With my recently purchased GE convertible I found the steering column had been badly butchered to suit a previous owner so I decided to replace it.
My first thought was to swap in a complete power steering column out of a GL Scorp. This doesn't end up fitting as the igniton key assembly is completely different, and the shrouds and their brackets would not suit the earlier dash.
My second idea was to use the later power steering inner shaft, with the earlier outer section so the brackets, ignition key and so on would all suit. This all went together easily up until I went to fit the roller bearing at the top of the shaft. The original bearing/shaft is about 0.2mm smaller in diameter and the early bearing doesn't fit the later power steering shaft. The previous owner had just left it out, but it allowed some play in the column, so I went looking for an alternative.
After some measuring I found that the original bearing has an ID of 19.8mm, an OD of 27mm, and a width of 13mm. I needed a bearing with an ID of 20mm.
I couldn't find anything suitable with a width of 13mm, but I did find bearings readily available with the 20mm ID, but with a width of 15mm. Seeing as they fit into a rubber bushing I decided to take a chance. This size is readily available from Kawasaki as they are a commonly used crankcase bearing. The part number is 92046-1118 I found one cheap on ebay and it fitted easily. The extra width makes it a firm fit in the rubber bush ensuring there is no excess movement. It then all fitted back together as the factory intended. Works great and the steering feels much better.
