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Telescoping lock piece cracked

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Old Jun 5, 2007 | 12:27 AM
  #1  
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Default Telescoping lock piece cracked

There are 2 pieces in the telescoping shaft that act as a guide and lock. This one cracked in the column and scrapes if I try and use it. Without it the telescoping goes too far. I need to know if I can just make one out of metal. Note the inside is actually rubber surrounded by metal. If I can't make one where can I buy just this piece? I tried the local auto parts places and no one had it, or had a column apart to sell. Also which way does it go in the shaft as it must have been wrong in order to crack?

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Old Jun 5, 2007 | 09:22 AM
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You have a problem with the elusive T&T Column Telescope Lock Bumper. I say elusive because I can find only one picture of the bumper in all of my Saginaw steering column literature. It shows up in the following T&T Steering Column Blowup.

It shows up as part #42 right along side the metal wedge #43. None of my assembly drawings show this bumper. I can only guess that it was in production for a short time and then Saginaw determined that it wasn't all that effective. I don't know if the locking rod #40 was lengthened to compensate or not. I suspect that the bumper went between the locking rod and the wedge. (But possibly it could go between the star screw and the locking rod.)

The only place where I have found the part listed is at the Dr. Rebuild websight. He lists the bumper as:
69-82 Upper Shaft Locking Wedge Bumper 6521178 $10.00

Good luck,
Jim

Last edited by Jim Shea; Jun 5, 2007 at 09:25 AM.
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Old Jun 5, 2007 | 11:14 AM
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Thanks Jim, you rock! Do you know what way it goes in as there is a dimple on the sides and an open slot on one corner? I can't see why it is rubber in the middle as the outside metal was so hard that it cracked into 4 pieces with the pressure. Maybe I will buy 2 pieces incase I crack onein the install.

Thanks again
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Old Jun 6, 2007 | 08:20 AM
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As I mentioned, it is the mysterious bumper. Other than the blowup picture with the part described, there is nothing in the Chevrolet Shop Manuals or any of my Saginaw service literature on that part. It does not show up on any steering column assembly drawings from 1969 through 1982.
Jim
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Old Jun 6, 2007 | 09:05 AM
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I just rebuilt my column last weekend replacing the zinc cast piece for the pivot pins. Noticed the rubber bumper piece from doc rebuilds and ordered it. During reassembly putting the rubber piece between the lock rod and shaft it just gets stuck after you lock the tele mechanism. After three try's at installing this bumper I put it aside on the tool box and reassembled without.

My only issue now is I think the plate that the zinc cast piece bolts to has broken free inside the column. I am assuming it is welded in place. (correct Jim?) Nothing worse than all new parts in the column and the steering wheel still wiggles about a 1/2 inch or more.

Will be tearing it apart again soon. I am worried about how hard it will be to pull out the new pivot pins out of the new zinc piece. Any tricks to pulling these out Jim?
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Old Jun 12, 2007 | 07:05 PM
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Thanks Jim, I did order this and they told me it was shipped today. They say it is all rubber with a hole in the middle. Hmmmm, not what I had, but I will see if it works and others can benifit later if they have the same problem. I bet a lot of people just went without if it broke. Thanks again.


Originally Posted by Jim Shea
You have a problem with the elusive T&T Column Telescope Lock Bumper. I say elusive because I can find only one picture of the bumper in all of my Saginaw steering column literature. It shows up in the following T&T Steering Column Blowup.

It shows up as part #42 right along side the metal wedge #43. None of my assembly drawings show this bumper. I can only guess that it was in production for a short time and then Saginaw determined that it wasn't all that effective. I don't know if the locking rod #40 was lengthened to compensate or not. I suspect that the bumper went between the locking rod and the wedge. (But possibly it could go between the star screw and the locking rod.)

The only place where I have found the part listed is at the Dr. Rebuild websight. He lists the bumper as:
69-82 Upper Shaft Locking Wedge Bumper 6521178 $10.00

Good luck,
Jim
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Old Jun 12, 2007 | 10:50 PM
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My only issue now is I think the plate that the zinc cast piece bolts to has broken free inside the column. I am assuming it is welded in place. (correct Jim?) Nothing worse than all new parts in the column and the steering wheel still wiggles about a 1/2 inch or more.

Will be tearing it apart again soon. I am worried about how hard it will be to pull out the new pivot pins out of the new zinc piece. Any tricks to pulling these out Jim?


I somehow missed the above questions that were posted about a week ago.

I think that the plate that your are refering to is part #55 in the blowup drawing above. That part should fit inside a window opening in the column jacket. It should rotate and "cam lock" in place inside the jacket (it is not welded in place). Then you install the thrust washer #54 and the retaining ring #53 to the shift tube #66. Then the die cast support should bolt to the plate with the four screws #48 that are loctited in place.

The pivot pins should pull straight out of the support. You should be able to assemble and disassemble them a couple times without ruining the press fit.
Jim
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Old Jun 20, 2007 | 07:08 AM
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FYI Jim, I got the part tonight when I got home 6521178 Wedge Bumper and 2986110 Signal Cancel Cam. When I called I even asked them to check the size and told them the measurments of my wedge and Cancel Cam.

Well after customs, duty, taxes and $100 later the Wedge bumper is the inside rubber piece I already have and it is not the size the order desk confirmed. I figure she was just looking into space and saying "yes that is it"...I feel for her husband.

As well the Cancel Cam has 2 raised contacts for the spring to conduct the horn current where mine are all the same hieght and theirs is a semi circle, where mine is a full circle.

Oh well, I guess I will post the parts on EBay, and try and make my own bumper out of steel.

Originally Posted by Jim Shea
You have a problem with the elusive T&T Column Telescope Lock Bumper. I say elusive because I can find only one picture of the bumper in all of my Saginaw steering column literature. It shows up in the following T&T Steering Column Blowup.

It shows up as part #42 right along side the metal wedge #43. None of my assembly drawings show this bumper. I can only guess that it was in production for a short time and then Saginaw determined that it wasn't all that effective. I don't know if the locking rod #40 was lengthened to compensate or not. I suspect that the bumper went between the locking rod and the wedge. (But possibly it could go between the star screw and the locking rod.)

The only place where I have found the part listed is at the Dr. Rebuild websight. He lists the bumper as:
69-82 Upper Shaft Locking Wedge Bumper 6521178 $10.00

Good luck,
Jim
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Old Jun 20, 2007 | 08:32 AM
  #9  
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I'm sorry for your problems.

The thing that I don't understand is that if you were to simply not use the rubber and metal bumper, it would seem that the locking rod would have to lengthen to compensate. Otherwise, you would think that the star screw would bottom out before pushing on the locking rod. Nobody seems to be complaining that without the bumper, their telescoping feature does not lock.

Doc Rebuild lists three different locking rods:
69-76 6521531
1977 6521529
78-82 6521532
He also lists the locking wedge bumper as:
69-82 6521178

This would indicate that the bumper was always used from 1969 through 1982. Yet, none of my engineering assembly drawings show the bumper. My drawings show the rod pushing directly against the locking wedge. Very confusing!!!
Jim
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Old Jun 20, 2007 | 04:21 PM
  #10  
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My buddy and I just disassembled my 1972 TT - no rubber bumper.

We also disasssembled my 1973's TT awhile back - no rubber bumper.
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