Installing Long Steering Gear Pin

[rmdpchester]

Replaced my steering shaft on '27 Touring. New shaft came with the two smaller steering gear pins already pressed into the spider. Any tips on how to get my new long "oversteering" pin into the spider? Is it ok to tap it with a rubber mallet? Press it in with a C-clamp? Pound it with a 50lb sledge? Any tips on keeping is straight during the install? Regrettably, I don't have a press.

[Mark Nunn]

I tapped mine in with a small hammer. It's a friction fit but not one requiring a press. It needs to go in far enough to clear the flange on the pinion. It should sit at the same height as the other pins. But, make sure the pin doesn't rub against the gear case. I had to tweak mine a little to fit just right.

[Mark Gregush]

Before you get crazy tapping it in, make sure things line up. With the shaft installed in the column the key way points down and the long pin would be centered in the slot at the top of the case. That would make the two things about 180 degrees apart. The slot in the gear case should be at the top. Tapping the pin in, it should follow the hole and go in straight if you tap it in straight. One end should be beveled, that is the start end and should be on the top when done. So the pin is driven in from the back side.

[rmdpchester]

Ah, thanks gents! Very helpful info! Having never done it before, good to hear what others have experienced! Hadn't thought about needing to drive it in from the back. I'll get after it tonight!

[rmdpchester]

Wanted to follow up with an update. So here's what I went with. Block of wood driven by rubber mallet till it set good, then tapped with a regular hammer to the depth I needed. Worked great! (I kept the 50-lb sledge close by just in case, but fortunately I didn't need it!)

[Mark Gregush]

Great and thank you for the update.