Don't be a fat head like me.

[enjenjo]

I delivered the 54 truck about a month ago. There were a couple minor issues, turn signal canceling, and brake lights staying on.  The brake lights were an easy fix, a light spring on the pedal to hold it against the switch. But the turn signals gave me fits. I tore down the column 17 times, and I could make the left cancel or the right cancel, but not both. I decided to just replace the column. So I was taking the truck back after making that decision, and on the way I had an epiphany, the steering wheel hub was out of time! so after checking the books I was almost exactly 180 degrees out of time. Now I knew that the hub needed to be timed, but for the last three weeks that thought never occurred to me.

So if you are having a problem go back to the basics. I didn't and I spent a lot of time and money wasting my time and money.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

at least you found the problem.

Believe it or not;  I have mentored , trained, helped many people over the decades on automatic transmissions. I've told each one (more than once) to always remember : "its the simple S*** that will get you".. If something will not work or fit or what ever.  Go back to square one , start over.

I had an old geezer mechanic tell me that when I was like 16 or 17 yrs old. It took a few years but I started to listen to his words.

I have also done the same thing that you mention here: over look the obvious.. a few times. 

[58 Yeoman]

I painted the steering wheel on the 58, and the turn signals wouldn't work. Took off the wheel, checked the springs and whatever else was in there. I don't know how many times I had the wheel off until I found the overspray on the ring.

[jaybee]

"Don't be a fat head like me."

Oh sure, if it were that easy I'd have started it When I was a teenager and my parents were trying to teach me that lesson. Now I'm old enough for a car full of teenagers.

[enjenjo]

I have it all working now. Simple when you actually go back to basics, and think it through.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Last year when I got the convert out the horns didn't work. Checked the usual and the horns seemed bad. Didn't screw with then since I hardly drove it. This year I started at the horns which I could not get to work on the bench. Bought a new pair locally and thought the relay was bad Because all it did was rattle. Couldn't easily replace the relay so ran one out by the horns, No workee. Took the wheel off all seemed fine but testing showed an open down in the column. Everything up from the  signal switch was fine. I took the screws out and pulled the cancelling mechanism up and found a little broken spring in a continuity plunger (or whatever it is called). I figured it was not a service item but I found one in a scrap column. A little McGivering and I was able to "service" the bugger and horns have worked ever since.

Went back to the basics several times as we all know we should. Problem is those old tilt columns with a key are getting harder to find and putting a new cancelling mechanism in is a *.