pethier

This photo implies that there is no need to unlock the steering to pull the shaft, as the forward end of the locking slot is open anyway. Of course, they might not all be built like this. On my car at least, this locking collar can not be seen on the assembled car.

I think that by the time you are bulging the bushing that the larger-diameter overlay that engages the anti-theft lock is aft of the lock and no-longer a factor. if you can spin the wheel with the ignition key out of the car, I believe the lock is no-longer relevant. I have stopped trying to remove the shaft since it looks like my "negative spacer" trick is going to work. When I get my spacer made, I will photograph everything. Using Socket Head Cap Screws to assemble the quick-remove gizmo. Figured out that by drilling 9 more holes in the male half and the stock boss and then counterboring all 18 holes I can make the screw heads all "disappear" into the boss. This means that all I lose for arm-reach is the half-inch thickness of the male half of the removable gizmo. I think I have moved the shaft forward that much, so I think I will be able to make the wheel removable and still have the wheel in its original position. After moving the shaft, I bolted the wheel to the boss and I think that with my gloves on I would foul the headlight high-low switch. A half-inch aft of that should be abut perfect. The irony here is of course that if this system pans out, there was never a reason to pull the boss off of the shaft in the fist place. This is what happens when you design by degrees... If I do wind up pulling the shaft someday, I may run a pulley to the rollbar crossbrace or some such trick to get more power. Have to think about a setup to catch it so as not to damage anything.

There is no actual red line on my tachometer. I have not noticed a rev limiter kick in. (I test drove a Rover K Caterham and there was a hard rev limiter at 7,000.) I don't expect a 1700 crossflow to rev to 8500 like my Elise did. And I don't want to over-rev it either. Anyone have any guidance for me?

Not me. I'm not hammering on anything before I try a puller. If the puller is on and not doing its thing, I may then tap the puller straight on. I recall that I had trouble once with a ball-joint separator on my Lotus Elise. It was tightened up and just sat and looked back at me. I left the shop and went in the house to get nastier clothes on before getting rough with it. When I arrived back at the shop, the ball joint had popped while I was gone. Of course I had had the nut on loose, so nothing flew around.

It should be the outer edge, IMHO. Dunno if there is a real standard. The way I see it, what you want to know is where the wheel interacts with the driver. The important metric laterally would be how far apart the driver's hands are. This will be determined by the outside diameter of the wheel. In the context of the concern of the author of this thread, the OD would be the logical consideration, as each inch of reduction in the OD would net a half-inch of thigh clearance. I do recall that my Lotus 65 Europa fit me perfectly, but my daughter's then-boyfriend had the same thigh-clearance problem as the thread author. That Europa came to me with a Grant GT wheel which was smaller and fatter than the stock wheel. (A guy in Nottingham sold me a NOS original Lotus button that perfectly replaced the ugly Grant GT button in 20 seconds without tools. This gentleman had somehow acquired two boxes of these buttons, one box yellow and green, one box black and silver.)

Mine has 9 screws outside the center cap. Makes my "negative spacer" trick possible. My boss has places to grab with a two-jaw puller. Would have worked if I had left the steering wheel on. I needed an impact wrench to get the big nut off first.

Thanks! I guess that's what I imagined. it explains how there is the same dimeter on both ends of the Secret Tunnel. I have to admit that this is the first car I have ever had in which I could not see the ignition key from the driver seat. (It being on the left side of the wheel is no problem; it is on the left in my Cayman, but I can look around and SEE it!) My previous Caterham was from 1971, and the key was directly in the middle of the dashboard. I think I will continue on with my "negative spacer" project before traveling farther down that road. When I get this first phase done, I will post pix.

260mm is about 10-1/4 inches. My Moto-Lita is about 11-1/2 inches OD.

I have a 1700 Super Sprint now. Not sure what my other Caterham was, but I think it was a 1600 crossflow.

I guess what I don't know is what is sticking out on the shaft that is hitting the bushing? I thought the shaft was the same diameter on both ends. Is there another layer of tubing that holds the shaft together that I can't see because of the enclosed steering column?

Hmm. Maybe I can get it out. The stop seems really hard, but the movement of the bushing, and the fact that I seem to be well-past the key lock seems encouraging. I just don't want to break stuff. If I can't get this shaft out, plan B is to add my new removable-wheel kit (bolts to Moto-Lita 9-bolt Caterham boss and bolts to Moto-Lita 9-bolt wheel) so the release mechanism sits AFT of the steering wheel. I want the wheel to wind up in its original position. This is possible because the Moto-Lita central hole is big enough to clear the release mechanism. A spacer 1.5” thick gets me within a half-inch of the original position, and I think I have enough slide room on the safety clamp to do the rest. I think I have designed a method to work the release from the driver side of the wheel. When the car has to be pretty, the Caterham-Logo plastic wheel trim should cover the workings.

Victimized by your spellchecker? I think you meant "brake".

Wicked bargain for someone who wants to show an upscale old-school Seven. Any idea of the offset?

1991 Caterham 1700 Super Sprint: Same problem? I didn't forget to turn the ignition key for the steering lock. Horn and turn signals work on the dash. I do notice that the bushing at the dash level is bulging towards me as the shaft is acting like a slide-hammer. What goes on here? Can I slide-hammer the bushing out towards me, or am I going to break something? Do I have to fish the shaft out the front of the car? Do I need to remove something uder the dash?

I came in late and misread what you are trying to do. If you are trying to get the wheel closer to you, that is the opposite problem for me. The wheel does not foul my legs at all when the wheel is close to the dashboard. The answer is simple. Buy the Lifeline Moto-Lita bolt-in easy-off. Demon Tweeks stocks them. Simple bolt-in and away you go. You must have long legs and short arms. I am the opposite. I can get the seat back far enough in my 1991 1700 Super Sprint to just get by with the easy-off in, but then I can't reach the pedals properly. But I need elbow room, so I either will do the reverse-spacer or get a little lathe and welding help on the top shaft. I think the real answer for you is a smaller wheel. I'd go for Momo as was suggested by sltous. I like the wheel closer to the dash. Without the easy-off as I first drove the car, it is just about perfect. I have elbow room and the position feels right. My right pinky falls onto the horn switch very nicely without taking my hand off the wheel. Did I mention my car is RHD? It has only been in the USA about a year. Anyway, the Moto-Lita wheel does not bother me at all when driving. When I had a Caterham before, I liked to drive with the top on. I think I may have had a smaller wheel then, and I was younger. The Moto-Lita is a bit in the way when entering/exiting with the top on. The removable thing helps a lot. I tested a Caterham with the smaller, and removable, MOMO wheel, and liked that just fine. There were other reasons I passed up that car for this one.

OK, try this: Pry off the cap from the middle of the wheel. Pay attention to the alignment of the wheel. My car did not have a keyway ensuring the wheel only fits one way on the spline. Loosen the big nut. You may need an impact wrench. Mine was really tight. If the nut came all the way off, put it back on with your fingers several turns. Get a stout puller and hook it up. Tighten the puller. The wheel will likely let go with a bang. That's why you put the nut back on; to stop the wheel flying around. Take off the nut and remove the wheel along with the "hub". Take out the 9 screws and little nuts. Take the trim ring and put it on the wrong side of the hub Put the steering wheel on the wrong side of the hub. Screw it all together. Replace the hub in the car. You can make a spacer to get the wheel even closer to the dash. This also frees up the trim ring to be put back on the proper side of the hub. I am in the process of using a spacer to get back most of the space lost by putting in a MotoLita-to-MotoLita easy-off. This only works because the center hole on a Moto-Lita is so big it easily clears the trigger ring on the easy-off. If you try this, be sure you have a way to operate the trigger before test-fitting! In case I decide to do this the "right" way and weld the male end of the easy-off to the stock shaft, I will need to remove the shaft section, and I have hit an obstruction. Not your problem, so I will post a help-wanted thread of my own.

I know I am odd, too. I staggered Lucas mirrors on my Europa. Driver-side mirror on the door, passenger-side mirror way forward on the fender.

Nuts. Missed it by a couple of years. I had one of these on on my 1979 1600 Caterham. Brilliant design, low price, fabulous supplier. I'd buy one in a minute for my 1991 Supersprint 1700! URL now dead. I hope the person is OK.

Thanks for your generosity! If MV8 declines, I'd like to be next.