLUMN BUSHING KIT

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CAR TO INSTALL MG-107. FOLLOW  THE PROCEDURE FOR REMOVING THE COLUMN IN YOUR SERVICE MANUAL. BEFORE REMOVING THE COLUTHE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CAR TO INSTALL MG-107 BEARING REPLACEMENT KIT. FOLLOMN FROM THE CAR, BOTH STALK SWITCHES AND THE TURN SIGNAL RESET CAM SHOULD BE REMOVED.

ONCE THE COLUMN IS OUT, CLAMP IT IN A VICE BY THE MOUNTING BRACKET THAT IS USED TO BOLT THE COLUMN TO THE DASH. 

WITH THE COLUMN SECURELY MOUNTED, YOU CAN REMOVE THE C CLIP AND SHIMS FROM THE TOP OF THE SHAFT. AFTER REMOVAL OF THREE SMALL SCREWS, THE OLD BEARING RETAINER CAN BE ROTATED SLIGHTLY COUNTERCLOCKWISE AND LIFTED STRAIGHT OUT. (FIG 1 AND FIG 2)

WITH THE TOP BEARING RETAINER OUT, THE ENTIRE STEERING SHAFT AND BOTTOM BEARING CAN BE REMOVED THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN. WITH THE SHAFT OUT, REMOVE THE COLUMN FROM THE VICE AND THEN CLAMP THE OUTER TUBE OF THE STEERING SHAFT IN THE VICE. MARK THE LOCATION OF THE OUTER EDGE ON THE INNER SHAFT WITH A SCRIBE OR PERMANENT MARKER. WITH SOME EFFORT, THE INNER, SOLID SHAFT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE PULLED FROM THE OUTER SHAFT. THERE ARE TWO AREAS IN THE OUTER SHAFT THAT HAVE BEEN INLAYED WITH PLASTIC TO ACT AS FRICTION MATERIAL. BE CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THESE AREAS BUT SOMETIMES A BIT OF HEAT FROM A PROPANE TORCH IS NEEDED TO MELT THE FRICTION MATERIAL. IF THEY ARE DAMAGED, YOU CAN REPAIR THE SLIP JOINT BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED ON A SEPARATE PAGE, ENTITLED “EASY STEERING COLUMN REPAIRS” YOU WILL NEED TO DO THIS DURING REASSEMBLY.

NOW, WITH THE TWO SHAFT HALVES APART, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE BOTTOM BEARING FROM THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE SHAFT. IT SHOULD DRIVE OFF EASILY. IF THE BEARING IS STILL STUCK INSIDE THE TUBE, YOU WILL HAVE TO DRIVE IT OUT WITH A LONG ROD OR PIPE.

ONCE EVERYTHING IS APART, POLISH THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE SHAFT WITH EMERY CLOTH TO    REMOVE ANY BURRS. INSTALL A SINGLE SHIM WASHER OVER THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE SHAFT AND SLIDE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE SPRING. NEXT, SLIDE THE NEW BOTTOM BUSHING OVER THE SHAFT. IT SHOULD SLIDE EASILY. DO NOT FORCE! IF IT IS TOO SNUG, POLISH THE SHAFT TO REMOVE ANY ROUGH SPOTS UNTIL THE BUSHING SLIDE EASILY ONTO THE SHAFT. A BIT OF WHITE GREASE IS SOMETIMES HELPFUL. (FIG 3)

FIG 3

CAREFULLY INSERT THE INNER SHAFT INTO THE OUTER SHAFT, MAKING SURE  THAT YOU DO NOT DESTROY THE FRICTION MATERIAL. ALIGN THE END OF THE OUTER SHAFT WITH THE MARK YOU PLACED ON THE INNER SHAFT BEFORE DISASSEMBLING. IF THE FRICTION IS DAMAGED OR MISSING NOW IS THE TIME TO REPAIR THE SLIP-JOINT  AS PER “EASY STEERING COLUMN REPAIRS”.

NOW, ON THE UPPER END OF THE STEERING SHAFT, YOU WILL SEE ONE MORE WIRE CIRCLIP. CAREFULLY REMOVE THIS CIRCLIP AND DISCARD. POLISH THIS AREA WITH THE EMERY AS YOU DID THE BOTTOM SHAFT. YOUR NEW TOP BUSHING SHOULD SLIDE EASILY ONTO YOUR TOP SHAFT. AGAIN, DO NOT FORCE IT IF IT IS TOO SNUG. INSTEAD POLISH SOME MORE WITH THE EMERY CLOTH. ONCE THE TOP BUSHING IS A SLIP FIT ON THE SHAFT, YOU CAN RE ASSEMBLE THE SHAFT INTO THE STEERING COLUMN TUBE. AFTER THE SHAFT IS PUSHED IN FROM THE BOTTOM, THE NEW TOP BUSH CAN BE INSTALLED. AS YOU DO THIS, BE SURE THAT THE DIMPLE IN THE NEW BUSH IS PROPERLY ALIGNED SO THAT THE STALK SWITCH WILL SEAT INTO THE DIMPLE.

INSTALL THE THREE SMALL SCREWS TO LOCK THE TOP BUSHING IN PLACE. INSTALL THE SHIMS AND OUTER CIRCLIP. BE SURE THAT THE WAVY WASHER IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO SOLID WASHERS. THE SPRING ON THE BOTTOM END OF THE SHAFT SHOULD BE COMPRESSED TO ABOUT 30% OF IT'S UNCOMPRESSED LENGTH. AT THIS POINT, YOU SHOULD TEST THE ABILITY OF THE SHAFT TO SPIN. IT SHOULD BE SNUG BUT TURN SMOOTHLY.

  AFTER THE COLUMN IS RE-INSTALLED, THE

  NEW BUSHINGS WILL BED IN PROPERLY AFTER

  A FEW MILES. INSTALL THE COLUMN THE AS

  YOU REMOVED IT AND YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.