Peter, I just went through this, when I lost my keys. If the bolts
have not been sheared off, they should be pretty easy to get off. I my case
one was and one wasn't. What I had to do was remove the X brace, and U
clamps from the underneath the steering column. I then rotated the entire
shaft 180 degrees to expose the top of the lock mechanism. The bolts were
very simple to remove using a drill and an easy-out. I am thinking of using
an allen head bolts as a replacement instead of the bolts that came with
the new lock. A Standard bolt or shouldered bolt will not work because the
bolt heads are recessed into the top of the lock when properly torque down.
The threads look pretty standard. After you remove the old bolts it should
be pretty easy to lock new ones.
I haven't installed the new lock yet, because I discovered that the
plate that clamps to the column on the firewall side is broken. Has anyone
had much luck fabricating a replacement?.
Peter Zaborski wrote:
> I plan to replace the inner column bushings on my TR6 steering column
> (when TRF gets the parts again).
>
> Looking ahead to the work, I see it involves removal of the upper
> steering column from the car. This process requires the removal of a
> couple of "shear" or "torque" head bolts to free the ignition switch (on
> later TR6s - mine is a 76). I don't know if the bolts are sheared off on
> my car (I'll look this weekend) but if not, surely they will shear off
> when I try to loosen them.
>
> Can anyone answer two questions about the shear bolts:
>
> 1. What exactly is their purpose?
>
> 2. Can I replace them with non-shearing bolts upon re-installation of
> the steering column with the new bushings? Assuming the bolts don't use
> some weird thread patter which I will never find unless I buy the actual
> shear bolts - $2.95 each @ TRF!!! I'm not trying to be a cheapskate but
> rather make removal of the column next time much easier.
>
> Thanks in advance for any insights into these mysterious shear bolts.
>
> Peter Zaborski
> 76 TR6 (CF58310 UO)
> Calgary AB Canada
--
Roger Helman 71 TR6 CC67866L
Digimation Inc. http://deepthought.digimation.com/rogerh/
New Orleans La.
www.digimation.com
Voice. 504.468.7898
Fax. 504.468.5494
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