AC Owners Club Forum
AC Owners Club Forum => Mk IV, Superblower, CRS and other Continuation Cars Forum => Topic started by: French Frie on June 10, 2013, 21:49:14
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Back from the "Cobra Days"! More than 1.000 miles, where AK1113 didn't miss a beat, on twisted roads in the center of France... Unfortunately, we had a lot of rain, but Avons are imperial on wet roads !
I only had one issue : on the very first day, on highway, I suddenly felt a lot of vertical play in the steering wheel ! It appeared that half of the firewall bushing was missing so the upper column part was only hold by the upper adjustable bolt!
I wanted to know it this bushing is originally in two parts or if it was a one-piece item, that was broken on mine ? What is the part number of it, and can it be replaced by another upgraded rose joint ?
Thanks !
Olivier
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FF, you are on your own on this, sounds like some part separated in rain?
Jim
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Yep... But maybe Peter can respond, as he rebuilt his steering column...
Some pictures of the journey:
Beautiful landscapes
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/4d6a6b542ca142375ba199aceb091dcf_zps8fecbd95.jpg)
Wet and with some snow when going up:
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/7e288ac60c5386ec80c2dccafc860e5d_zps4db510b6.jpg)
But also some sunny moments :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/7f49a0fd5dcee46bb76865c379ae522f_zps56cafb27.jpg)
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hello Olivier,
What region have you been to?
On 30/5 crossed the border to Spain via the Pourtalet pass, having encountered heavy rain and snow on the way up from Lourdes.
Been to the Spanish trip organized by the ACOC. 4067 happy kms in the MkIV through France and Spain! Bloody good cars they built.
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Hi Constant,
It was in the Massif Central (corrèze to be precise), in the very center of France ... Lonely areas, few cars on the road, and good food [;)] !
I agree regarding the bloody good cars ! I was planning to upgrade the engine (big heads, big headers, and back to carb), but my car runs so well (some friends can't believe it's only 225hp powered, whereas their fake snake are supposed to be twice more powered - but the pilot counts [:o)] !) that i'm afraid to trouble this perfect balance, and to make it less reliable ...
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By the way, it would be great to settle a MKIV meeting, maybe somewhere in the east or north of France, to gather the continental MKIV ... Brits would be welcome, of course [;)]!
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Oops ... Great idea, but not enough to be said twice [}:)] !
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quote:
Originally posted by French Frie
Back from the "Cobra Days"! More than 1.000 miles, where AK1113 didn't miss a beat, on twisted roads in the center of France... Unfortunately, we had a lot of rain, but Avons are imperial on wet roads !
I only had one issue : on the very first day, on highway, I suddenly felt a lot of vertical play in the steering wheel ! It appeared that half of the firewall bushing was missing so the upper column part was only hold by the upper adjustable bolt!
I wanted to know it this bushing is originally in two parts or if it was a one-piece item, that was broken on mine ? What is the part number of it, and can it be replaced by another upgraded rose joint ?
Thanks !
Olivier
Hi Olivier,
are we talking about this plastic bush leading the upper steering column through the metal part of the fire wall? I haven't changed this during my restauration. As far as I can remember it is one pice. I don't know what part number it has, but it is a quite simple part. Just make it yourself on a lathe from some PU round stock or even better use nylon.
Regards,
Peter
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FF, the 15 inch w/t look very good. Jim
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quote:
Originally posted by French Frie
Hi Constant,
It was in the Massif Central (corrèze to be precise), in the very center of France ... Lonely areas, few cars on the road, and good food [;)] !
...
oh shame we missed each other! That is exactly where I passed on my way down to Spain:
- Clermont Ferrand/ Puy de Dôme (no longer accessible by car[:(]
- Orcival
- Rocamadour
- Tour de Faure / St. Cirq Lapopie
then down to Lourdes and into the Pyrenées
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quote:
Originally posted by French Frie
Hi Constant,
......... I agree regarding the bloody good cars ! I was planning to upgrade the engine (big heads, big headers, and back to carb), but my car runs so well (some friends can't believe it's only 225hp powered, whereas their fake snake are supposed to be twice more powered - but the pilot counts [:o)] !) that i'm afraid to trouble this perfect balance, and to make it less reliable ...
Indeed Olivier, this is the same reason why I have also refrained from upgrading my mount to more power. The original set-up is so reliable. I travelled over 5000 kms more or less in one go each year since I own this car (2002) and took it to race tracks to test it under more pressure! As long as it works the way it does, not missing a single beat, I will not touch that engine.
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quote:
Originally posted by French Frie
By the way, it would be great to settle a MKIV meeting, maybe somewhere in the east or north of France, to gather the continental MKIV ... Brits would be welcome, of course [;)]!
In 2005 I had organized an International in Luxembourg (open of course to all ACs). 36 cars had joined in. We had a lot of fun, good food and good driving. Will do it again some day.
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hello folks,
I ordered a bushings kit for a Granada MKIII :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zpsd2ad0d51.jpg)
it should replace the parts in the red circle :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/steeringcolumn-bushings_zps7a93ec40.jpg)
I'll let you know if it solves the problem...
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Ah, totally different for my early MK IV.
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FF,
I also flipped lever "5" in that diagram round 180deg as it kept getting my leg (in my CRS)
Big improvement for me.
Graham
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Hi Graham,
did the same, and I've tightened it as much as I can, to prevent any move in the adjustable system, which is useless on a Cobra anyway ! even at its highest setting, it is still too low (and lower than other Cobras)! the best would be to throw it away ...
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Turning item 4 around the tube 180 degrees would give 1 tube diameter height in addition....if needed and the column cover modified.
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Great tip, Uwe ! By the way, the bushing won't fit [:(] ... The column is actually triangular, but is modified BEFORE the firewall to become round (not like the Ford one) and have a splined end ! So the bushing has to be round and 3/4 of ID ...
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Update... As the Ford bushings didn't fit, I decided to make it on my own. Here's the column:
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zps3b05382b.jpg)
You can see the triangular shaft, and the splined end which was obviously welded by AC ... The diameter is not 3/4" (like MGB), but only 14mm (9/16")!
Here is the plate that supports the bushing :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zpsa31071b0.jpg)
So, I took a piece of nylon, and made a bushing ..' But unfortunately, I don't have a lathe, so have to be creative [;)] ! The requested diameter is 22mm (OD) and 14mm (ID)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zps27afe13e.jpg)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zps7142ac0f.jpg)
The inner hole is enlarged :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zps52b9b00e.jpg)
And bushing is fitted to the plate :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zps8eb6f0c0.jpg)
To be continued ...
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Olivier,
if you fix your drilling machine in a bench vice it's nearly a lathe [:)] Nice work.
Is the welded UJ still ok? My has some clearance and since it is welded it is not easy to replace. A work for next winter.
Regards,
Peter
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Hi Peter,
I have no play in the U-joint... But I plan to replace it anyway, as well as the second one, by a Flaming River combo with an intermediary D-shaped shaft, and a firewall bearing ! But as you say, it will be a winter project... within a MKIII dashboard conversion [;)] !
But before, I need to drive, now the summer seems to be here, hence this fixing ...
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Ok, the re-assembly is a bit more complicated than expected [:o)] !
In fact, when I wanted to insert the steering shaft in the firewall bushing, the column has retracted ! The triangular shaft is just inserted in the column housing, and slides !
So I had to remove the column :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zps077a4b48.jpg)
Here is the shaft with its triangular bushings :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zpsf2fc1ce9.jpg)
And the 9/16" welded end :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zps18872d14.jpg)
And the column housing with its pressed triangular section to fit the shaft :
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zpsac4ec9b5.jpg)
And for the record, the worn bushing:
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s673/frenchfrie91540/null_zps1d92eab1.jpg)
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Ok, everything is reassembled... And it works great ! But I really do not like this (useless) adjustable system ! Anyway, as said, i'll shortly throw all that mess away [;)] !
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FF, I had contemplated a switch to a VW system, not for nostalgia, but to get more space into cockpit fof my 6'1" a d at time 250# former, the larger wheel would give better ratios for low peed steering as well. The question...are you enjoying the "red head"?
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undoubtedly [;)] ! we've now passed the 4.000 miles together, and we're still in love... that's why I want her to keep evoluate, and invest on her ! VW switch is already mine, with other parts, and an alloy MKIII street dashboard from Nick Acton (http://actoncobra.com/)is on its way to do it ...
By the way, I'll let ACOC members know, but Nick's job looks perfect, with a lot of quality parts for original cobras, and for the dashboard(I asked him flat ends to match the MKIV), he seems a lot less expensive than european solutions...
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FF,
Treat her nice or she'll tell! I miss driving her!
Jim
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F.F.,
I assume you re using the front fold down ate end listen cue bracket that was with the car?
Jim
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Jim, sorry, but either some letters are missing, or my english skill is too low to understand ... Could you rephrase , please ?