I'm working on a 15 touring car. Could someone show me some pictures of the steering column with the throttle and spark levers installed?

I want to pre-assemble some stuff so it will be ready once the body is put back on the frame.

Can I go ahead and put the entire steering column together including the levers, or do the levers have to be installed after the column is mounted to the fire wall? I'm worried that some of the parts won't fit through the firewall hole. Any advice?

It all goes thru the firewall hole no problem. You leave the spark lever unattached from the end, then rivet it to the rod after the steering column is installed. The reason for this is that the frame bracket won't fit thru the hole in the firewall.

I tapped the spark lever and rod for a #6-32 screw so the steering column would be easier to remove and install in the future, but riveting is no big deal either.

Just do not put the carb and timer control arms onto their rods until everything has gone thru the firewall hole (they impede getting the assembly thru). But do install them on the appropriate shafts BEFORE putting them into the steering support on the frame(otherwise you will have to pull the steering assembly out partway when you put them on later).

The throttle arm doesn't interfere with anything. You can install it with the column on the work bench.

Thanks. Any other suggestions on putting it all together? It's been a year since I took it apart. Any tricks to assembling the gear portion?

Grant

An easy way to install the spark lever on the rod is to drill both the lever and the rod with a 1/8 inch drill bit. Then take a piece of un-fluxed brazing rod (brass) that is 1/8th inch in diameter and cut it just long enough that it leaves about an 1/8 inch sticking out on each side. Then, take a pair of vice grip pliers and swedge the brass pin which will swell the heads slightly preventing it from coming out. If you ever have to remove it, it is easy to file off the head and punch it out.

I'm mostly finished with it now. What type of rivet / pin / screw is supposed to go in the steering gear cover?

I can't find it in the catalogs and mine had a roofing nail in it when I took it apart.

Just to clarify, I'm asking about the one small screw hole in the steering gear cover that keeps it from coming unscrewed.

The screw is a #6 by 1/2 however the head of the screw is a lot smaller than the local hardware store has. I started with a 1 inch #6 put it a drill press and turned down the head with a file and then cut it to the right length. OK it may be a crude way to do it but it worked for me.

I found a screw at the local True Value hardware store that was Stainless Steel, looks good with a nickle plated cover. Dave