For several years and a number of road trips, I have felt like my car was missing an additional gear for driving on the highway. There have been many occasions while driving on the highway, where I have started to reach for another gear and then stopped myself when I remembered that there is no additional gear. I knew a 5th gear wasn’t strictly necessary, as the Mustang could cruise for hours at 2500 to 3000 rpm, so adding a 5-speed transmission was never at the top of my “must fix” list. But the urge to swap transmissions to a modern 5-speed with overdrive was always in the back of my mind.

Recently I had two transmission related issues that made me revisit a transmission upgrade. The first issue was that my clutch was chattering pretty bad on takeoff. I had to be very careful with the clutch when starting from a dead stop to avoid shaking the car badly. The other issue was transmission fluid leaking from the shifter arms where they pass through the transmission case. Addressing both of these issues would require removing the transmission from the vehicle. Fixing the fluid leak would require a transmission rebuild. I had purchased this transmission from a junkyard in the 1980’s and the transmission hadn’t been touched internally since I installed it. The transmission had issues going into and staying in second gear, so I suspected that more than just new seals would be required for a rebuild. I felt that this was a good opportunity/excuse to look into a swap to a 5-speed transmission with overdrive.

The obvious choice for a new transmission was the Tremec TKX. The TKX’s first 4 gear ratios matched very close to my Ford toploader 4-speed transmission, but with the addition of an overdrive gear. The TKX was designed to have a low profile for an easier fit into older cars. And there were several companies that make ready to install kits for my Mustang that included all of the required hardware, cables, wiring, shifter, and clutch. I did my research and compared all of the kits on the market. Most were fairly similar and all of the companies had good reputations, which made the choice more difficult. Eventually a sale price led me to purchase a kit from Silver Sport Transmissions.

Gear	Toploader	TKX
1	2.78	2.87
2	1.93	1.89
3	1.36	1.28
4	1.00	1.00
5		0.68

Normally I attempt to do most of the work on my car myself. But I quickly realized that installing this kit by somebody of my age lying on their back in a garage wasn’t going to work for me. Luckily, I found a local shop, Bruno’s Classic Muscle, that could handle the install for me. They were able to work me into their schedule, and I dropped off my car along with the transmission kit for the install. This shop is a high-end shop with a price to match, but after speaking with them I knew they were the right people for this job. Really nice people, great skills, and very accommodating.

After about a week, I received a phone call from the shop asking me to come in and see some issues they had run into. The first issue was that the plug that was placed in the back of the transmission for shipping was stuck. Removing it would damage the rear seal on the tailshaft. They were able to remove the plug, and Silver Sport sent a replacement seal free of charge. The second problem was that the shifter didn’t align with the hole in the floor pan or with the console. The solution they recommended was to use a different shifter that had enough adjustment to line up with the floor pan and the console. They ordered the new shifter, and the rest of the transmission install proceeded with no major issues.

On my 1st test drive after the install, I had some difficulty with engaging the clutch smoothly. I feel that this was due to the change from relatively stock a Long style clutch to a heavy-duty diaphragm style clutch. After a while I was able to start and shift more smoothly, but I need a more practice. On the drive home the transmission shifted crisply, with nice short throws. I had an opportunity to drive a few miles on the highway, and the overdrive 5th gear had the engine at 2000 rpm while going 70 mph. Previously, that would have been 3000 rpm at 70 mph.

Here is a comparison between the Ford toploader and TKX transmissions showing the speeds in mph at 2000 rpm for each gear. For reference, my car has a 3.25 rearend gear ratio and P215/70R14 tires, which are 25.9 inches in diameter.

Transmission:	Ford Toploader (wide)		Tremec TKX (close .68)
Gear	Ratio	Speed	Ratio	Speed
1	2.78	17.06	2.87	16.52
2	1.93	24.57	1.89	25.09
3	1.36	34.87	1.28	37.04
4	1	47.42	1	47.42
5			0.68	69.73

I will post again about the transmission once all the snow has melted and the weather warms up so I can go for a longer test drive. For now, I can say I’m happy with the result and am ready to move on to more Mustang winter projects.

I’ve been noticing recently that my alternator warning light has been flickering when the car is idling. At speed the alternator warning light would go out. To me, this means that either the alternator is starting to fail or the load on the alternator exceeded the amount of current it could provide at idle. If low current at idle was the problem, adding air conditioning and electric assisted power steering only exacerbated the problem. To remedy either of these possibilities, the best course of action would be to replace the alternator with one that could provide enough current for all of the car’s upgraded systems. Rather than replacing the alternator with a stock replacement, I decided it was time for an upgrade that could provide both more current at lower RPMs as well as more total current output.

Each of these options had pros and cons.

Upgraded Direct bolt-in Replacement

Pros:

• Easiest install – no wiring changes
• Maintains original appearance
• Easy return to factory stock
• Maintains factory ammeter or alternator warning light

Cons:

• Lower current output at idle
• Few vendors – harder to find replacement while travelling

GM Style 1-Wire Alternator

Pros:

• Higher current ratings than 1G
• Eliminates external voltage regulator

Cons:

• Requires wiring changes
• Lower idle charging amps compared to the 3G
• Too high of an amperage could cause belt squeal
• Doesn’t support the alternator warning light or factory ammeter
• Might be more difficult to source a replacement while travelling

Ford 3G Alternator

Pros:

• Higher current ratings than 1G
• Eliminated external voltage regulator
• Higher idle and low-speed amp output
• Able to support factory alternator warning light (with wiring modifications)
• Uses an unmodified factory alternator – easier to find replacement while travelling

Cons:

• Requires wiring changes
• Too high of an amperage could cause belt squeal
• Doesn’t support the factory ammeter

All of the options would work. I chose the Ford 3G alternator for better idle current, easiest to find replacement, and ability to retain the charging warning light. I chose to use a kit from PA Performance to adapt the 3G alternator. While not strictly necessary, it made the conversion slightly easier.

These are the parts I used for the conversion

	Alternator – DB Electrical AFD0025 Alternator Compatible With/Replacement for Ford F600 F700 F800 F900 HD Truck 19901999, L6000 L7000 L8000 L9000 1989-1999, B600 B700 B800 Heavy Duty 1990-1999 334-2005 334-2239. I chose this alternator because it had a 95 amp rating, the correct form factor, and the correct belt drive pulley for my engine. Many of the 3G alternators come with a pulley for a serpentine belt, which would require swapping pullies. Not a big deal, but it saved me some work. The alternator I received did not require reclocking.
	PA Performance 1G to 3G conversion kit – This kit includes a new alternator wiring harness with the correct connectors. It also includes a dummy voltage regulator that replaces the original regulator. While not required since the 3G alternator has an integral regulator, it makes rewiring easier and permits retaining the alternator warning light without any additional wiring. I chose to use the dummy regulator to make my life a little bit easier. Many people choose to not use one.
	PA Performance premium power wire – This is the wire that connects the alternator to the battery. The original wire needs to be replaced with a larger gauge because the original cannot handle the increase in current from the new alternator. It also includes a 200 amp fuse and holder.

Wiring Modifications and Installation

After disconnecting the negative battery cable, I removed the old alternator and regulator. Then I installed the dummy regulator in place of the original and reconnected the original regulator wiring harness.

I preinstalled the conversion harness and new battery cable on the alternator before installing everything in the car. I decided to add some connectors to the conversion wiring harness. Since I was using the stator connector to power my electric choke, I needed to splice in a connector to the new stator wire to connect to my electric choke. I also added weatherproof connectors for the ground and ignition wires to make the install and maintenance easier.

On the wiring harness in the car, I added connectors to the existing ground and ignition wires from the old alternator. Then I taped off the old battery and stator wires as they are no longer needed. It is important to not connect the old alternator battery wire as it cannot handle the increased current from the new alternator.

Once all the wiring modifications had been completed, I installed the new alternator. It bolted right up in place of the old alternator with no issues. I was even able to reuse the old fan belt. Next, I connected the ignition, ground and electric choke wires to the conversion harness on the alternator. Finally, I connected the new power cable to the starter solenoid and reconnected the negative battery cable. No fires or sparks so I proceeded with testing the converted alternator.

I started the car and measured the voltage at the battery. It measured a solid 14.,5 volts at idle. The alternator was charging, so I marked this conversion as a success. I may go back and attempt to route the wires better, but for now I can move on to the next project.

For quite a few years I’ve had a nagging issue of a slowly dripping oil leak. I like to claim my car is just marking its’ territory. I only need to add a quart during a typical show season. But I still find it embarrassing and wanted to address the issue. The leak can be seen as a drip of oil on the bellhousing inspection cover. When the car is parked in my garage an oil spot on the floor is also visible directly under the inspection cover. If I had to guess as to the cause, I would guess either an oil pan leak or a rear main seal. It was time to do some diagnosing to try and find the cause of the leak.

I started by removing the inspection cover and cleaning it thoroughly. I didn’t see signs of a rear main seal leak, so I reinstalled the cover and cleaned the area around it as best as I could using brake clean. Next, I checked the oil pan bolts. I found they were a bit loose, so I snugged them up. After a 30-mile test drive I checked for the leak. The inspection cover was still dry and clean. I was hopeful at this point in time that I might have solved the problem.

After another 30-mile test drive I checked, and the drip of oil was back again. The oil pan was still pretty clean and dry, so I started looking at the top of the engine. The head behind the driver’s side valve cover was dry. That side of the intake manifold was also dry. Then I checked the passenger side head behind the valve cover. It was a bit damp with oil. When I checked the valve cover bolts, I found them to be slightly loose just like the oil pan bolts. I snugged them down as well and cleaned off the back of the head. I haven’t had a chance to test drive yet to see if this was the leak. I’ll update this post once I know if the leak has been fixed or not.

There was one last oil system issue I wanted to address. Whenever I did an oil change the dipstick would read overfull. I vaguely had it in the back of my head that the original dipstick tube had been damaged or broken and I had either used one from a spare engine I used to own, or I had reinstalled the broken tube. Either one of these could cause the dipstick to read incorrectly. A new dipstick tube was rather expensive, but I took a gamble, purchased the dipstick tube and installed it. To my relief, the dipstick now reads exactly full when the oil pan is full. The dipstick is difficult to insert, but I’m hoping that will loosen up over time.

I’ve begun cleaning up the car and organizing the trunk for the upcoming show season. I hope to have the oil leak fixed before I make the trip to Cruisin’ Ocean City in the next two weeks.

I won a gift certificate to National Parts Depot at a car show. At the time, I didn’t need any parts or know what to spend the gift certificate on. I ended up purchasing a Monte Carlo bar. I never really felt the car needed one, and was concerned that it might interfere with clearance around the air cleaner, distributor, or air conditioning compressor. I chose a curved bar just to be sure there wouldn’t be any clearance issues. If you want to start a “healthy” discussion on the Mustang forums, ask whether a curved or straight Monte Carlo bar is better. Then stand back and watch the fireworks.

I did want to touch on the effectiveness of the handling improvements I’ve done so far. That includes an export brace, Bilstein shocks, larger front anti-sway bar, roller spring perches, upgraded springs, and the Arning drop. In the past I had stated that this car would never be able to handle very well due to the weight of the big block engine. Recently I had an opportunity to push the car pretty hard around some twisties. This was the first time I really pushed the car since I lowered the upper control arms. Up until that moment I hadn’t really noticed much of a difference from the Arning drop. But I was very surprised how far I could push the car around the curves now. It was quite a difference, and I hadn’t hit the limit of how far I could push the car. So, I would call the suspension upgrades I had done to this point a success.

Back to the Monte Carlo bar. Once the bar arrived from NPD, I put it into storage until I had the urge to install it. That urge didn’t hit me for quite a while. Today was the day I chose to install the Monte Carlo bar. The installation was very straightforward, and I finished it up in just a few minutes. I didn’t drill holes for the bolts that go through the fender apron yet. I want to decide whether I will keep the bar on the car or not. I didn’t get a chance to drive the car after the install, so I don’t know if the bar made a noticeable improvement or not. I’ll update this post after I’ve had the chance to test it out.

I actually completed my EPAS installation some time ago, but only now got around to documenting it. Once I got the fitment of the steering column straightened out the EPAS install went well. I did run into several other issues while buttoning everything up. One issue was related to the Ididit steering column. The other issue was with my clutch linkage. The clutch linkage was not directly related to the EPAS install. It only became an issue with the EPAS installation because I had decided to remove and replace the linkage at the same time as the EPAS install. Replacing the clutch linkage was not required by the EPAS installation.

After I got the EPAS motor and steering column situated under the dash with the proper clearance I installed the stalks for the turn signals and tilt mechanism. Next, I did another test of the steering column wiring. The turn signals, horn, emergency flasher, and brake lights were all working properly. I was finally making good progress, and my next step was to install the steering wheel.

My car originally came from the factory with a deluxe steering wheel. When I purchased the car the original steering wheel was in the trunk and was badly broken. I had purchased an original standard wheel years ago and had used it until it cracked badly. At that time, I was able to locate a used deluxe steering wheel that had been restored. That is the steering wheel I had been using since getting the car back on the road in 2013. I liked the original look but had decided to treat myself to an upgrade to go along with the new steering column.

The new steering wheel I eventually selected and purchased is a Corso Feroce reproduction of the Shelby mustang wood grain steering wheel. It had the look I wanted, was made with real rather than simulated wood, and didn’t require an adapter to install. I love the look of this wheel. It has a horn button in the center rather than on each spoke like the factory deluxe wheel. This should eliminate my accidentally honking the horn when backing up and turning the wheel with one hand. I didn’t want to have a Shelby logo on the horn button as My car isn’t a Shelby. But I could order a standard Mustang emblem on the horn button. The only things I might change is for the wheel to be thicker and maybe a smaller diameter.

Here is a picture of the Corso Feroce steering wheel with the horn button I selected.

I installed the new steering wheel and torqued it down. Unfortunately, it bottomed out on the steering column and completely bound up. I removed the wheel and tried both of my original wheels. They both also bottomed out on the column. I had both my original steering column and a column out of a 1968 Mustang. All three wheels fit fine on both of the original steering columns. Time to call tech support.

This is a picture showing the lack of clearance between the steering wheel and the column. The bolt is only finger tight when this picture was taken.

I contacted tech support at EPAS Performance and described the issue. They told me that they have seen that problem before and that I should contact Ididit for a spacer that would correct the problem. When I contacted Ididit, they told me they have never seen this issue before and that all three of my steering wheels must be defective. After a lot of back and forth including pictures and measurements, Ididit’s recommendation was to use a FlashPower steering wheel adapter and an aftermarket steering wheel. I wasn’t willing to change to yet another steering wheel as I really liked the Corso Feroce wheel.

I did some searching on the Internet and found two people with a similar steering column. One said he used the FlashPower adapter and an aftermarket steering wheel. The other person used a stock steering wheel and had the same issue thst I was having. He had to do some grinding for clearance. I ended up doing a bit of clearancing and also built up the inside of the steering wheel. At that point I was able to torque everything down with no interference. A short test drive proved that the power assist steering was working. Unfortunately, the lower clutch rod came apart near the end of the test ride. I was able to limp my way home by clutchless shifting, a skill I learned in this car decades ago. The couple of times I had to come to a complete stop, I started the car in gear. I’m sure this didn’t do the starter any good, but it survived the trip back home.

So now it was time to install the OpenTracker lower clutch rod which I had deferred earlier in the EPAS install. I removed the z-bar and drilled out the hole for the new lower clutch rod. Then I went to screw the bullet adapter on to the lower clutch rod. The thread pitch on the new rod was fine thread but the adapter was coarse thread. After a few conversations with John at OpenTracker, I ordered a replacement adapter that was not threaded. John offered to send me one no charge, but I had already ordered the threadless one. Once that arrived, I installed the new lower clutch rod and adjusted the clutch. The clutch linkage operates nice and smooth now.

Here is the original lower rod (top), the OpenTracker rod (bottom), and the original threaded bullet adapter.

This is the new bullet adapter I ordered. It has no threads.

There was now only one more thing to address which was where to mount the potentiometer that controls how much steering assist the EPAS system provides. I had recently purchased a 3D printer, so I decided to print a bracket for the potentiometer that mounts under the dash. Since I am only learning how to use 3D CAD applications, designing the part took some time and trial/error. Eventually I came up with a design I liked, printed the bracket in white, and installed the potentiometer. I will eventually reprint the bracket using red filament to match my dash, but for now I want to test the design and make sure it doesn’t interfere with anything and isn’t in my way.

This is an image of the bracket I designed.

At this point it is well into the driving season, and I have a lot of other non-car related projects to work on. Unless something breaks, anything else will have to wait until I get to working on my winter Mustang projects.

Due to some health concerns, home improvement projects, and general frustration with fitting the steering column I took a long break from this install. I knew that I needed to finish up the project but wasn’t very motivated to work on it. Plus, I was experiencing some health issues that caused me to become exhausted and out of breath after very little exertion on my part. I finally got myself feeling up to completing the work required to finish up this EPAS installation.

I’ve never been completely satisfied with the clearance between the EPAS and my clutch linkage. If the car had an automatic transmission, I believe there wouldn’t be the same issues. I could just barely get the required clearance so that the EPAS motor doesn’t rub on the under-dash clutch linkage or even bind it up completely. I did eventually find a position that worked, but if you pulled down on the steering wheel the column would sometimes move just enough to cause some slight rubbing. I originally planned to reposition the parking brake lever to gain some additional clearance. I moved the lever over and purchased some washers to use as shims to drop down the lever. I wasn’t completely happy with this approach but felt it would work well enough.

Before I moved the parking brake handle and buttoned everything back up, I decided to test the turn signal switch wiring in case I needed to remove the column to fix the wiring. Upon testing the turn signal switch functions, I found that everything was working except for the front right turn signal. I did some tracing of the wires and soon discovered that the clamp that mounts the steering column to the dash had severed that wire on the turn signal harness. I was able to splice the wire and get the turn signal working properly, but needed to modify the clamp so that it wouldn’t pinch the turn signal wiring harness where it exited the steering column. I dropped the column and ground some metal off of the clamp to gain the clearance I needed.

Now that the clamp was modified, I attempted to reinstall the steering column again. I spent a considerable amount of time attempting to find the sweet spot where the column didn’t interfere with the clutch linkage. I spent about an hour removing parts I had already reinstalled and moving the column around but was unable to find the same sweet spot I had discovered before. Eventually I found that I needed to pull the column forward towards the driver’s seat to reach the same spot I had the column in before removing it to fix the wiring. This gave me the clearance for the clutch linkage but put the clamp very close to the wiring again. That was when I realized that moving the column closer to the driver was the answer to my clearance issues. I was prevented from moving the column far enough forward because of the interference between the clamp and the wiring harness. It looked like all I needed to do was grind the clamp some more so that I could move the steering column a little bit closer to the driver’s seat. It sounds so simple now, but I spent a lot of time attempting to figure it out.

Tomorrow, I plan to remove the clamp one more time and grind it for some more clearance. Then I can move the column a bit more forward and I’m hoping I will have enough clearance with the clutch linkage. It isn’t rubbing now, but it is closer than I am comfortable with, so I would like to gain just a bit more clearance. After that, I bet the floor vent would fit as well, but I’ve already removed it and mounted the EPAS ECU in its’ place. Since I have A/C I don’t think I will miss it too much. Hopefully I can get this project back on track and finally wrap things up. Once the column is securely mounted, I hope to revisit the roller clutch linkage and torque the pitman arm to specs. That should get the car operational again. I still have some other items I want to fix or update, but I think I need to spend some time driving and also work on my health before I tackle any new projects.

I’ve finally reached the point where I can test fit the new steering column and determine how to clock the EPAS motor. The first thing I noticed is that I needed to remove the driver’s side AC vent, courtesy light, and parking brake handle to make some room to maneuver the motor into place. Between all of that, the clutch pedal and linkage, and the driver’s side fresh air vent there just wasn’t enough room for the EPAS motor. While I might have been able to eventually fit everything back into place, I decided to just eliminate the fresh air vent. That would give me plenty of room for the EPAS motor, and also provide a place to mount the EPAS controller box.

I had no trouble removing the fresh air vent. But now I needed to fabricate a block off plate. I grabbed the lid from a cardboard pizza box and used it to make a template for the block off plate. I traced the fresh air vent onto the cardboard and marked the mounting holes. Then I cut it out and test fitted it on the car. It fit fine. Now I needed to make a more permanent plate out of sheet metal.

I went to the local hardware store and purchased a small sheet of 22 gauge cold rolled steel. Then I marked the steel using the cardboard template I had made. I used some aviation snips to cut out the plate and drilled the mounting holes in the plate. My snips either aren’t very sharp or I’m just not very skilled at using them because it took me quite some time to cut out the plate. Not perfect, but it won’t be visible.

After test fitting the block off plate, I mounted the EPAS control box.

I installed the block off plate using some strip caulk as a sealer. I slid the new steering column into position, tightened down the attaching strap, and connected the shaft to the motor. Clearance was very tight, but I managed to find a position that cleared the clutch pedal. If the car had an automatic transmission clearance would be much less of an issue as the clutch pedal was the biggest problem. I reinstalled the clutch linkage, brake pedal, and parking brake handle and checked for clearance again. It turns out I probably could have retained the fresh air vent, but since I have air conditioning it should be OK to leave it off. Plus, it provided a very convenient place to mount the EPAS ECU. My biggest concern at this point is that there is only the strap under the steering column holding it in position. The original steering column had the strap and a mount at the firewall. The replacement column mounts in both places but has a universal joint between the column and the firewall. This universal joint permits the column to move up and down just a little bit if you put some leverage on the steering wheel. I may need to revisit the clamp and beef it up some, but for now I think it will work. My next steps are to stake the motor to the column, wire the column up, and finish tightening up and reattaching everything I removed to make room for the new column. Then I will need to find a good place to mount the adjustment potentiometer, test the wiring, and I can call this job completed.

Now that I had my QuickJack set up, I was able to raise the car up and get a good look at whether I could maneuver the steering box out from below. First, I removed the clutch linkage and z-bar in an attempt to get enough room to wiggle the steering box out. That didn’t quite give me enough room. Next, I tried to drop the exhaust h-pipe, but ended having to drop the entire exhaust system as the h-pipe wouldn’t separate from the rest of the system. It wasn’t rusty, just tightly wedged together. After that I had plenty of room to get the old steering box out.

I had a 16:1 steering box that had been rebuilt by Chockostang ready and waiting to install. Before I installed it, I made sure it was centered. I did this by turning the box all the way to one stop, and then turned it to the other stop, counting the turns from one stop to the other. I divided the number of turns in half and then set the box to that number of turns from one of the stops. You can tell when you are in the ballpark as the steering is stiffer near the center of the box’s travel. Being tighter near the center of the steering is by design. With the steering box centered, I wiggled it up onto the frame rail and bolted it in place. The pitman arm has a keyway that needs to match up with the splines on the steering box. The front wheels of the car were already centered, as was the steering box, so the pitman arm lined right up, and I could easily slide the pitman arm back into place. Per the shop manual, the torque specs are 50-65 ft-lbs. for the frame rail bolts, and 150-225 ft-lbs. for the pitman arm on a big block car.

With the steering box finally replaced and still working underneath the car, I turned my attention to the clutch z-bar. I appear to have an oil leak (maybe my next project), so I needed to degrease the z-bar before continuing as it was quite messy. Before crawling under the car, I test fitted the new engine side pivot to the z-bar to make sure the bearing it came with would fit inside the z-bar. It turned out I needed to clean up the inside of the z-bar with a file to enable the bearing to slide in. The z-bar only needed a very minor clean up on the inside. The frame side pivot fit with no problem. With the test fitting out of the way I installed the pivots and z-bar back on the car. It took me a while to get everything lined up and all the bolts started, but I eventually got it all back in place and moving freely.

After making sure that the z-bar moved freely, I attempted to install my new roller lower clutch rod and spring. The bolt on the lower clutch rod was too large of a diameter to fit through the hole in the z-bar. For now, I reinstalled the old lower clutch rod. I contacted the vendor, Opentracker, and he said I should drill out the z-bar to match the diameter of the new rod. In order to drill out the hole for the lower clutch rod, I will need to remove the z-bar again. I will probably circle back around to this modification, but for now I reinstalled the old lower clutch rod. I plan to test fit the upper rod as well to make sure I don’t need to drill out that hole as well.

After finishing all of this I reinstalled the exhaust system. Everything went back into place fairly well. I did need to level the exhaust tips just a bit, but that was only a minor adjustment. I haven’t tested for leaks yet, but I don’t think there will be any major leaks. I might have to tighten a few clamps after I give it a test run. But for now, the car is back on the ground and my next steps involve working in the engine compartment and under the dash.

The weather hasn’t been warm or dry enough for me to want to work outside. Since I’m still anxious to keep the project moving forward, I looked for more parts I can prepare for installation while working inside. One item I could start on is partially assembling the steering shaft.

The steering shaft in this kit consists of two D shaped steel tubes. One is solid and one is hollow. It is designed so that the solid tube can slide inside the hollow tube. Each tube has a matching adapter with a D shape at one end and a splined opening at the other end. One adapter has splines to match the steering box. The other adapter has splines to match up with the EPAS motor. Both adapters are held in place using set screws at each end.

I decided to install the adapters on the ends of their corresponding steering shaft. The install was easy enough, as the adapters are a simple press fit on their respective shafts. I used blue Loctite to make sure that the set screws don’t come loose over time. I also test fitted the splined ends on the steering box and EPAS motor just to make sure I had the correct parts. Everything went together without a hitch.

Here is a picture of the two parts of the steering shaft with the adapters installed and the set screws held in place using Loctite. The shaft on the left is the hollow shaft and uses the adapter that mates up with the steering box. The shaft on the right is the solid shaft. One end slides into the hollow shaft, and the other end has the adapter that mates up with the EPAS motor.

I realize this wasn’t a big accomplishment, but it is one less thing I need to prepare as soon as I can do more work outside.

Since the weather hasn’t been conducive to working outside, I chose to work on wiring the new Ididit steering column. I could tackle that job inside where it is warm and dry. The column comes with a turn signal switch that terminates in wires with preinstalled crimp on pins. It also comes with a connector that will attach to the under-dash connector for my car’s wiring harness. It appeared that this would be as simple as pushing the pins on the wire ends into the correct locations on the supplied connector.

My first step was to make sure I could identify all of the wires. I used the wiring diagram in my shop manual and compared it to the documentation that came with the steering column. I was surprised to find that all the color codes on the new steering column matched up with the color codes on my under-dash wiring harness. Here are the wiring diagrams from the shop manual as well as the instructions from the Ididit steering column. Both diagrams include my notes as to the color coding.

Armed with this knowledge, I turned to inserting the wire pins into their correct locations on the connector. I immediately learned that the pins didn’t fit. I puzzled over this for a few minutes before I realized that the new turn signal switch wiring used female pins, but the connector required male pins. The kit did come with a full set of both male and female pins, as well as both male and female connectors. I decided my best course of action was to cut off the female pins on the turn signal switch and replace them with the correct male pins. In the past when installing these types of pins, used a pair of needle nose pliers to bend and crimp the pins and then I had soldered the pins on. This always worked, but the results never looked anywhere as nice as when the factory crimped the pins on.

I contacted a friend who could advise me on the best way to achieve the correct looking factory crimp. I learned that there are special (and expensive) tools required for this. He recommended that I crimp the pins and then solder them on like I have done in the past. While not as good as crimping with the tool, it should work well enough. So that is the approach I took. I cut off the female pins and then carefully crimped and soldered on the male pins. Then using the wiring diagrams, I inserted the pins into the correct locations on the connector. Then I wrapped the wires in electrical tape to make the harness look nice and tidy. For not having the correct tool I feel like it came out fairly well.