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'76 steering column

Started by Hankk17, July 12, 2012, 09:38:36 PM

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Hankk17

I went chasing some blown bulbs in my dash in the '76 CDV earlier in the week and as I was taking stuff apart I noticed that my cruise control/directional arm had been taken off at some point in its life and then put back on... with the slack cable all twisted around it.  Not being very bright, I tied nylon twine to the plug end and pulled it up through, losing the twine somewhere in the middle.  it was only afterwards that I found the neat little hole in the plug for the piano wire that the manual suggests I use.  /facepalm

So now I'm in a pickle.  I've got the steering column apart down the the gear shifter part and still can't figure out what channel I should be routing the cable through.  I've got some piano wire now and have made several attempts at routing things where there's a hole in the left hand side of the column where it looks like it's supposed to go through, but when I traverse through the gears something definitely catches the cable if I route it through there and I know that's not right.

I just can't figure it out.

anyone know any tricks to get me out of this?
Wherever you go... There you are

cadillactim

The cruise control wiring goes under the column. It is routed between the brace that supports the column and the column itself. So the only part the wiring that is inside the column is between the signal switch arm and where it exits at the brace (about 5 inches in the outer part of the column housing). The wiring goes next to the column wall, not where the "guts" of the column are.

It's also easier to fish the wiring with column perfectly straight if you have a tilt column.

Tim
Tim Groves

Hankk17

so it goes down the bottom of the column running along with the gang of wires that end with the huge plug on top of the column at the base?  I've tried going that route too, but when you put the top half of the column together, there's no place for the wire to sit nicely - it gets sandwiched between the housing of the top of the column and the inside guts.

its a similar situation if I go down the left channel that I think you're suggesting I use Tim - no place for the wire to freely go in except that one access hole.  I'll post pictures when I get home tonight.
Wherever you go... There you are

Hankk17

OK I think I've got it straight in my head and it wasn't til I re-read the manual's section on steering that it really sunk in.

You're right Tim (not that I doubted you for a second) the wire is routed through the bottom.  The thing I couldn't get straight in my head is that when you screw in the directional, you wrap the wire up around the directional wand again, putting me right back to square one which is what caused me to take it all apart in the first place.

The part of the manual that has made light dawn on marble head is that they say to intentionally wrap the wire around the wand counterclockwise 6 times, so that when you screw it in six times you unravel it and you can then pull the excess slack through the column.  I've been trying to figure out how to pull the wire through.. and THEN assemble everything which is simply not possible.

So with this in mind I'll give it a go tomorrow.. too tired and frustrated tonight to chance making more mistakes.

-Hank
Wherever you go... There you are

Hankk17

OK I sorted that little bit of drama out - did exactly what the manual said to do and wouldn't you know it worked?  had to wrap the cable counterclockwise around the directional wand and then as I tightened it the cable unraveled and I was able to pull it through.  yay!

my new problem is this - how the @&$#(! do I lock the telescoping shaft so I can compress the spring and put the C-ring back in place?  the manual says to pull the shaft out 1" then "turn the key to the lock position"  I've tried this numerous times with no luck.

what's the secret??

thx

-Hank
Wherever you go... There you are

Hankk17

So as it turns out the secret is keeping track of all your parts  :) .  I forgot the little steel rod that goes down inside the top shaft.  Once I put that in the shaft locking worked.  I found a spare bolt that fit the shaft threads and cut it long enough to be able to lock the telescoping and short enough so I could put the steering wheel tool over it.

Evidently the tool is the only way to go.. not only does it squish the tension spring but it also simultaneously pulls up on the telescoping shaft giving you the extra few millimeters you need to be able to just slip the snap ring where it needs to be by hand.

sorry to be posting all this drivel but hopefully someday it'll help someone else..

now to put the dash back together and attack that stupid glovebox door squeak.  I promise though - no soliloquy threads to myself about that.   ;D

have a great weekend everyone!

-Hank
Wherever you go... There you are

cadillactim

Hank

Glad you got it figured out. Sometimes we overthink things and make them harder than what they are.

Tim
Tim Groves

TJ Hopland

There is a tool just for pushing on that locking.   It used to be a $50 tool but now in the days of 'import' tools they can be had for around $10.  The $10 ones work just fine.    Im surprised you got it off without the tool.  The first one I tangled with caused me to learn that there was a special tool and how to remove blood from auto upholstery.     
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Hankk17

dis-assembly was as usual for me - frighteningly easy.  it's always the putting back together stage that gets me.  Yeah, I'm the guy who winds up with a little pile of extra bolts when I do projects like this but I'm trying to be more methodical in my old age.

;D  Thanks for the kind words TJ and Tim.

-Hank
Wherever you go... There you are