Steering Column - 3

Time to have a look at the steering column shroud.

First thing to do is to take the piece of bent aluminium provided by GD and mark out and cut openings to accommodate the stalk bellows:
On reflection I should have perhaps cut the holes slightly smaller - no matter I'll just fold the leather over and behind the opening:The next step is to cut out for the ignition barrel and also a recess to clear the bottom of the lock mechanism: Then check everything for fit and adjust as necessary:Once you are happy you can then glue the leather around the aluminium shroud..... I love the smell of evostick!Note how neat the hole is around the ignition barrel:Here comes another top tip - Remove the ignition barrel and cut a slightly under size hole and then refit the ignition barrel. Now there is a trick to getting the lock barrel out and back in again.

Turn the key to position 1 - insert a 2mm allen key through the holes in the front of the mechanism (as shown below) push the allen key in and the barrel will pop out:

DO NOT TURN THE KEY IN THE BARREL OR TURN THE STEERING SHAFT

To refit the barrel take a screwdriver and inside the barrel slide the horseshoe shaped thingy as far as it will go in in the direction shown in the photo below - it may click once or twice.

Then push the barrel back in until it clicks and locks into place. If it won't go in then you haven't slid the horseshoe thingy far enough.

If anyone knows the correct terminology instead of "Thingy" then please let me know!

Then you put it all together and get:

Turned out not too bad.... and the holes around the stalk bellows are OK. You could just leave it like this.... but I'm not going to. The next step will be to change the stalks for some nice polished stainless steel ones.... but I've not got them yet.