Steering idler rebuild

[Mark Webb]

Having just replaced my worn idler box with an apparently good secondhand one I find that after a few miles its worse than the one I took out
I did check to donor before I fitted it and it seemed fine, no play once fitted but after a few miles the throttle steer came back and the lower bush is shot
Has anyone rebuilt one of these?
I have adjusted it a few times over the years and suspect that it needed doing some time ago but a quick tweek always got it through the MOT until it freed off again a couple of years later.
Wondered why the steering was so heavy

[Richard Fridd]

hi mark, had one rebuilt by BWE with new machined nylon components?? some time ago.may have a spare one with steering box in my auto jumble stock.by the way any audio fairs coming up?thinking about a better tunntable!

[lancialulu]

Yes - very recently my sport 1600 exhibited off-throttle lurch, so I also replaced the idler with a spare that had reputedly been refurbished. The chance paid off as the problem was cured.

So I set about rebuilding the sport idler which came to pieces moderately easily. First problem however was the 2 bushes shown in the spares book were non-existent, just a long plastic sleeve acting as a bush (seemed original) which had worn through at the bottom. I had in advance ordered some bushes and seal from Italy which duly arrived only to be too big to fit in the housing and needing reaming. Took the housing, spindle and new bronze bushes to local machine shop and £40 later all fitted. I may just fit a grease nipple on the side to facilitate lubing from time to time.

So it can be done. Total cost £80.

Tim

[fay66]

Hi Tim,

Don't know if anyone has a spare one but my 2c Berlina, along with I think many of the series 1 Fulvia, already has a grease nipple fitted to the idler, seems like someone decided to save a few Lire

Brian
8227

[Mark Webb]

Grease nipple sounds like a good idea, its a shame the idler is not as rugged as the track rod ends, 157K and they are still 'tight'.
Will strip the old box down and have a look.
Barry probably made the bushes in Nylatron, remember him turning some anti torque steer washers on a lathe for my Delta Turbo while I waited. The best £20 I spent on the car.

Mark

[nistri]

Hi Mark,

Rebuilding the idler box is not too complicated if you have the correct castellated tool to open it.

S1 and early S2 Fulvias have phosphor-bronze bushes and a grease nipple. They rarely wear if correctly maintained (grease once a year; check the play with the adjuster nut through the battery tray slots).
Later S2 and S3 Fulvias lost the nipple and got plastic bushes that wear out much faster.
The long bush you found is almost certainly an aftermarket modification.

Wear in the steering components is often facilitated by fitting the wrong size of tyres. All the best
Andrea