steering column
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 149
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From: jarrett north carolina
steering column
hi! i removed my steering column from my 76 coupe to try to work on it and clean it up a bit. the ignition key will turn to start but won't go back to lock. when carrying the column to the shop i pointed the steering wheel end to the ground and a long rod with two grooves on one end fell out of the center shaft,i think. with this rod removed the key will work as normal. what is the rod for and what does it have to do with the key operation? i put it back in the hole in the center shaft(where the steering wheel bolt goes) with the grooved end going in first and now it seems to work right.can someone help me with this?---thanks----john
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Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 149
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From: jarrett north carolina
steering column
hi! i read jim shea's papers and now know the rod in question is called a telescoping lock rod. now i need to know if the qrooved end goes in first or vice-versu. and where the locking wedge is.if it fell out then i've lost it. maybe i will hear from jim on this.---thanks---john
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
Get a digital camera and take lots of pictures as you go. I took mine apart a couple of weeks ago and only snapped a couple of pictures of how the guts looked assembled. I thought I was going to put it back together the next day but that didnt happen. I had to wait a couple of weeks for parts and work and started reassembling it yesterday. I was pissed at myself for not taking more pics!
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 19
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From: Edmonton Alberta
hi! i read jim shea's papers and now know the rod in question is called a telescoping lock rod. now i need to know if the qrooved end goes in first or vice-versu. and where the locking wedge is.if it fell out then i've lost it. maybe i will hear from jim on this.---thanks---john
I just rebuilt the column on my 76 yesterday, so it is still good and fresh in my mind :-)
You can not loose the locking wedge, unless the telescopic shaft fell out as well, and that is not likely due to all the 30yr old grease. Remove the shaft and you will see it at the end. At first it looks like a keyway until you remove it.
As for the grooves on the lock rod, I don't know. My lock rod fell out when I carried the column over to the bench as well. I figure I had a 50/50 chance of getting it back together right, and it seemed to work fine either way.
Good luck, and be sure to take lost of pictures as you tear it down, helps to cut down on the "extra" parts left over upon reassembly.
-->Darcy
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 112
From: Saginaw Michigan
I didn't know that the locking rod had grooves. There were three different length rods depending upon what year T&T column that you have.
The problem with your ignition key is most likely tied to the lower lever on your 1976 column. The lower lever must be in the full UP position in order for you to be able to rotate your key all the way to OFF-LOCK.
Just as a refresher. Your ignition key and lock cylinder actuates the ignition switch down under the dash mounted on top of the column. As you rotate counter clockwise you have the following positions:
START, RUN, OFF, OFF-LOCK, & ACCESSORY
You cannot rotate the ignition key from OFF to OFF-LOCK unless the lower lever is UP. There is a cable from your transmission that should shove the lever UP when you shift into PARK (auto trans) or into REVERSE (manual trans).
Jim
The problem with your ignition key is most likely tied to the lower lever on your 1976 column. The lower lever must be in the full UP position in order for you to be able to rotate your key all the way to OFF-LOCK.
Just as a refresher. Your ignition key and lock cylinder actuates the ignition switch down under the dash mounted on top of the column. As you rotate counter clockwise you have the following positions:
START, RUN, OFF, OFF-LOCK, & ACCESSORY
You cannot rotate the ignition key from OFF to OFF-LOCK unless the lower lever is UP. There is a cable from your transmission that should shove the lever UP when you shift into PARK (auto trans) or into REVERSE (manual trans).
Jim
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 149
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From: jarrett north carolina
steering column
hi jim! my column is on the workbench.with the ignition switch installed my key will go through all the positions.it would not do that before the lock rod fell out. the rod does have two grooves at one end. the problem is,as you say,at the trans cable.i going to reinstall the column tomorrow.----thanks---john
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Racer
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 434
Likes: 3
From: Cleveland Ohio
When I first got my vette 12 years ago I replaced the trans column lock cable. About six or seven years ago I took the cable back off tied the lever in the unlock position and pulled out the rod that will lock the steering wheel in the upper column.
Makes it so much easier to move the car around and not have to have the key in the ignition to get the car in neutral and the tranny in reverse to get the key out.
Makes it so much easier to move the car around and not have to have the key in the ignition to get the car in neutral and the tranny in reverse to get the key out.