Steering column - Help!!!!

[ggoodwin]

You know how one thing leads to another......I had a Toad immobiliser fitted to my '91 8V Gti yesterday and it threw up a problem which seemed to be the ignition switch as it would lose all power coming out of it which, in turn upset the immobiliser.

Anyway, I managed to get a switch from my local dealer yesterday and followed a couple of the guides here for fitting it.  I couldn't get the lock bush off the spline at the top and so went for the removal of the steering column route.  Got that out ok and replaced the switch.  Now I can't seem to get enough length in the whole thing to reconnect the knuckle joint at the bottom of the column.  I've read here that the column is in two parts and is telescopic.  It may have had a few bashes in trying to free up the lock bush but the bottom curved shoulder of the column 'appears' to reach as far as it is intended to.  There's about an inch of the bottom spline sticking out.

The knuckle joint is just reaching the bottom of the column but is nowhere near being in a position to slide over it or bolt in place.  Where's the extra length gone and how do I get it back?!!!  How does the telescopic column come apart?  There's the small hole in it which shows some sort of locking catch but do I need to something to this when pulling it apart?  I don't want to force anything and end up breaking something!

Any input would be appreciated as I'm a bit baffled.

Graham

[mk2bal]

i recently went from 1.3 non pas to a 16v conversion with pas, i ended up having to change the column and knuckle etc to fit the rack, and even had to use the donor car ignition key cos couldnt change the barrels over! it sounds like youve been given either a pas or non pas column (the opposite to what your car has)

[ggoodwin]

Thanks for the response.  No, the only part that has been changed is the actual ignition switch the rest is just as it was....just shorter 

Without being able to pull the steering column into its two sections, the only place I can try to get the extra length from is with a bit of play on the steering rack.  I'm just about to jack the front up to take the weight off the steering to see if it'll get me that extra 1".   It's odd though as, when I undid the bottom bolt on the UJ, there didn't appear to be any particular tension on it.

Graham

[cняis]

My old 88 non pas project had the same problem after taking the column out. brute force and ignorance i.e. hammer and bolster chisel soon lengthened the column!

[ggoodwin]

My old 88 non pas project had the same problem after taking the column out. brute force and ignorance i.e. hammer and bolster chisel soon lengthened the column!

Yes, I'm coming around to that way of thinking.  I couldn't get any extra play after jacking it up.  It dawned on me that the extra length has to come from the column itself as, with the spring in place at the bottom of the column, the keyed depression for the bolt doesn't clear the end of the spring (I've compressed the spring and wired it up to make it 'easier' to put back together) so that's got to be where the problem is.  I just can't work out what the arrangement is with the two parts of the telescopic column.  I'm not sure if the small hole in the top half is to somehow release the mechanism to allow it to extend. Maybe 5 minutes with my large adjusting tool will do the trick though

Graham

[ggoodwin]

Yesssss!!!

All back together again.  I just needed to put the steering column in the vice and tap the top end (used an adjustable spanner around it and hit that) upwards.  That extra inch makes all the difference 

It seems to have much improved the immobiliser issue but it's still not 100%.  That'll have to wait for another day now.

Graham