rocky&bullwinkle wrote:
You'll be only moving the outer metal part of the column, not the inside, so no need to touch the bolt on the bottom of the steering column.
The T piece is attached to the inner column so moving the outer column won't do anything to fix the problem.
auster3 wrote:
When the wheels are straight ahead (and the steering wheel also in the straight ahead position) the "T" is at 7 or 8 o'clock when viewed from the driver's seat.
The inner column hasn't been installed in the correct position. If you look at the clamp that attaches to the rack pinion at the base of the inner column I'm guessing the bolt is across the top. It should be across the bottom, resulting in the T piece being at about 2pm.
If the inner column position is wrong it may have been done by someone not familiar with the Mini steering system, in which case there may be other things not done correctly. Probably the most important of these is to ensure the two U bolts holding the rack are loose when lining things up, otherwise there will be side pressure on the pinion. Next of importance is ensuring the splines on the pinion and the mating clamp are sharp and in good condition, otherwise the column may slip in the pinion with potentially disastrous results.
If you are unsure about all of this I strongly suggest you get a good Mini mechanic to check the components before reinstalling.