Beck TD, Part 74: More on the New Steering Wheel

 I have continued to mess with the new steering wheel introduced in Part 73, to good effect. The T-series MGs were unusual for the day in that the steering wheel was adjustable in and out, and the chrome hardware for that mechanism on Beck TD was rusted and jammed shut. It wasn't expensive, so I ordered new parts from Moss Motors and installed it just like the old ones. Imagine my surprise when the new cover jammed shut also!

Here's an image, courtesy of Moss Motors, of that spring cover, which should expand and contract to cover the splined shaft when the steering wheel is adjusted:

I went back and studied the parts diagrams on the Moss website, and could see what happened. In my defense, I'll note that I put it back together just the way it came apart. And in the prior mechanic's defense, it goes together that way on an MG TC but not a TD! Check out the diagram below. The spring cover is part 2 on the TC, and 4 on the TD - see how they are reversed?

So, everything had to come back apart, including pressing the splined shaft out of the hub. For the record, this is the way it goes together:

In place, the spring expands when the wheel is extended, and contracts when you push the wheel closer to the dash. It even has enough spring pressure to push the wheel out if you release it.

Since I had everything apart anyway, I decided to tackle the upside-down hub reported in Part 73, pictured below.

To do that, I had to separate the steering column to be able to rotate the upper part 180 degrees, and remove the circled pinion shaft flange on the steering rack. Taking it apart reminded me why I said I would never take it apart. The nut is buried in the flange with no clearance for a socket or wrench, so you have to tighten and loosen it by tapping the corners of the nut with a chisel and hammer. There was plenty of evidence of prior mechanics doing that, so I did it too. Then I used a 3-jaw puller to extract the flange, and after realigning, a small brass hammer to tap it back in place.

In that photo, you can also see the special bolts in the flange to the right. That work was done way back in 2017, and is some of the most important safety work I've done on Beck TD. Any TD owner, whether Volvo-powered or not, should study Part 10 to understand the safety issue, and how Phil Oles and I (mostly Phil) corrected it.

I took that coupling apart four times, moving and and testing on the road after moving the splined flange just a little. I finally admitted that it would not be perfect, and I'll still have to slightly adjust the tie rods to level things out. We'll see if I ever get around to that, but for now Beck drives great and looks great!

Continue on to Part 75...