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Have 1977 corvette I am getting back on the road. Went to tilt the starting wheel and lever fell off in my hand. One year production with cruise button on tilt steering lever,vary heard to find. Was able to get threaded stud out of column which seems to be splined on the opposite end of the threaded end. Where these to pieces pressed together glued or what. I have some pictures. William
By the looks of it...the splines lock the shaft to the splines. I would bond it together and re-install it.
I have a few 1977 columns and have to take a closer look...I always thought the cruise button was on the turn signal lever....but I also know the 1977's were unique.
I would like to keep it original but wondered how they were constructed as not to end up at the place after paying a premium for another 1977 year model, if there was a design flaw or poor design in this year model. How much would you ask for your spare. Thanks William
By the looks of it...the splines lock the shaft to the splines. I would bond it together and re-install it.
I have a few 1977 columns and have to take a closer look...I always thought the cruise button was on the turn signal lever....but I also know the 1977's were unique.
DUB
Speaking of turn signal mine was broke off and I replaced it. I notice in moving it that was vary hard to move from left to right. Vary stiff. Anyway to address this without taking column loose. Thanks William
Figure a way to get what you have back together. If you can do that and still be able to disassemble it when needed, great. If not, epoxy it together and hope you don't need to pull it apart.
One way to do it would be to assemble the two parts in proper orientation (you'll have to install the 'stub' and fit the lever to it so that it can be oriented correctly), then drill a cross-hole through both for a roll-pin. A bit of trouble, but you would then be able to remove it later, if needed.
Speaking of turn signal mine was broke off and I replaced it. I notice in moving it that was vary hard to move from left to right. Vary stiff. Anyway to address this without taking column loose. Thanks William
The column needs to be disassembled down to the turn signal switch so you can inspect it and see if it needs grease or parts that became un-caged and now in the way of it moving correctly.
If it were me...I would use some of my crash adhesive and that would do the trick....but I have it laying around in the shop and do not have to go out and buy a tube ..just for a little bit. J-B WELD would more than likely work also.
Because of the electrical wiring in the turn signal/cruise lever, one can't 'unscrew' the lever. It needs to be able to disconnect from the stub shaft without rotation. The stub shaft screws into the threaded member inside the column, and the rest of the lever presses over those splines. Later versions had some kind of "twist and release" removal method.
Gluing the stub shaft to the lever is a last-ditch approach, I would think.
Just to clarify things: 1977 was the first year for cruise control and a one-year only cruise button that was part of the tilt lever - NOT the turn signal stalk. All years after 1977 had the cruise function built into the turn signal lever. C3 tilt levers always screwed into a threaded hole that was inside the column head.
You will need to practice and determine the number of rotations of the tilt/cruise lever that will be required to install the lever to the column.
Then feed the cruise wires down through the steering column. Wind the cruise wires in the opposite direction on the stalk such that the wire connection is directed down the column when screwed in place.
One further comment. That connection of the screw thread part to the tilt lever was supposed to be permanent. Gluing the two parts together only returns the parts to their original design intent.
Jim
Are you saying that the cruise lever was screwed to the column in place and THEN the wire was fed down thru the column?
Wasn't aware of that, but it seems odd to do it that way. Looks like a good 'opportunity' for those fragile little wires to get broken when bending it to get the connector into the column.
Since the part is 'separated' now, it would be best to check switch/wiring out thoroughly, then feed the line thru column and epoxy it back together.
04-26-2015, 05:34 PM
1977 c3 tilt wheel lever question
