Antenna repair/replace?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 3
From: Encino CA
Antenna repair/replace?
I realize the tech/performance forum may not be the right place but I figured I would start here. This morning when getting to work and turning the car off, instead of the antenna going down smoothly and quietly, I heard a kind of loud "grinding" sound (antenna motor going). When the sound stopped, the antenna was still up. I was easily able to to push back down and have not yet tried turning on the radio. I assume this is symptomatic of either the motor going or maybe the "cord" that attaches the mast to the motor.
Being a 95, I guess it is time for things like this to go wrong. What am I looking at to repair the antenna? I will probably be bringing the car into a shop but just wanted some info so I know what to expect.
Thanks.
Being a 95, I guess it is time for things like this to go wrong. What am I looking at to repair the antenna? I will probably be bringing the car into a shop but just wanted some info so I know what to expect.
Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 0
From: Sebastian Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
Sounds like what happened on my 93, I bought a replacement mast from Chevy. It was pretty simple to replace, take the locking bolt off the mast(the tool to do this came with my mast), turn on the radio and gently pull up the mast as the motor runs. Installing is the reverse of taking the old one out. Make sure the teeth of the new mast cable are facing the right direction.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 285
Likes: 0
From: Loganville Ga
Try the last detail, thats where I got mine:
http://tld-corvette.com/catalog.htm
Item # 635595 or just search by catagory
http://tld-corvette.com/catalog.htm
Item # 635595 or just search by catagory
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 3
From: Encino CA
Originally Posted by purplemajesty
Try the last detail, thats where I got mine:
http://tld-corvette.com/catalog.htm
Item # 635595 or just search by catagory
http://tld-corvette.com/catalog.htm
Item # 635595 or just search by catagory
Thanks--sounds like a winner. One last question. Will the entire plastic cable come out when I remove the mast even if the cable is broken or will a piece of the cable remain in the "tube". If so, is there a way of getting this out?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 6,097
Likes: 0
From: High Plains Drifter Fayetteville, AR
If the plastic cable did break, you will have to remove the antenna motor from the car and extract the remaining piece before inserting the new mast. It's not hard and I definately wouldn't pay shop rates to have it done.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,789
Likes: 8
From: Myrtle Beach SC
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Got mine from eBay for $10 with mast tool included. You will know when you take it out if the nylon gears stripped or if it broke off. If broken then yep gotta get the piece out.
Last edited by Redeasysport; Feb 16, 2005 at 10:23 PM.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Sandy Hook VA
Been there, done that...
I replaced the mast on my '89 and also my '92. This seems to be an Achilles heel on the C4, but it's easy to get past. The former was a simple replacement, as the entire plastic 'leader' came out intact. It was so simple I felt pretty clever when I finished.
When the '92 didn't go so well (part of the leader was broken off in the motor housing), I was forced to go a little deeper. I took the back portion of the rear fender liner loose (didn't remove the back wheel, but did jack it up a few inches) and was able to remove the entire motor housing assembly. (I don't quite recall the steps, but think it was as simple as removing a couple of 10mm bolts holding the housing to the back structure of the car.)
You can remove a couple of Phillips head screws from the side of the 'receiving' area for the leader (it's greasy inside), then fish out the broken leader. Replace the motor assembly on the car and finish the mast replacement assembly as per the instructions.
I recollect that this whole mess took about an hour. Hope this helps.
When the '92 didn't go so well (part of the leader was broken off in the motor housing), I was forced to go a little deeper. I took the back portion of the rear fender liner loose (didn't remove the back wheel, but did jack it up a few inches) and was able to remove the entire motor housing assembly. (I don't quite recall the steps, but think it was as simple as removing a couple of 10mm bolts holding the housing to the back structure of the car.)
You can remove a couple of Phillips head screws from the side of the 'receiving' area for the leader (it's greasy inside), then fish out the broken leader. Replace the motor assembly on the car and finish the mast replacement assembly as per the instructions.
I recollect that this whole mess took about an hour. Hope this helps.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 3
From: Encino CA
I did not yet remove the mast as I do not have the tool gizmo. But the symptoms are that the antenna seems to go up okay but it does not go down when I turn the radio off. If I push it down manually it eventually reaches a point where the motor turns on and then it goes all the way down. I had this happen on another car and the repair was simple (the old mast and cable came out and the new one went in). I guess the best way to go is to first buy the mast and see if that's it.
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 65,811
Likes: 71
From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
I just replaced the whole assembly with a new A/C Delco from TLD. About $90 shipped. I had too many other things to do on the car to fix an old antenna.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Sandy Hook VA
Originally Posted by DougSilver
I did not yet remove the mast as I do not have the tool gizmo. But the symptoms are that the antenna seems to go up okay but it does not go down when I turn the radio off. If I push it down manually it eventually reaches a point where the motor turns on and then it goes all the way down. I had this happen on another car and the repair was simple (the old mast and cable came out and the new one went in). I guess the best way to go is to first buy the mast and see if that's it.
BTAIM (Be That As It May), this is a relatively easy fix for someone with pretty basic skills and an hour to fiddle with it.
HTH - BTD
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 3
From: Encino CA
I bought one of the antenna mast replacements on Ebay (for $9.95) and did the fix today. When I pulled the old mast out, I noticed the end of the plastic cable was blunt so I was worried that a small piece of the cable might still be in the motor. Nevertheless, I threaded the new cable into the opening, turned off the radio and kept feeding the cable and mast. At first the antenna did not go down quite all the way (about 1" stuck out). But I turned the radio on and off a few times and pushed the antenna down a bit towards the end and all now seems fine. A pretty cheap ($10) and easy (10 minutes) fix.
Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 3
From: Sacramento, CA Money can't buy happiness - but it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than a Yugo.
From your description of the end, there is a real good possibility that a small piece of the mast was broken off inside the antenna take-up housing. The housing is big enough inside that it probably will never cause you any problem. The new cable will push it around and away.
I pulled my motor apart to get out the 3" piece that broke off. It wasn't that hard to do, but seeing the space inside, I realized that it probably would have never caused me any problems. If I had to do it again, I'd do as you did and not worry about it.
I pulled my motor apart to get out the 3" piece that broke off. It wasn't that hard to do, but seeing the space inside, I realized that it probably would have never caused me any problems. If I had to do it again, I'd do as you did and not worry about it.
