My 77 has a steering column that does not match any of the drawings that i have found either in the assembly manuals, dealer printouts, or repar manuals for a 1977 corvette. It seems the location of the cruise/tilt lever is in a different location than shown in the pics. This appears to be the right column. Any thoughts? thanx

 

Hi

I rebuild a 77 column that I got off of E-Bay to go into my 71. Here is the link to when I rebuilt it. Hope it helps.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...107000&page=18

KO

 

The 1977 standard (non-adjustable) steering column and the T&T column for that same year are the only C3s that had a wash-wipe switch as part of the turn signal lever.

It is also the only year that the C3 had the cruise control "set" button on the end of the tilt lever. The tilt/cruise lever is very rare.

I think that the steering column dimmer pivot/wash-wipe switch was shared with the Chevette. The actual turn signal/wash-wipe lever may also have been shared with the Chevette.

The 1977-82 Corvette steering columns did change from the 1969-76 columns in several areas. Unfortunately, Chevrolet shop manuals did not do a very good job of documenting the changes between those years. The basic changes to both the 1977-82 standard (non-adjustable) columns and the T&Ts were as follows:

1). Addition of the dimmer switch and the dimmer pivot. The column changed from the "round head" to one with the large dimmer bulge on the left hand side of the column.

2). Elimination of the transmission shift/strg column interlock system. This eliminated the lower lever on the steering column along with the shift tube all the way up inside the column.

3). With the interlock system eliminated, a small "finger inhibitor" lever was added just behind the ignition lock cylinder.

This is a link to a 1969-76 Corvette T&T blowup pic
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...owup03FE04.doc
It is quite accurate for those years of Corvette T&T columns.

If you consider that a Saginaw T&T column is nothing more than a glorified Saginaw tilt column, the following blowup pic for a 1977+ Saginaw tilt column (dimmer switch, dimmer pivot, finger inhibitor, no lower lever or shift tube) can be quite useful if you combine it with information contained on the 69-76 blowup pic.
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...mmerblowup.doc

Sorry, I never could find an exact blowup pic for just a 1977 or a 1978-82 Saginaw C3 T&T column.

Have you looked at any of the papers that I have located at the www.corvettefaq.com websight?

Jim Shea

 

Jim I checked out the sites you posted, and the search for the actual breakdown of this steering column still seems to be a mystery. Non of the breakdowns show the tilt/cruise installation/removal procedure. Do you or any one else in the commnity have any further info on this?. One other note. this car is orange with the cloth/leatherseats. is this unusual?(black)

 

I don't have any direct experience with fishing the tilt lever cruise wires down a 1977 Corvette T&T column. However, back in the old days (when cruise control was a luxury) we used to fish cruise wires down inside Saginaw tilt (and T&T) columns from the turn signal lever area quite regularly. So I wouldn't think that fishing wires from the Corvette tilt lever position should be all that difficult.

You need to find a thin piece of wire that is stiff yet flexible. Fish it down through the tilt lever hole in the column head until it comes out past the plastic shroud just behind the head. If I remember correctly, the spade terminal on the end of the cruise wire should have a small hole near the end. You need a fishing wire that will fit through the hole! Pass the wire through the hole and bend the wire end flush with the terminal. (You don't want the end hanging up on the column internal parts.)

Pull the cruise wire end down through the column. Wrap the cruise wire around the cruise lever several times. Screw the lever into the column, unwrapping the wire as you screw it in place.

Jim