Lagondaforum

Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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Hi Bill,
Yes, that name sounds familiar. Only problem I had was that a needle roller bearing was obsolete, so he fitted a plain bearing. The steering was heavy, so he suggested getting the part ground out & having another needle roller bearing fitted (or perhaps it was to accommodate larger diameter needle rollers. That was all fine, except the firm I gave the grinding work to lost the component...for 6 years!
Hi Colin,
Yes Marles on the LG6, & of course the same on the V12. If I remember correctly, "Newnes Overhaul & Repair" has a very comprehensive chapter covering these steering boxes. One quick fix that is possible is to cut a corner of the adjusting shim/s, thus allowing them to be fitted without completely removing the column...indeed found just that on my LG6 box...a bit of a bodge as keeping it really oil tight after doing that must be an issue.
Incidentally the previous "professional restorer" of the steering box just tightened the bearings up...resulting in the bearings disintegrating & turning the oil into excellent grinding paste. Useful.

Laurence

Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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Hi Bill,
Thanks for the address. I might give them a caal. But as I live in
Holland and as I see it as a project for next winter, because I
love working on cars I prefer to do it by myself.
I hope to receive some comments about the best way to do it
in order to avoid damage on a rare steering box.
Fred.

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Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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Fred,
You could do worse than buy a set of "Newnes Motor Overhaul & Repair", it's a 4 volume set plus a 5th "volume" of data sheets (including prewar Lagonda data). The set I bought was fortuitously 1940...best you look out for that publication date or earlier as obviously post war sets will have less relevant content.
They are an absolute mine of information on all aspects of working on our sort of cars. They're not rare, and they're not generally expensive. My set cost £8 about 20 years ago, but you'd still probably get a set for £20 (ie less than the price of a Haynes manual for a modern!) odd today...take care that the set includes the data sheets! As already stated, there's an entire chapter on overhauling/adjusting the several different types of Marles steering gearbox.
I also recently discovered that one of the prewar Motor Trader magazine data sheet supplements was devoted to Marles steering gearboxes, so you could look out for one of those as well. Ebay could be your friend here!
Laurence

Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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Fred, just to answer also one of your original questions. If you do decide to have a go yourself and you need different shims you can buy sheets of shim steel (sometimes a pack in assorted thicknesses) and you can then cut your own shims out to the required shape and thickness. This is not too difficult to do if you are reasonably "handy". You can cut them with an ordinary pair of scissors but might need to resharpen halfway through. Try not to use your wife's dressmaking scissors as otherwise you may find that you spend more time in the garage than you originally intended !
I have done this for a rear axle (not Lagonda) trumpets in order to shim out the taper bearings.
I bought a pack of shim steel (about 300mm x 150mm size by memory from a local engineers supplies but you should be able to find a supplier on the internet. You may have to accept metric not imperial thickness but that is not too much of a problem as you just check the imperial size and then work from that. Best of luck to you Fred if you decide to have a go and let us know how you get on !

Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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Hi Laurence, Hi Bill,

Thanks for your information and suggestions.
I think I'll try to get some manuels first.
I won't spoil my wife's sissors as there are already of poor
quality and I have better ones in my garage.

Anyway I'll have something to do this winter.

Fred.

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Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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Hi Guys,

Now we have established Fred has a "Vintage" Marles box, here are my thoughts. These have a roller cam which is adjusted by slackening off the centre bolt and adjusting it till all the play goes in the centre of the travel. Shims are not required. So how do you get that this?

Undo the stay under the scuttle and the four bolts holding the box on the chassis. Also, unscrew the end cap of the drag link to free the ball joint. There may be other brackets you have to remove as well. The box will then flop around with the wheel on the driver's seat. You may decide to remove it as well. Then wriggle the box up and round till you see the backplate which you can take off when it is uppermost. You will then see the roller cam which you need to adjust.

This is generally a horrible job but at least you do not need to remove the box. However if the shaft is loose it will need re-bushing so everything will have to come out. In this case you will also need to pull off the drop arm. This will be on very tight and will need at least a 10 tonne puller to get it off.

Good luck!

Colin

Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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The shims are actually brass, not steel, so your scissors can breath a sigh of relief. I went to Steering Services in Wimbledon to buy all these parts to do the job myself...and he was happy to sell them, so not essential to make your own.
The shims go where the column joins the box, and also the end plate at the other end of the box; their purpose is to adjust free play in the column bearings, and to centralise the worm gear in relation to the roller.
Colin refers to bushes, whereas my Marles has ball bearings; which emphasises that you'll need to establish which model/variant of Marles box you have there, both to follow the correct instructions & to order parts.

Laurence

Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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I like all the information I got from you and I think to know what
I'll have to do.
But for further discussion : I found on my Marles box the number
L3/18818.
I Googled this number but no effective result. I am sure that
one of you knows all specifications off this box.

Fred

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Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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Fred,
At a guess that probably means a type "L3" box, serial number (or just casting number if it's cast, not stamped in.
That said, if you can get the Newnes set, I think you'll find it pretty easy to establish the particular type if you compare your box with the diagrams. Unfortunately all my books are still boxed up (despite moving here 3 years ago!), otherwise I'd look up the chapter concerned.

Laurence

Subject: Re: Play in Marles steering box

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Is this what you need? I can't find a date but the book looks about the right period. I hope you can read it.

David

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