Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi All

Been hunting around for advice on removing the steering column and have looked at the PET images. Can someone advise if the column is a drift in/out fit with the bulkhead? Everything is removed bar one shear bolt on the column (to do) but I'm not sure where to apply pressure to remove the column to change the bottom bearing?
many thanks
Ian
89 944 2.7

Quick update - that may help others in the future.
Removed steering column yesterday - managed to access the shear bolt with my dremel and a cutting disk to firstly grind a slot in the head of the bolt and then cut through the flange from the column itself that was secured by the bolt. This gave me enough wiggle on the column to release it from the shear bolt - which with the pressure then off, could be hand unscrewed!
A quick tap on the base of the column in the engine bay and the column was free and could be pulled into the cabin through the dashboard (which I did not have to remove at all). With the column free, it was evident the bottom bearing was very badly seized - it looks like a leaking clutch master cylinder had been leaking onto the shaft of the steering column and this had helped promote corrosion. Drifting off the bearing in its rubber mount showed the damage.
The column really needs to be replaced as even with 1200 grit paper and metal polish, some of the wear was still evident. Until I find another column though (and now I know it is fairly straighforward to replace - especially with normal bolts in the place of the shear bolts) - I reassembled the column and put it back. It is wonderfully free now to turn, although the column wear on the bearing does have a faint grinding sound...
Anyway - here is the rotten bearing after I had removed it from the column:



A real mess.

Thanks for that info, I need to change my bottom bearing as it has play. But have been putting it off looking at the amount of work needed.

That bearing is truly knackered, no wonder the steering was stiff. Found a price for it yet?

Hmm, might have to crack the tie rod ends off of mine and see how free it is to turn. Mine's very heavy (no power steering) but one of the tie rod ends has a split boot and the ball joint is completely shot. While I'm overhauling stuff I might as well check this out.

Did your steering column also have fore-aft play in it with that worn needle bearing? Mine has and I figured I need to replace the needle bearing and bush.

I've been looking at the Porsche workshop manual and the PET, and I can't quite figure out which is the shear bolt you're speaking off. Besides the need to unbolt the universal joint & remove the steering wheel are there other bolts to remove to slide out the shaft enough to replace the bearing and the bush in bulkhead?

No - I had no play at the steering wheel - it was just very very stiff to turn
In my case someone had been at the column before me - so the ignition lock housing bolts - which i gather should be sheer bolts, were just standard hex head bolts. The top bracket which is attached to the top steering tube - through which the steering column passes - had one sheer bolt and one standard hex head bolt fixing it to the car bodywork. So I only had to remove one sheer bolt.

To remove the column - from my experience you need to remove the ignition lock and housing which clamps on the top steering tube, the 2 bolts that attach this tube to the car body work and the 2 bolts that attach the lower steering column to the car bodywork (which is a flexible joint). I have read that if you cannot access the ignition housing bolts, you could cut the dash board to allow the housing to be removed attached to the top steering tube - but that would be a shame.

With the ignition housing, the steering tube mount and the lower steering column bolts removed - and of course the UJ in the engine bay - the column can be tapped out from the engine bay. The rubber bush is a snug fit in the bulkhead but just a push fit.
Hope this helps
Ian

thanks Ian, I've been under the dash and I can access those 4 bolts so I think I'll give this a go