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My wiper/turn signal lever has 'popped out'.
I was working on the interior of my 1977 and maybe pulled it or something... I don't know
Does the lever need to be straight or is it normal that it's bend on the far end?
If it isn't normal, can I just hammer it straight?
If it is normal, how can I get it back in? I've tried but didn't succeed...
The lever is bent at the end, it should be straight. You have the original lever, as you can see the two short pins are offset a little. The correct way to remove the lever is to rotate it to the second wiper speed position (HIGH SPEED), this aligns both the lever inner pin with the wiper switch housing, most people just yank it out. This is a Chevette switch same internals.
Be very careful! It is extremely difficult to find and ridiculously expensive to replace that switch! It hasn't been made in a LONG time and as you may guess Chevettes to use as donors aren't very common
Be very careful! It is extremely difficult to find and ridiculously expensive to replace that switch! It hasn't been made in a LONG time and as you may guess Chevettes to use as donors aren't very common
What is the safest way to repair the bend in the handle end?
What is the safest way to repair the bend in the handle end?
Sorry, but I don't know the answer to that question as I've never owned a '77 and have never repaired one of those levers. I do however know that the common problem is the lever breaking at that thin/weak area where yours is bent.
Hopefully others will add some more info for you. I suspect that the piece is mild steel and I would straighten it with a combination of heat (a heat gun or small propane torch) and pressure via a bench vise. Lacking advice from someone who has successfully done this for a long-lasting repair I would heat lightly (by metal working standards), draw in the vise a tad, apply a bit more heat, draw in a bit more and repeat until straight.
Good and bad news if the lever snaps. Good news they do make a replacement $20-30 US. bad news the printed markings on the end are different. These levers have that tendency to bend right there. I would make sure that the column mounted dimmer switch and rod is set correctly minimizing the strain on the lever. I will see if I can find the dimmer switch install instructions. There is a procedure to set it correctly. You can start at step #4 since you already have a good dimmer switch.
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77 wiper/signal lever problem
