Pontiac FIREBIRD 1972 Service Manual page 1183

9-30 1972 PONTIAC SERVICE MANUAL
3. Position lower cover plate to dash panel and start
screw through unslotted hole in cover.
4. Install second cover plate screw in lower slotted hole
and tighten to 40 lb. in. torque thereby locating cover
plates properly. Tighten unslotted hole screw to 40
lb. in. torque.
5. Tighten upper and lower cover attachment screw to
40 lb. in. torque. Tighten adjacent cover screw to
dash to 40 lb. in. torque.
6. Tighten clamp screw to 40 Ib. in. torque.
7. Install three remaining cover screws and tighten to 40
lb. in. torque.
8. With steering column thus positioned, tighten two
steering column mounting bracket to instrument
panel nuts to 20 lb. ft. torque.
CAUTION: Do not over-torque nuts because
correct torque is necessary to ensure breakaway
action of the bracket and capsules in the event
of a collision.
9. Install shift indicator (pointer) cable attaching screw
to shift bowl on models with automatic transmission
(Fig. 9-3 1).
10. Reconnect all electrical connections and install any
trim which has been removed.
11. Connect all transmission linkage, if linkage requires
adjusting, see Section 7 for the procedure.
12. Adjust back-up light or neutral-start switch (see Sec-
tion 12 for adjustment procedure).
STEERING COLUMN (A & G SERIES)
REMOVE
CAUTION :
When the steering column is
removed from the car, it is extremely suscepti-
ble to damage. Dropping the column assembly
on its end could collapse the steering shaft or
loosen the plastic injections which maintain
column rigidity. Leaning on the mast jacket
could cause the jacket to bend or deform. Such
damages could impair the column's collapsible
design. I f it is necessary to remove the steering
wheel, use standard wheel puller J 3044-1. Do
not hammer on end of shaft, as hammering
could loosen plastic injections which maintain
column rigdity.
1. Remove both attaching nuts securing flexible cou-
pling to steering shaft.
2. On column shift transmission and floor shift cars,
disconnect shift linkage from column shift levers.
3. Disconnect all electrical connectors from steering
column.
4. Remove floor pan trim and insulator cover.
5. Remove screws securing toe cover plate halves to
dash panel and loosen cover clamping screws.
6. Remove instrument panel trim cover screws and
remove cover.
NOTE: Remove lower air conditioning duct if
so equipped.
7. Remove two nuts securing mounting bracket to in-
strument panel and carefully withdraw column.
INSTALL
NOTE: Make sure this procedure is followed in
exactly this order.
CAUTION: See CAUTION on page I of this
Section regarding the fasteners refered to in
step I.
1. Position steering column in car and attach steering
shaft flange to steering gear flexible coupling and
tighten coupling nuts to 20 lb. ft. torque (Fig. 9-33).
NOTE: Align large flexible coupling attaching
bolt in large hole ofsteering shaft flange. Metal-
to-metal contact between flanges on steering
gear stub shaft assembly and steering shaft as-
sembly will transmit and amplifi gear noise to
the driver. (See FLEXIBLE COUPLING ou-
tlined at front of Section 9 and Fig. 9-6 for use
of plastic alignment spacers).
2. Position steering column with mounting bracket to
instrument panel loosely with two nuts.
3. Position left (outboard) cover plate to dash panel and
start screw through bottom hole in cover.
4. Install second cover plate screw in upper slotted hole
and tighten to 40 lb. in. torque, thereby locating cover
plates properly. Tighten previously installed bottom
hole screw to 40 Ib. in. torque. Install third screw in
left (outboard) cover plate and tighten to 40 lb. in.
torque.
NOTE: On cars with manual transmission also
attach clutch push rod bellows and retainer
plate assembly with coverplate retainer screws.