67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

[Richard M.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Here is a pic of the spacer from an old thread. The spacer is also used on standard columns.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...olumn-assembly

It looks from this pic like it just slides over the shaft but I cannot move mine by hand or even a light grip of plyers. Was yours on tight?

I will not be able to go where the column is for about a week, but I will take a pic of the bearing then. It did not come with a GM box. It looks like the right bearing only smaller. Did an early 67 column use the same bearing as a 66?

Patrick, see attached link. Yours must be a "Early" column. The one I showed was the later version.

Rich

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/?p=975#attachments

[Patrick B.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Rich --- My car is a late March car with a late column. The thread I cited was just for the picture of the spacer that goes between the clamp and the spring at the end of standard and tele columns. I believe only the late columns have the spacer.

[Richard M.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Rich --- My car is a late March car with a late column. The thread I cited was just for the picture of the spacer that goes between the clamp and the spring at the end of standard and tele columns. I believe only the late columns have the spacer.

Patrick,

I'm unsure about that plastic spacer and usage. What is the date code on your Tele-Column?. It's stamped on the hub.

Rich

[Patrick B.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Rich --- I am sorry that I haven't described this spacer clearly enough and that the column isn't at my home where I could take a picture. Refering to the Jim Shea articles, it is part #21 in his figure titled "1967 (Late) Corvette Telescoping Steering Column Blowup". It seems to just slide over the lower steering shaft. Mine doesn't want to simply slide off the shaft. Maybe it needs some penetrating oil. Yours must have come off easily and not created any memory of a struggle. I'm not sure if it is plastic or aluminum but I looks easy to bugger up.

[Richard M.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Patrick, yes I see it, #21 Spacer.

I'm confused because the column I had here did not include that spacer. Maybe the one I had was a early Tele-Column Below is a sequence of photos when I took it apart for reference. As you can see, there was no spacer, spring, or clamp.

In Jim Shea's document is a picture on page 2 which shows the length of the shaft extending from the lower bearing end. Note the length difference between 1967(7.32") and 1968(5.75") shafts. I'm thinking now what I had was a 1968 column as there was no spacer, spring and clamp and no date stamp on the hub. There was a spring, large flat retaining washer, and round circular clip which held the assembly, but not like your configuration.

Either way, you probably need to use caution to remove your spacer. You might try heating it by submersing the end of the column it in warm-to-hot water. I wouldn't use a heat gun. Maybe a small steamer so you can control the temperature better.

Rich

[Patrick B.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Thanks for the photos Rich. Yours is definitely different from mine on the lower end, but the upper part looks the same. There was a stamping on my hub that I interpreted as the 75th day of 1967 which was only about a week before my car was assembled. I am going out of town next week, but I will post some pictures when I return.

[Peter M.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Patrick,
My 67 telescopic is April built and has the spacer shown in the John Hinkley photo. Mine was stuck when I took it apart but I don't remember it being a real problem. My lower bearing cleaned up fine. As others have mentioned be very cautious. The Jim Shea documents are excellent, I wish I had known about them when I took mine apart.
Kind regards

[Patrick B.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Peter--- Can you remember whether the spacer was plastic or a more durable material? With the scarcity of parts for these columns, I do not want to wrench too hard on a 50 year old piece of plastic. If it is aluminum, I could handle it with less concern.

[Peter M.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Patrick,
It wasn't aluminum. Plastic or nylon maybe.

[Patrick B.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Here are some photos of the lower bearing area of the steering column. It is not exactly like the drawing in the Shea articles. It has a bearing like the early bearing in Rich's pictures that has a lip which bottoms out on the end of the column tube. The thing that may be the retainer is inboard of the bearing rather than outboard as in the the Shea article. Also the holes in the column tube for the 3 screws shown in the Shea article are not threaded and no screws were present. I am beginning to think that maybe someone fitted an early bearing to a late column. I suppose it will work OK,but the only thing keeping the lower bearing and shaft from falling out of the tube will be the steering gear and rag joint or the upper bearing if the column is locked in the shortest position.

[Richard M.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Patrick,

I'm uncertain about what that configuration is. As you said it does not coincide with Jim's docs. It may be possible someone "re"-configured your lower bearing. Your lower bearing appears like the one in my Tele-column, but yours does not have the cap with the screws to capture it in the end of the mast jacket.

The inner race of your bearing is captured by the rearward washer but I see nothing to capture the outer bearing race. If you look inside the end of the mast jacket, do you see any wear from the bearing outer race spinning?

For reference, here is the 1967 "early" Standard column. The bearing inner and outer races capture the bearing balls. This one was damaged though.



This is what the new bearing looks like. The outer bearing assembly race presses into the end of the mast jacket. This holds it in place. The inner race of the bearing is captured by the flat washer/lock ring and spring along with the 2 piece adjustable plastic tensioner ring. There is a unique method to adjust, then it is heat sealed to lock it in place. Other than the plastic ring this configuration is similar for the Later 1967 Standard columns, which incorporates the longer plastic sleeve identical to yours.


Is your mast jacket column the collapsible type, as shown in the photos above(mesh)? I'm wondering if it was changed. I think it may be good if you contact Jim Shea through email or PM to ask him to look closely at your column. I'm thinking it may have been reworked for some reason and is why you're having difficulty.

Rich

[Peter M.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Patrick,
This is my column. I may have some more pictures when I had it apart. If I don't, I can take it apart for you.
Pete

[Patrick B.]

Re: 67 Tele Steering Column Rebuild

Peter and Rich----- The collar around the lower end of the mast that is held with 3 screws that both of your tele columns have is certainly the part I need. Strangely, the holes in my column are not tapped for this missing piece, so I don't think it's just a Bubba screw up. It could not have been installed originally. I think this part is actually available from L I. corvette, and I will order it today.