Steering Column Bush (Urgent Help Needed)

[Ian B]

Hopefully someone can help with this one. I've got my MOT tomorrow (I know, Friday the thirteenth - bad choice!) and I've got to put my car back together tonight. It's a 1985 350i.
To eliminate play, I'm changing the bush at the steering wheel end of the column, so I've got my steering wheel off and taken the circlip out but can't get the bush itself out, even though I can see it and turn it. How do I get it out... or does the entire steering column have to come out?
Steve Heath's "The TVR Wedges" (Page 171) illustrates my set-up in the bottom picture but unfortunately doesn't show this bush as it is encased in the housing of the column.
Also the bush I have bought from TVR is a grey plastic Ford item but the bush I can see in the column has tiny ball-bearings in. Have I been given the wrong bush or is there a plastic one even further down the column somewhere?

Thanks a lot for any help.

[ferlin]

isnt the plastic one at the bottom?
aint got a clue on wedge but was on another car i did once

[NHyde]

...... talk to RT , not done the job myself , but he did MrsH's 400 , took about 4hrs if I remember

[grady]

Sounds like the the bush you bought is the one that that goes through - from outside - the the firewall (bulkhead). It's just a hard plastic grommet that fits on from the engine bay side but a pain to change. My guy wound up loosening the steering rack to get enough clearance, 2.5 hrs labor.

Can't help with a bush with bearings though if memory serves, that's what the Bible recommends as a replacement.

Good luck Grady

[Ian B]

Thanks for the help guys, I wasn't able to get the bush out so I put it back together for my MOT and it seems a lot tighter now everything is properly nipped up, even without changing the bush... although it would be handy to know how it's done for future reference.

(P.S. In case you were wondering - it flew through its MOT ... Friday the thirteenth is not so unlucky!)

[tasmania]

It's the bulkhead item you had. Did it myself in 2 hours. A PIA job but it ain't a 4 hour job - especially if done by a Wedge expert which I assume RT is? TaS
Neil how's the slae going?