I just bought a tilt column for my '70 Elky (auto on column). Any special tricks to swapping it out? Thanks.
How hard is it to swap out a steering column?
70ElkySS
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We just got finished doing that in our 71. It really isnt that hard. A few suffestions are:
1) Disconnect intermediate shaft from column and and from steering box. If you want, pull that out, clean it up, and make it look all pretty. Get a new rag joint (or use the old one, doesnt matter)When replacing the column, if you connect the intermediate shaft to the column, and then install it through the firewall, it makes life easier so you do not have to get at the bolt under the brake booster. After the shaft is in, then replace the rag joint and lightly bolt it up.
Thats the tip.
To do this (or this is how it was in a '71)
1)take off the plate that connects to the dash to acess the bolts on the column.
2) 4 bolts in the middle and 2 nuts up along side the column itself.
3)disconnect wiring harnesses
4)Take screws on plate on firewall off, so you can get to the hole.
I do not know if/when you have to take your linkage out, because I had a 4 on the floor. Maybe someone can help out on this fact.
More or less, this job just needs a little common sense to complete.
For a more complete "How to" that I got from someone here, on the paper i printed it has an email adress that if you want, I will send it to you, and you can ask him for "TiltColumnD&R#202OC02.doc", if someone here does not post it first.
Chris
EDIT: With a little further searching, I found the website: Tilt Column Help
It should ask you to save or open. If you want, open it and print it out so you have the directions with you while working.
Hope whoever gave me the link in the first palce doesn't mind me posting it agian.
Chris
1) Disconnect intermediate shaft from column and and from steering box. If you want, pull that out, clean it up, and make it look all pretty. Get a new rag joint (or use the old one, doesnt matter)When replacing the column, if you connect the intermediate shaft to the column, and then install it through the firewall, it makes life easier so you do not have to get at the bolt under the brake booster. After the shaft is in, then replace the rag joint and lightly bolt it up.
Thats the tip.
To do this (or this is how it was in a '71)
1)take off the plate that connects to the dash to acess the bolts on the column.
2) 4 bolts in the middle and 2 nuts up along side the column itself.
3)disconnect wiring harnesses
4)Take screws on plate on firewall off, so you can get to the hole.
I do not know if/when you have to take your linkage out, because I had a 4 on the floor. Maybe someone can help out on this fact.
More or less, this job just needs a little common sense to complete.
For a more complete "How to" that I got from someone here, on the paper i printed it has an email adress that if you want, I will send it to you, and you can ask him for "TiltColumnD&R#202OC02.doc", if someone here does not post it first.
Chris
EDIT: With a little further searching, I found the website: Tilt Column Help
It should ask you to save or open. If you want, open it and print it out so you have the directions with you while working.
Hope whoever gave me the link in the first palce doesn't mind me posting it agian.
Chris
I swapped out the auto-shift-column non-tilt on my 70 Chevelle, for a tilt auto-shift-column from a 71 Elky in a couple hours.
It's a bolt on, with a few tips.
#1) Do not completely remove the two bolts under the dash holding the column up. If you do, it will drop and break the thin wire that runs to the shift indicator. You have to remove the screw holding the wire to the column before completely dropping the column.
#2) Remember to remove the neutral safety switch from the bottom of the column, along with the bolts holding the split metal floor plate to the floor.
#3) Remember to unplug the ignition switch. It may be 180 degrees out of position depending on what year yours is. But the plug is the same.
#4) You don't have to remove the seat, but it will be easier, mine was a bench.
#5) If you remove the bolts at the rag joint you can pull the whole thing thru the firewall (easy if seat is removed). If you remove the bolt at the end of the steering column (it has to completely come out, not just loosen) that holds it to the intermediate shaft, you may need to persuade the column off the splines of the shaft. Be careful, you have a bearing seal here.
#6) The shifter linkage has a simple spring pin and a plastic washer that is hard to reach, just under the booster. Place a tarp under the car, to catch the spring pin as you WILL drop it during the R&R.
Be careful of the turn signal switch lever. I think I broke mine during the swap. It;s not hard to replace the turn signal switch cam, but it was fine before I started the swap.
Oh, when I did finally pull it out, I put the wheels as straight as I could to make the reinstall easy.
It's a bolt on, with a few tips.
#1) Do not completely remove the two bolts under the dash holding the column up. If you do, it will drop and break the thin wire that runs to the shift indicator. You have to remove the screw holding the wire to the column before completely dropping the column.
#2) Remember to remove the neutral safety switch from the bottom of the column, along with the bolts holding the split metal floor plate to the floor.
#3) Remember to unplug the ignition switch. It may be 180 degrees out of position depending on what year yours is. But the plug is the same.
#4) You don't have to remove the seat, but it will be easier, mine was a bench.
#5) If you remove the bolts at the rag joint you can pull the whole thing thru the firewall (easy if seat is removed). If you remove the bolt at the end of the steering column (it has to completely come out, not just loosen) that holds it to the intermediate shaft, you may need to persuade the column off the splines of the shaft. Be careful, you have a bearing seal here.
#6) The shifter linkage has a simple spring pin and a plastic washer that is hard to reach, just under the booster. Place a tarp under the car, to catch the spring pin as you WILL drop it during the R&R.
Be careful of the turn signal switch lever. I think I broke mine during the swap. It;s not hard to replace the turn signal switch cam, but it was fine before I started the swap.
Oh, when I did finally pull it out, I put the wheels as straight as I could to make the reinstall easy.
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