MTFCA Forum

I want to share how I finally rebuilt my 1910 steering column. I thought about this for over a year and finally came up with a solution that worked. I started by purchasing a two piece steering gear from a 1911. My 1910 steering gear was damaged beyond repair. I also purchased a new brass quadrant, but it wasn't the same as the original, so I filed the teeth on the original and used it.

I started by making a backing plate for the steering gear rivets. I had read that someone had tried to repair their column with the original solder, but was unsuccessful and only managed to discolor the brass. I took a different approach. After polishing all of the brass parts, I installed the brass control rods. I then mixed up some 4 hour epoxy and applied it to the inside of the two brass pieces and then tightly bolted them together.

The following day, I removed three bolts from the steering gear and installed the brass rivets, one at a time. While clamping the backing plate to the outside, I used a rivet gun on the inside which is never seen. I then repeated the same process for the remaining three rivets.

Next I assembled the brass quadrant on the steering column, carefully aligning the rivet holes. I used a caliper and measured the total distance required for the two rivets. Using the same caliper, I cut four rivets half of that distance with a little wiggle room. I then proceeded to epoxy these rivets into place. After I used the rivet gun tip and carefully seated the rivet heads into the angled brass quadrant.

See the pictures below:

Great job!

Beautiful work Rod. You did yourself a favour by using the original quadrant, Fitting any other one would have meant having to fill holes in the column and the steering box stem to drill new holes for the rivets. Each column is individually assembled and so no two sets of holes ever match up.

If the brass was discoloured when trying to solder the two gearcaase parts together, you likely had too much heat. The rivets do the anchoring. The solder, in your case the epoxy, provides the seal between the two components.

Allan from down under.

I did much the same on my 1912 many years ago. The key to a solid connection was your bucking bar. Im assuning you also beveled the rivet holes inside the gear case. Steering columns can be a challenge.