CUTLASS Need to repaint my column question.

[RICKDIZZLE]

I need to repaint the top portion of my column closets to the steering wheel. I will have my carpet and seats out fairly soon (fingers crossed). Should I just pull the steering wheel, and shifter, mask the rest and the plastic drop cover the windshield, dash and such, scuff, clean and shoot it in the car...Or is there an easy way to remove that cover to do it fully out of the car? Thoughts, ideas?

 

[Slowpoke]

Not to hard to pull the column and do it outside the car..4 small bolts at firewall under dash 2 nuts holding column up and remove the steering shaft and harness.. easy peasy

 

[jcelk]

you can get more even coats of paint with the column out of the car

 

[pagrunt]

I'll agree with pulling it to repaint. National Parts Depot should have the right color in a sparay can, SEM & PPG. While it's out get a new column to firewall foam seal.

 

[RICKDIZZLE]

Sounds good! I will just unbolt it and pull the whole unit. Watched a couple videos. Pretty straight forward and easy. Anything to be "aware of" when doing it. Any tricks to keeping the steering wheel straight for reassembly? Thanks for the call out Pagrunt on the foam seal!

 

[ELCAM]

Remove the cover under the dash.

Loosen the 2 15mm nuts holding the steering column cradle to the dash, loosen halfway.

Sit in the seat, tilt the column down toward your legs. Lift up the column with your knees/legs and reach under and remove the 2 nuts on the cradle.

Watch the shift indicator as you lower the column, it will pull the wire on the shift indicator as you lower it don't let it go past 1st gear. The wire goes to the steering column on one end and the plastic shift indicator that is FRAGILE on the other end!

Mark where the clip (U NUT.) is on the column so you don't need to adjust it when reassembling.

Remove the screw holding the clip you might get away with a stubby phillips but you might need an offset screwdriver.

Once the cable is removed you can let the column hang or put the nuts back in enough to hold the column, whatever is easiest to remove the rest of the stuff.

Connectors:
Cruise control
wipers
headlight dimmer switch
TS switch
2 connectors on the ignition switch.
Back up light switch (At bottom)

Loosely hang the column from the dash (Put the nuts back on a turn)

Remove bolts from firewall plate.
Remove bolt from column to steering shaft.
remove shifter linkage.

Unbolt cradle nuts and pull column through the firewall.

Two people might be a help to get the column out of the steering shaft and to lift the shifter lever past the hole in the firewall.

Something like that.

 

[pagrunt]

Suggest to remove the steering wheel too for more work space with moving the column around.