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Sat Jul 04, 2015 5:20 am

Here is a picture of my indicator switch relative to the steering wheel, you can see a gap of about 1cm or almost half an inch. The second picture is of a switch in another car, which looks correct.

I know you can unscrew the indicator switch and slide it along the steering column to close the gap but if I do that the screw ends up going into the area with the large copper spring, as you can see in the 3rd picture. Am I missing something?

Sat Jul 04, 2015 5:57 am

You are trying too hard.. keep the simple car.... simple..

Nothing wrong with the switch.... The column tube is too far forward (down) which dislocates the switch position.

Seat the indicator switch fully forward (down) on the column tube and lock
Loosen the column tube clamp from the body under the dash..
Slide and twist to entire column tube up to the approx proper position...
Reposition the rubber insulator grommet and reattach the clamp and column tube...

You can then fine tune the switch position.

.

Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:39 am

This is great. And here I thought I had something missing but it is just the column tube that needs repositioning. Many thanks.

This is why there forums are so great, because you have access to far more knowledgable people from all over the globe. :D

Tue Jul 07, 2015 1:14 pm

OK, staying with the indicator switch, it appears the threads are stripped inside the switch where the bolt holds the switch in place (the bolt just keeps turning without holding).

I was going to just use a slightly larger thread with a pointed screw so it notches into the steering column tube, or does anyone have a better and less destructive way of handling this?

Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:31 pm

Missed this post the other day.

I can tell you one thing that's wrong with the switch - the original securement screw was not just a simple bolt. It had a "contact plate" peened to the end of it, which would better contact the column tube instead of just a screw end, which tends to bugger things up every time the switch is repositioned or that the switch slips on the column tube.

Now, I don't have any easy solutions for this, because the original setup was peened on, it's a manufacturing process, and trying to fabricate such a setup is not easy. (it has to "float" on the end of the screw) Some examples:

Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:14 pm

Ya, mine definitely doesn't look like that. I'm wondering if maybe I should remove the entire switch from the column and sort something out without being so destructive. I'm open to ideas. :?

Wed Jul 08, 2015 5:38 am

Irish911 wrote: I'm wondering if maybe I should remove the entire switch from the column and sort something out without being so destructive. I'm open to ideas. :?

Sounds like the next course of action to me.

.

Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:26 am

I had the same issue with the stripped screw hole. I took a heater box heater cable clamp coupler (piece that allows you to connect the heater control wire to the heater box itself - very similar to the old carb attaching hardware), drilled out the pot metal switch body to the diameter of the connector, filed down the coupler to the correct height/depth to match the switch body then JB welded the piece into the body. Kind of like making my own helicoil repair. I am able to screw it in securely (don't want to force it tooooo much) to keep the switch in place.
Dave