MG Midget Forum

Hi All!

Can someone please tell me what device (screw etc.) holds the two sides of the steering column cover together? I can't see in the hole without blocking all the light.
I thought I had something with a phillips head screwdriver, but after a few turns....nothing. Is it a hex bolt or something different?


I need to remove and inspect/replace the turn signal stalk, so the cover has to come off.

Also, any advice on how I can test the switch? The horn and signal switches work, but I cannot get power to the hi beams.

THANKS!!
Frank

The screws holding the steering column cover together are PoziDriv - similar to Phillips. There are four of them. Two on the left side that you can see and two more that you can't see until you drop the steering column. The two that you can't see are in the front of the cover, one on each side.

If you have a 1968-1979 model, don't just drop the column. Pull the whole thing out. Only 3 bolts hold it to the firewall, 3 more to the top of the footwell, and one pinch bolt holds it to the rack. Doing anything else could damage the column. The thing bends very easily. Attempting to remove the cover while the column is still in, could damage the cover. take care to remove the column from the rack last, after all other bolts are out, and don't collapse the column. According to the 1979 BL MG Midget repair operation time manual, removing and refitting takes 1.6 hours but I don't remember it taking that long. It always seemed faster than that.

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Seth Jones

1971 MG Midget

www.SpridgetGuru.com

removing the entire column just to remove the plastic cover sounds like going the long way round but even though it is a bit of a pain to undo all 7 bolts, it really is convenient working on the column on a workbench where everything on it is easy to get to


Do yourself a favor and get proper posi-drive bits, because it you try using a philips driver on them you'll tend to mess up the heads, making it harder to remove them next time. And a posi-drive screw head x tip is such a satisfyingly solid connection that once you get used to them you'll cuss at any other car built with those awful philips (say "stripped head" screws!



Norm

Frank, The 2 side screws holding the cover on have nuts that are captive in the cover. The fact that they are spinning tells me you broke the cover. There are 2 more screws holding the cover which are on the bottom. The cover has a lip underneath the steering wheel that does not allow the cover to come off unless the steering wheel is removed.

Covers are no longer available. Lets hope the spinning nuts are not a sign of broken cover.

Ha! Learn something new everyday. Phillips screwdrivers popping out is actually part of the design! http://justbrits.com/pozi/pozidriv.html

There are 2 recessed Phillips head screws. Hard to see and even harder to remove. (for me). Also my








































































































































































































































































































































































































The answers you already have are correct. However, I have not found it necessary to remove the steering column, only drop it. If you have a damaged cover a good quality plastic repair glue has done the trick for me. It is a tedious process and an excellent chance to practice all those words you are not allowed to use in front of the children. Patience is the most important virtue in these situations. Good luck. AJL















6

Thanks for all the advice guys! It was valuable and very helpful.

I managed to get the cover off without damaging it, now looking around for some pics or whatever I can find on removal of the stalk itself.......kinda hard to visually separate it from the wiper/washer guts.

The first thing I noticed in the rats nest near of wires near the dimmer switch, was ANOTHER black wire that hung from the dash had been poorly (a bare end twisted into a notch cut out of the insulation) to yet ANOTHER hot wire!!

I was fricki'n FURIOUS, because THIS was the crap that got me INTO this whole situation!!!! Some people shouldn't be allowed to TOUCH cars!

Thanks again fellas!

Yes you can do it that way if you don't care about damaging your column. The column on cars made for the north american market from 1969 through 1979 was designed to both collapse from the rack to the firewall from the wheel to the firewall. As such there are breakaway mounts holding it to the top of the footwell and a section of the column that is made of very flimsy expanded steel. It is designed to collapse if your body hits the wheel in a collision. The column is not designed to be adjustable up or down Unbolting the column from the top and forcing it down enough to access the two rear screws WILL bend the column out of alignment and it will be next to impossible to put it right again once this has been done. These columns are not being rebuilt and they are not supplied new. They are VERY easy to collapse and damage. They have to be otherwise they wont work right when the unthinkable happens.

The stalk is part of a switch assembly. The wiper/washer switch and the headlight dimmer turn signal switch are scred to a clamp and in some sense to each other as shown.
http://s697.photobucket.com/user/cgill/media/1974turnsignalandwiperswitch1.jpg.html

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Seth Jones

1971 MG Midget

www.SpridgetGuru.com

The turn signal switch has a plate that is screwed to it that fits over the steering column and the wiper switch is also screwed to it. To get to these screws, remove the steering wheel. When you buy the wiper switch the plate comes with it. When you buy the turn signal switch the plate does not. You can buy both switches as a set. The black wire had a Lucar connector on the end which someone ripped off and did not know where it went. Look around you may find the Lucar bullet still in the ground location. Should be on column mount bracket. Make sure the wires on the T/S switch side of the big connector match the ones on the chassis side of the big connector. There are some switches manufactured that 3 of the wires are in the wrong location. This will cause real problems with the lights and turn signals. Won't say where the switches are made but it is far east of here. I believe one of the wires that is screwed up is the purple wire which is the horn. One of the other bad wires is in a blank location so no chassis wire connects to it on the other side of the connector. The wire bullet connectors can be carefully bent in to allow the bullets to be removed from the switch. Once the wires are removed bend the tabs back out and insert the wires in the correct location. Be careful again- Hey Guido, you poppa da wires -you replacea da switch. Lessons learned the hard way.