Steering Column Removal

So, on to the steering column, and let me just say, what a pain. The previous owner of the car had installed an aftermarket steering wheel on the car, so my first task was to remove the center hub so I could get to the turn signal selector and the bearing and spring on the shaft. Well, after prying at it for a while, it finally busted loose and I was able to see what exactly I was working with. It wasn't pretty. 50 year old grease and dirt had congealed into a thick layer of sludge all over the inside of the selector hub and housing. I opted to first tackle the bolts in the engine bay that attach the column to the bracket. It's recommended to remove the hood and driver's side hinge first. DO IT. I have fairly slender arms so I was able to work my arms between the brake booster and the hinge, but if i still retained any of the muscle I gained from my Army years, I'd be totally out of luck. It took a good 2 hours to finally get the bolts out, but they are indeed out. So now, back to the interior.

Using my service manual as a guide, I removed the selector switch and the bearing retainer as a single unit, then set my sights on the bearing itself. I popped off the first of the clip washers and removed the spring. Then I peeled out the old bearing insulator and popped out the bearing and I'll tell you right now, that thing is getting some serious TLC before it goes back in. After getting those out I got the two nuts that hold the hub on, and popped it off along with the quadrant and shift detent. I've seen many a picture of old shift detents that are just worn down and relatively useless, and mine certainly fits the bill. It explains a lot as to why I've had so much trouble with my slide away and the ignition issues. The spring that engages when you shift to park that allows the column to move had enough resistance to push the lever out of park. Talk about a safety hazard.

I then removed the shift housing. I was able to spin and work the centering washer out, followed by the second clip washer. I started removing the bolts that connect the column to the slide away unit, and fortunately for me in this case, the slide away door was already out of the car, giving me direct access to the unit. I unbolted the bracket from the underside of the unit and the column fell away, but wouldn't come out. Hm. I rechecked the manual, and it turns out, the stop cam further down the shaft has to come off before you can remove the column. Bummer.

That's where I took this break. Keep reading though, I'll have pictures of the grease disaster and the fully removed column, as well as the rest of the story soon.