Steering Colum/ Ign Problems

[1972C10]

Ive got an 85 chevy That recently devolped a problem of not starting if the tilt wheel was all the way up but it would start anywhere below that now its gotten to where i have to turn the key on then grab the rod with needle nose and pull it foward

Im assuming something is worn Or loose inside

Has anyone had similar experience and know if it can be fixed by tightening something or replacing a part I dont really want to swap out the whole colum if not nessacary


Friend of mine had the same prob but he swapped out the colum Im thinking its something worn or loose.

Any input on this subject would be greatly apreciated.

[Russell]

Time to tear into the column It isn't nearly as daunting as it looks/sounds.

There is a little cog that that actuating rod is connected to that is either worn out, or the actuating rod has fallen out of. While you are in there, do yourself a favour and tighten the four torx bolts at the base of the column. Take lots of pictures if you arn't good at remembering where parts go.

If you need any parts other than primary column chassis parts, PM me, I've got tons of em sitting in my toolbox

[1972C10]

Ive got a colum that supposedly came out of a camaro i tore into

do you have that cog that wears?>

I would like to keep this colum because it is really tight and has no slop whatsoever.

[Russell]

Sure do, I can send it to you if you want it. Its in good condition and works really well

$5.00 shipped does it if you want it.

If the tilt has no slop, then don't bother with the torx bolts, those are what cause the slop 90% of the time. If you do decide to tighten them, get some of the permenant lock tite and then put them back in, I haven't had a problem with mine since.

[1972C10]

Ill take it email me at giantrendneck2000@yahoo.com

With your adress and ill get payment sent out tommorow evening.

How far will i have to tear into the colum to get to that cog? Will i have to pull the ign switch out?

I suppose i will have to pull the cruise wire that i just fished down there out and then reinstall it.

[Russell]

lol, you're gonna be going in pretty deep The cog is actually attached to the ignition switch. The cog is then attached to a small flat gear that is attached to the actuating rod. The plate gear wouldn't be worn as it is made of metal, as is the rod. Chances are your cog jumped a couple of teeth, but it is a possiblity that it is infact worn out...

Its far from being hard, worst part is getting the steering wheel and locking plate off. Just make sure you know how the horn assembly in the steering wheel was, and how the locking assembly was put together.

What I find works real well for getting that cruise cable and such down is finding a stiff single gauge wire and fishing it up from the bottom up, while the column is mostly dissassembled and then building the column back up around it, then pulling the cruise cable down with it. The big harness comes down on its own fairly easily

[1972C10]

Yeah i just fished the wire in there today Used elec fence wire /
at first i thought i might have finished it off By putting the cruise wire in but it has been acting up past couple of days

Here latley all kinds of things going wrong the harmonic balancer slipped , My recently rebuilt carb was acting up due to trash and bad float.

before this the new motor toasted the trans then when i put a new trans in the master cylinder started going out .

Lol i guess there is always something to do with an old truck for awhile but after a period of time its fixed up like new.

[Russell]

lol, sounds like like my GMC Starting to get to the point whereas its almost fixed up now though, just got my alternator to fix today