I have the steering column out of my 72. I need to replace the lower cover. It is a plactic piece - interior colored - and goes around the steering column (between the dash and the ignition lock cover). It is one piece so I'll have to disassemble the steering column to get it off.

It is plastic and fits over a metal cone. The bottom end (towards the dash) is smaller in diameter than the upper end so I either have to remove the lower steering column (it won't clear the brackets that mount to the dash) or I have to dissassemble the upper steering column.

I have disassembled down to getting the lock cover loose. I'm down to where the column tilts (I have tilt/telescoping steering).

Anyone have any experience replacing this part?

I found some papers written on the subject but it is like reading an engineering text book.

 

I just did it two weeks ago. You have to take off the tilt portion of the column to get to it. The papers written by Jim Shea are pretty straightforward. I'll get some pics up in the next day which may help you but its a PITA job to simply replace that piece.

 

I've looked over Jim's papers and maybe I'm just being closed-minded or dumb or something. I spend more time scratching my head than working on the column.

I'd appreciate the pics. Maybe the light will click on.

 

Have you looked over the 1969-1982 Paper #3 that has you take the tilt portion off?

 

If you have to remove that cover you might as well remove the column. This is probably one of the most dificult & agrivating jobs to complete. Read all of Jim's directions in detail.

While you are in there make sure all parts are tight, & use loctite to reassemble.

 

YEARS ago I discovered there aint NO WAY I going to that effort over a simple pimple piece of plastic.....I cut the damn thing in 2 halves...and held it together with a long tie wrap....gotta look close to see it, course mine is black anyway...so it hides rather well....

 

Here are some pics that I hope help you out.

http://blog.scottsvettetalk.com/2008...n-rebuild.aspx

 

OK I've gotten the column pretty much all torn down - except for removing the shaft. I can't get the lower bearing off. I've soaked it in WD40 for several days and it still won't budge.

Any suggestions?

 

I cut mine off with a dremel. If it is that bad you should replace it anyway. Just make two cuts on either side and pry it off.

 

duh... should have thought about that myself.
thanks Gordonm.

In my quest to not tear up parts I wasn't thinking about it.
Bearings aren't that expensive. I'm sure the time I've wasted would more than pay for the cost of replacement parts.

 

I just forced the outer race off and then pulled the inner race off with a 3 jaw puller.

 

I am sorry for not putting in my 2 cents earlier.

You have to be very careful in trying to disassemble the steering column so that you can remove the plastic shroud. You are correct that it is trapped between the welded mounting bracket and the cone shaped shift bowl. The bad news is that the shift bowl is a press fit to the shift tube that extends down throught the steering column to the lower end. Sticking out of the lower end of the column is a lever that is also connected to the shift tube. The shift tube allows for a cable from the transmission to signal the column that it has been shifted into REVERSE (manual trans) or into PARK (automatic).

So in order to replace the plastic shroud you will need to remove the shift bowl from the shift tube. Now the shift tube is particularly fragile because it was designed to telescope in a severe accident. The shift tube actually consists of two thin wall tubes that telescope and are held together by injected plastic down inside the steering column.

Unless you are very careful, you will break the plastic when you try to press the shift tube out of the shift bowl. You will first need remove the steering shaft and the lower column bearing. Also you will need to carefully align the lower lever with the cutout in the steering column jacket as the shift tube moves out of the bowl.

There were two special tools designed to remove and install the shift bowl from the shift tube. I do not have any idea how to obtain them. J-23072 and J-23073 were the GM tool numbers.

Maybe someone on the forum can relate how they were able to accomplish this task.

Jim

 

I just Googled J-23071 and J-23072. I found this Jeepgarage.free websight.

http://jeepgarage.free.fr/OWN/steering%20column.pdf

It relates to a 1988 Jeep that uses a Saginaw steering column. It also calls out three J-23071, J-23072, and J-23073 numbers but also has two Chrysler tool numbers (C-4119 and C-4120). If you are extremely lucky, you might find a GM or Chrysler dealer with the tools who also might be kind enough to disassemble and reassemble your parts. Or possibly would loan you the tools. (They probably don't use them more than once every ten years anyway.)

Jim

 

Thanks for the reply Jim.

I don't think there is anything simple about the C3 steering column!

I hope to get the steering shaft out of the column this weekend. Then I'll see what to do about the bowl and tube.

Scott Marzahl - did you remove the bowl to replace the plastic cover?
In the pictures on your website it sounds like you removed the bowl and mentioned not bending the tabs.

 

I used the same 3 jaw puller for the bowl removal too... Not sure if there is a risk of breaking things but it worked for me.



I initially used a small flat piece of iron on top of tube to pull against. When the bowl was at the same level as the end of the tube I used a suitably sized socket against the tube to pull the bowl all the way out. While it's a press fit it still came out pretty easy.

 

How'd you put it back on the shaft?

 

The two tiny slots at the end of the tube had some burrs, after deburring them the bowl went back on surprisingly easily. I got it almost all the way back just by hand, then tapped it with rubber mallet to fully seat it.

 

Tom,
Are you pulling the bowl up and off? Or are you pushing the shift tube down and out the lower end? If you are pushing the shift tube be very sure that the lower lever is lined up so it passes through an opening in the column jacket. Otherwise the lever can get hung up on the jacket and you will collapse the shaft.

If I remember correctly, there is a small square "key" that is on the end of the shift tube that presses into the bowl. If you carefully file the key you should be able to make the connection to the bowl to be a just a slip fit with no lash. Just file enough so the parts slip together.

Jim

 

I pulled it up and off.

There is indeed a key on the tube and a keyway in the bowl. Here's one more pic showing all the major parts on the lower end of the column, it also shows the key and keyway. In this case it was just the slots at the top of the tube that needed some attention to make the refit of the bowl very easy.

 

I finally got the column torn down. Thanks Tomi72 for your help.
I used a puller and got the bottom bearing and cone off.

Thanks to the rest for your help as well.

Now waiting on new parts to start putting it all back together.
I may be calling on y'all again.