New Replacement Indicator Stalk

[AlanH]

How easy is it to turn them round?

Now that I am driving the Dolly more frequently it's causing a bit of a problem (not to say embarrassment).

[GrahamFountain]

How easy is it to turn them round?

Easy enough. But I did have a spare set of bits, so I knew I could undo anything I did wrong. I would take the cowling off and take pictures, but the car's in the garage having its head examined again (my turn soon); hence, the other thread on studs.

I had to lengthen one wire, because it now goes over the top of the column - from the indicator to, IIRC, the ignition switch. It was nearly long enough, but I weren't happy with it that tight and pulling the connectors on the switches. So made up a simple patch-cord a couple of inches long, with a male Lucar on one end and a female on the other. Not elegant, but it works.

I had - somewhat heart in mouth - to bend the tube of one of the stalks. I think that was the wiper, but I could be wrong. It did bend fairly easily, but it was the scariest part of the job. So you might want to find a knackered one, and have a bit of a practise. IIRC the other side was already bent, so I just had to pull the tube out of the switch body, pull the button off the end, and put it all back together the other way up. I didn't get that together properly the first time, and it fell out after a while. So I had to put a dab of glue on the column end and put it back together again.

I also had - on a spare cowl - to lengthen the slot on the left hand side by about 1/4 inch or so with a round file. I think that was the lower part (because there's a lower cowl in the cupboard behind me that I can't think why else I'd have it there). It nearly worked without filing, but I could see the cowling move when I indicated a (must have been) left turn. And it just didn't feel quite right.

It also needed the inner shaft of the column turning over - rotating through 180 degrees - so the lug on it still cancels the indicators at the right point in turning the wheel. That was the hardest part for me, because I couldn't get the lower column to come apart. But I got a replacement for the flexible coupling and a new bulkhead bush (both of which were knackered anyway), and had the garage do it. It's all easier on the TR7, because the lug's on a plastic insert you can get at for just taking the wheel off, and the right switches are widely available off the 1979 or 80, and later models.

The legends on the buttons are now upside-down, which looks odd. I did think about getting an engraver to do them right on the reverse sides, and turning the buttons over. But I haven't bothered so far.

If you do, do the job, you might want to photograph the steps, and put it on here somewhere: with better instructions than I've just given.

Graham