The item shown below, a felt bush, lives in the top of your steering column. Not a lot of people know this. Over time it dries out and the top of the column appears to be loose. After you weld up your chassis, rebuild all the brakes and do all the other major items for the annual MOT test, you fail on this bush. It has happened to me twice over the last 30 years. The reason it came to mind was a chance conversation at the 2005 Cortina Club National at Stratford.
A club-member mentioned he had failed the MOT after being warned the previous year about "play" in the top of the steering column. What he did not know, and was surprised to find out, was that the felt bush should be soaked in oil or melted grease.
You can soak the bush in-situ by dribbling in some heavy oil, such as gearbox oil over a period of a few days. This will expand the felt as it soaks up the oil and remove the play. If you feel the bush needs to be replaced then soak the replacement in a little tin of oil for a few days before fitting.
I had little trouble fitting mine once soaked in oil, but apparently there is a special Ford tool to fit these bushes!
If any-one has a photo of the tool they could let me have????
Page last updated:- October 03, 2006