ripforrey

My 76 telescope wheel will not stay put. What is the best way to repair?

7T1vette

If you are moving the lever all the way to the right and it still won't lock, you just need to adjust the tension on it. You do that by removing the horn button {it just pulls off...but will honk the horn a few times, if you don't have a battery disconnect}. Then you remove 3 screws to take the horn contacts out. Under that you will find a 6-fingered gizmo with 3 phillips head screws on it. Remove the 3 screws while keeping that gizmo held in the same place. Now move the tele-lock to the left (unlocked position) and turn the "gizmo" to the right until it gets a little bit tight. If you can still slide the wheel in and out, re-install the 3 screws at the nearest holes, then try the lock left, then right to see how it is working. Just continue adjusting until the wheel slides freely when the lock is to the left and is very snug when you push it to the right. That's it! Now put it all back together again.

Jim Shea

The telescope lock works by means of the "star" screw tightening down against a 4 inch long rod inside the upper steering shaft. If the column has been out of the car it is a very common problem for the rod to fall unnoticed out of the shaft. The rod does not show in the following steering column blowup.



Adjusting Telescoping Lever
Place the spacer (shim) on the steering wheel hub. Set the telescoping locking lever #1 on top of the spacer. Screw in the special “star” locking screw #3. Now, use a phillips screwdriver to tighten the “star” screw until you can no longer telescope the steering shaft. Secure the locking lever to the “star” screw with the two small screws #2. You can now test the effort required to lock and unlock the telescoping feature. Readjust the locking lever on the star screw to suit your preference.

Jim

ripforrey

Thanks, I'll this once I get the C clip reinstalled

blue by you

search for Jim Shea's papers he wrote the book on this

ripforrey

Jim;
Boy am I in trouble. I took the "C" clip off and can't depress the spacer enough to get it back on. I have the tool to depress the spacer but the steering bolt (the thing the steering wheel attaches to with a rod in the center and a woodruff key keeper?) pulls out. I figured I should ask someone before I mess up again. Any insight would be appreciated.
Thanks
Rip

Scott Marzahl

You need to get a very short allen bolt to screw into the center shaft to lock the locking rod into place. I say an allen bolt because it has to clear the ID of the tool and it has to be short enough that the tool fits over it. IN some cases the allen bolt won't clear your tool. In that case, I screwed in a bolt, marked it where it was level to the center shaft, removed the bolt and cut it off at the mark. Then I used a cutoff wheel to cut a groove in the bolt in order to use a screw driver to torque it down. Then you can use the "C" clip tool to compress everything.

Hope this helps
Scott

http://blog.scottsvettetalk.com/2008...n-rebuild.aspx

ripforrey

Your article was very helpful, thank you. I just puchased this vehicle from a guy who took almost the entire interior apart. I'm thinking I may be missing some parts. Do youo have pic's or drawing of upper column?
Thanks

Scott Marzahl

You are looking for Jim's papers.

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/?page_id=4

Jim Shea

You can also use a 5/16-18 UNC set screw (#20 Allen screw) in place of the "star" screw. Just don't forget to remove it before reinstalling the star screw.
Jim

ripforrey

Thanks;
I printed out your paper on the steering column. I think the star screw is missing. Do I order on-line or can I use something that is available locally?
R

Scott Marzahl

That is a special star screw, maybe you can luck out in a junkyard.

Bronze76

I think I read that Monza's had the same steering wheel.

Just an FYI, in case you head to the salvage yard to look for parts.

ripforrey

thanks to you all. I finally got the "C" clip in this am.