kansas123

Hate to even ask, but I have replaced my steering column on my '72 with a tilt/tele one and while the harness plug on the new column and the car both have 10 wires, the color scheme is waaaaay different. I have no idea how to trace the wires and don't want to take the steering column apart for that unless it is absolutely necessary. Think the wiring would be okay? Is there any other way to check this wiring short of doing an autopsy? Thanks. The column is for a '72. Happy 4th!

Artsvette73

I can speek for my 73. It was just a matter of rotating the two ign. connectors 180 degrees. I can't see a 72 being diffrent.

kansas123

Yes, I had to rotate the ign plugs, no problem.... The other harness is the one in question. 10 wires all in a row, colors on column don't match those on the original column....

Jim Shea

No problem, the wire colors don't have to match. The wires match up standard (non-adjustable) column or T&T regardless. That flat connector is called a "harmonica" connector. 1969 through 1982 the wires all match up. One change 1980 thru 1982, cornering lights were added to the column wiring. So when swapping one of those later columns into an early car you will have three extra wires. Those three wires in the harmonica connector just won't connect to anything.

There was a slight revision to the plastic connector that sometimes prevents a later column connector from snapping into the body harness on a early car. You can try trimming the connectors to make them fit together. Another option is to remove the connector from the old column and just swap it on the wires in the new column. Just keep the wires in the correct order if you have to make the swap.

If you are interested here is a paper which calls out the column wires, colors, gage of wire, and function.
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...ires25NO04.doc

Jim

kansas123

Thanks Jim, that harmonic wiring harness issue is a relief to have behind me. Now, should there be like about 1/2 inch play up and down on the tilt, at any position? Seems like a lot and dangerous to drive with. How hard to correct, can do with column in or must take out? I will look over your papers too. Hope it doesn't have to come out but if it does, I may just send it back...

TimAT

I'll step in about the loose tilt thing- not hard to fix, but you need to take a lot of the upper column apart to do so. Jim's papers have all the stuff on how-to. The problem is that if you don't fix it, it'll keep getting loose and eventually break the ears off the inner tube.

Artsvette73

It can be done on the car.Just read Jim's papers

kansas123

I removed the column so that I could get to the harmonica harness because I could not get it to plug in to the car harness plug. I would like to remove the wires from the plug on the column and switch the plug with the 'old' column plug but cannot figure out how to remove the wires from the harness. Is there a trick to that? I am losing my marbles! Thanks

Artsvette73

Look down in the connector body from the spade terminal side. You need a very thin pick or screw driver. Push it in it will bend the terminal lock pull the wire out the back side. To put the terminal back in just bend the lock out a little and insert.

Jim Shea

Here is the description on removing and installing wire in the harmonica connector. This is copied directly from the T&T Disassembly & Repair Paper #2.

Here is the address for the paper: http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...2-30jn2007.doc

Removing and Reinstalling Column Wiring into the Harmonica Connector
Some people have been successful using the following procedure; disengage and remove the individual switch wires and metal contacts from the plastic “harmonica” connector. Straighten a heavy paper clip or use a very thin blade screwdriver. Insert it into the “harmonica” connector from the contact side to disengage each wire and contact. There should be a small molded square channel in the connector that will guide you to a metal tang on the contact that holds it in place. Once you depress the tang and pop the wire and contact out of the connector, you should take a small knife blade and bend the tang back out so that it will engage the connector correctly upon reinstallation. The turn signal switch wiring can now be fed separately through the column.

Jim

kansas123

Jim, since I am bound to get into the column as far as I need to in order to fix the vertical play in the tilt, should I leave the wires out of the harmonica plug when I (finally) get them out, until I fix the other problem? I have all the wires out now, was pretty easy after knowing how.... Thanks to you and Artsvette. Since the column is out of the car, fix the tilt now, or put column back in first, I am concerned about having to fish the wires.

Jim Shea

Fix the tilt now. I have found that it is far easier to fish the wires with the column out of the car anyway. So fix the tilt; then fish the wires; then reinstall your column.

I strongly recommend that you visit www.corvettefaq.com and download my T&T Disassembly & Repair Papers 1, 2, & 3. As well as the three T&T Disassembly & Repair Pics in the Corvette Steering paper section.

Just remember that additional help is just a computer click away.

Jim

kansas123

Thanks Jim. I have been reading and re-reading your papers for many months, and am darn glad you have made them available for everyone.

68 NJConv 454

You can also get a plug adapter from Lectric Limited so you don't have to rearrange a single wire.
I installed an 80 tilt/tele column in my 68 vert, and I was able to get a plug adapter from them to link my 68 wiring harness to the 80 column harness. Just plug & play and it gave me 6 inches of additional wire length that I needed.

kansas123

After reading papers 1, 2 & 3, I wasn't sure about fixing the tilt problem. I have the turn signal switch housing removed, and have the shoes exposed but not sure of the next step. Another forum member said they tightened two bolts/screws, but I cannot find them. If they are here in the pictures, don't see them, and if they are here upon further disassembly, ugh, I just don't think I can go any further.





Maybe the play I have isn't that bad after all ......

Jim Shea

Remove the tilt spring cap and the tilt spring. Then you need to pull the pivot pins. In your first photo the left side pin is partially hidden under the tilt lever. Then you can pull the upper bearing housing off of the steering shaft. You will now have access to the four screws that hold the support to the steering column jacket. Remove the screws individually. Add loctite to the threads and reinstall and tighten each one. Your loose column head is a thing of the past.

Jim

kansas123

The pins came out with help of special tool, however the upper bearing housing seems to be hinged at the top and will not pull off. Edited: removed the race and seat, got the upper bearing housing off, the 4 bolts are not removable so believe they must be loc-tighted in already. So my up/down play in the tilt is either normal, probably about .25", or something else is amiss, like the shoes themselves. But they do seem to be tight, guess I could drive that pin out and wipe them dry, don't know what else to do with it. What an experience this has been. Further Edited: After all this, it's not going back together until it at least gets a new pair of shoes if you think that is advisable. When I remove that pin, is stuff going to go flying everywhere? Thanks.

and one sorta unrelated question, if I want to use my original ignition key, is there a way to take the key 'guts' from the old switch and put on the new switch? I understand that the two cylinder, switches/locks are not interchangeable between tilt/tele and standard as a unit.... Thanks.

kansas123

I believe my problem with up/down play in tilt stems from the pin that the shoes index on; the left hole seems to be boogered up a bit, does not allow the pin to go thru it and so, as it just barely sits on the ledge of the hole, it allows the column/shoe to wiggle. Dammit Man! Anyway, what the devil holds that pin in place for one thing. For another, would it hurt anything to drive that pin in from the right so as to get it to pass thru the left side, thereby making it tight again? I reiterate, what should be there to keep the pin in place? In the pictures you see the pin reinstalled, and the second picture you can barely see the boogered up hole. Thanks.

Jim Shea

I would expect that the pin should be a press fit through all three holes in the support. Possibly the thing to do is to start pressing the pin into the support through the 'buggered up" hole from the left side.

One other thing, check the lock shoes. They pivot on a pin that is part of the bearing housing. Make sure that the pin is secure and that the shoes pivot with no noticeable slop.
Jim

68 NJConv 454

OH MAN...another pin