Chevrolet 1980 Light Duty Truck Service Manual page 258

3B 4-44 STEERING CO LUM NS
Automatic Columns - Align the three holes in the
selector plate with the three holes in the jacket, position the
clamping ring and install the three screws. The shift tube
spring retainer must be bottomed against the jacket stops.
5. 3-Speed Columns-Lubricate and install the spacer
and 1 st-reverse shift lever (tang of lever towards top of
column).
6. Install lower bearing in the adjusting ring and then
install the adjusting ring, clamp and screws.
7. Install the shift lever housing (or extension housing)
seat and bushing to upper end of housing.
8. Thread directional signal switch wiring harness
through the switch and lever (or extension) housings,
lubricate the inner diameter of the shift housing, and then
place the shift lever (or extension) housing onto the upper
end of the column.
9. Install the switch housing plastic washer assembly.
Press the upper bearing into the switch contact support.
10. Install the directional signal switch housing, contact
support, bearing and switch and torque the switch screws
to 25 lbs. in.
11. Install the column wiring harness cover and back­
up lamp switch.
12. Install the directional signal and gearshift levers.
13. Adjust the shift tube as outlined under "Shifter
Tube Adjustment."
14. Loosely install the lower bearing preload spring and
clamp.
15. Slide the steering shaft assembly up through the
column assembly. Install the directional signal cancelling
cam, steering shaft nut and lock washer.
Disassembly Of Tilt Column (Fig.
1. If the column is removed from the vehicle, place the
column in a bench vise using Holding Fixtures J-22573 (Fig.
3B4-76).
NOTICE: Clamping the column directly in a vise,
could result in a damaged column.
2. Remove the directional signal switch as outlined
under "Directional Signal Switch-Removal".
3. Remove the lower steering shaft and pot joint
assembly and lower bearing and adapter assembly as
outlined under "Lower Bearing and Adapter-Removal".
4. Column Shift Models - Using a suitable size punch,
drive out the shift lever pivot pin and remove the shift lever.
5. Install the tilt release lever and place the column in
the full "up" position. Remove the tilt lever spring and
retainer using a screwdriver that just fits into the slot
opening (Fig. 3B4-77). Insert the screwdriver clockwise
approximately 1/8 turn until the retainer ears align with the
grooves in the housing and remove the retainer and spring.
6. Remove the steering shaft bearing locknut using
socket J-22599. Remove the upper bearing race seat and
race.
7. Remove the two bearing housing pivot pins using
Tool J-21854 (Fig. 3B4-78).
8. Pull up on the tilt release lever (to disengage the lock
shoes) and remove the bearing housing. If it is necessary to
disassemble the bearing housing, proceed as follows:
3B4-75)
a. Press the upper and lower bearings out of the
housing.
b. Using Puller J-5822 and Slide Hammer J-2619 pull
the bearing races from the housing (Fig. 3B4-79).
c. Remove the tilt release lever.
d. Drive out the shoe release lever pivot pin using Tool
J-22635 or a suitable punch (Fig. 3B4-80). Remove the lever
spring and remove the wedge.
e. Using a suitable size punch, drive out the lock shoe
retaining pin. Remove the shoes and shoe springs.
9. Remove the steering shaft assembly through the
upper end of the column. If it is necessary to disassemble
the shaft proceed as follows:
a. Turn the upper shaft 90° to the lower shaft and slide
the upper shaft and centering spheres from the lower shaft.
b. Rotate the centering spheres 90° and remove the
center spheres and preload spring from the upper shaft.
10. Remove the four bearing housing support screws
and remove the support.
Column Shift Models - If the shift tube index plate
must be removed, remove the two retaining screws and
remove the plate.
11. Remove the shift tube retaining ring with a
screwdriver (Fig. 3B4-81). Remove the thrust washer.
12. Remove the neutral-safety or back-up lamp switch
screws and remove the switch.
13. Rework Shift Tube Removing Tool J-22551 by
removing 1/2" from the pilot end of the tool (Fig. 3B4-82).
This allows the shift tube to be pushed further out of the
housing and will not affect the use of the tool on other
columns.
14. Remove the shift tube assembly using Tool J-22551
(Fig. 3B4-83). Insert the hooked end of the tool into the
notch in the shift tube just below the shift lever housing key.
Pilot the sleeve over the threaded end of the tool and into
the upper end of the shift tube. Force the shift tube out of
the housing by turning the nut onto the tool. If the shift tube
is not completely free when the nut is bottomed on the
threads, complete the removal by hand.
Do not hammer or pull on the shift tube
NOTICE:
during removal. On column shift models, guide the
lower shift lever through the slotted opening in the
column to prevent damage to the tube or column.
15. Remove the lock plate by sliding out of the column
notches, tipping the plate downward toward the housing (to
compress the wave washer) and then removing as shown in
Figure 3B4-84. Remove the wave washer.
16. Remove the shift lever housing.
17. Column Shift Models - Remove the shift lever
spring by winding the spring up with pliers.
18. If necessary, remove the dash panel seal, mounting
plate and the instrument panel seal from the column jacket.
Assembly of T ilt Column
When lubricating components during the following
installation sequence, use any general purpose lithium soap
grease.
1. Install the dash panel seal, mounting plate and the
instrument panel seal on the column.
LIG H T T R U C K S ER V IC E M ANUAL