Steering Column rebuild

[PHXVETTE]

Hello all,

I have a 77 that I am going through the interior and freshing things up.

I have hit the point where the steering column stick out and looks like a real POS against the rest of the dash so I figure its time to get into that.

Anyone do this before? I was wondering even what kind of finish the column has when new, I figure its a satin like finish.

Also big question is: Can I get away with not pulling the column out? I read once that in order to get the column apart you need a wheel puller to yank out the internals. It seems then that I dont need to pull the column out. (Let me say that pulling the column is no big deal to me as I have yanked that damn thing out 3 times already, just dont know if I need to do it again if I don't have to.)

Also if anyone has any specs on paint that would work I would appreciate it. If I can say right now that the Performance Choice interior dye/paint is a miracle of science. That stuff has turned my tired old dash into new. The spray itself worked well on the horn however I am a bit worried about the long term durablity of the paint. The patina is a satin black and looks good, but like I said, may not hold up over time.


Thanks in advance,

Bill Hart

 

[69MyWay]

Bill. I would suggest taking the time to remove the whole thing, and replace the rag joint between the column and gear box while you are at it.

However, the alternative is to pull the lower cover, mask off the dash/interior and go to it. You must first make 100% sure all the silicone residue is gone (from armor all , etc). Dupont makes a great product---final clean, that will do this. You may get the same results from mineral spirits with ample dry time between several attempts to wash it all down clean. Take a scotch brite pad and rough it up. A good "satin" or "semi" gloss spray paint will do fine. Pull the t tops off, cover the interior with cloth and plastic, and spray it like new.

BTW-to remove the column, you loosen the rag joint, remove the bolts going through the firewall, remove the two bolt going up into the dash about knee level, and unplug the wires. Wiggle, jiggle (make sure the battery is unhooked), and it will slide out.