Yea I'm a "MECHANIC" Yea!!!

Status
Not open for further replies.

78Delta88

Royal Smart Person
Supporting Member
May 23, 2022
1,245
1
999
113
SW Arizona
This is definitely "I am a mechanic" post, plus hope to answer a question from another member that needed steering column repair.

The previous "Mechanic" needed to R&R the lock cylinder. Photos below.

Pics show damage done, and the mess.

Instead of doing the job properly, he decided to drill it out.

I ordered the repair parts and will post how to do this correctly. Parts are supposed to be here Tuesday afternoon.

Maybe this will help someone else down the road.
 

Attachments

  • 20220702_113355_HDR.jpg
    20220702_113355_HDR.jpg
    348.3 KB · Views: 99
  • 20220702_113348.jpg
    20220702_113348.jpg
    951.8 KB · Views: 91
  • 20220702_113343.jpg
    20220702_113343.jpg
    591.1 KB · Views: 100
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: 1 users

78Delta88

Royal Smart Person
Supporting Member
May 23, 2022
1,245
1
999
113
SW Arizona
Worse than I thought... I started taking the pictures to show the step by step and then realized this... Not only did this "mechanic" drill out the cylinder, he also drilled through it and destroyed the actuator mated to the gear. So now a simple repair results in full rebuild.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20220717-215114.png
    Screenshot_20220717-215114.png
    1.8 MB · Views: 76

69hurstolds

Geezer
Supporting Member
Jan 2, 2006
8,087
17,292
113
:popcorn::popcorn:

It always turns into something more, doesn't it? I'll be watching. And eating popcorn.
 

78Delta88

Royal Smart Person
Supporting Member
May 23, 2022
1,245
1
999
113
SW Arizona
Got all the parts. Amazing how so much is "special order" now days. If not raining tomorrow might be able to finish. I would actually like to here it crank. Hoping I didn't get a car with a locked up engine.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

78Delta88

Royal Smart Person
Supporting Member
May 23, 2022
1,245
1
999
113
SW Arizona
Trying to get back on track here. With monsoon season here in Arizona the nights I'm available... It rains...
Pic below shows total damage. This piece here is what was left of the key lock cylinder.
20220905_173414.jpg
So this build might be a little backwards but now that the small section of cylinder is out everything can go back together and have functioning steering column again.

I started this thread due to another gentleman in Canada that had his column vandalized and asked how to fix it. I was thinking of pulling the column and show how to refurbish a column but in this case I'm going to repair as is. I will probably do a full restoration on the column in the one ton truck I have, later on, and post that. This column is in a Chevy Caprice, but these are all fairly much the same.

On another post the OP was trying to identify an unknown connector and this is shown below... The connector asked about was for the turn signal switch.

The long black connector is the turn signal switch.

The bright yellow is the air bag connector.

The shorter whitish grey connector is for the wiper motor control.

The small one that you can't really see here is the cruise control connector.

The movies where the actor rips open the under dash and starts sparking some wires and the car starts... Well... That's Hollywood and not reality.

Working on these wires and having done so for several years, you need to be a contortionist trained by a circus. Under dash work is not easy and especially when you are no longer 22 with a 29 inch waist.

20220905_171402.jpg 20220905_171444.jpg 20220905_172242.jpg
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

GBodyForum is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Please support GBodyForum Sponsors

Classic Truck Consoles Dixie Restoration Depot UMI Performance

Contact [email protected] for info on becoming a sponsor