Chevrolet 1977 light duty truck Service Manual page 257

then place the shift lever (or extension) housing onto the
up per end o f the column.
9. Install the switch
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
levers.
13. Adjust the shift tube as outlined under "Shifter
Tube A djustm ent."
14. Loosely install
spring and clamp.
15. Slide the steering shaft assembly up through
the column assembly. Install
cancelling cam, steering shaft nut an d lock washer.
T ilt Colum n (Fig. 3 B -91)
Disassembly
1. If the column is removed from the vehicle, place
the column in a bench vise using Holding Fixtures
J-22573 (fig. 3B-92).
CAUTION: Clamping the column directly in a
vise, could result in a dam aged column.
2. Remove the directional signal switch as outlined
under "D irectional Signal Switch-Removal".
3. Remove the lower steering shaft and pot joint
assembly and lower bearing and adapter assembly as
outlined under "Low er Bearing and A dapter-Rem oval".
4. C olum n 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 " u p " position. Remove the tilt lever spring
and retainer using a screwdriver that just fits into the slot
opening (fig. 3B-93). Insert the screwdriver clockwise
approxim ately 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 u pper bearing race seat and
race.
7. Remove the two bearing housing pivot pins
using Tool J-21854 (fig. 3B-94).
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 b earing housing, proceed as
follows:
a. Press the upper an d lower bearings out of the
housing.
b. Using Puller J-5822 and Slide H a m m e r J-2619
pull the bearing races from the housing (fig. 3B-95).
c. Remove the tilt release lever.
d. D rive out the shoe release lever pivot pin
using Tool J-22635 or a suitable punch (fig. 3B-96).
Remove the lever spring and remove the wedge.
housing plastic w asher
signal and gearshift
the lower bearing preload
the directional signal
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 o f the column. If it is necessary to disassemble
the shaft proceed as follows:
a. T urn 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
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. 3B-97). Remove the thrust washer.
12. Remove the neutral-safety or back-up lam p
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. 3B-
98). This allows the shift tube to be pushed further out of
the housing and will not affect the use o f the tool on
other columns.
14. Remove the shift tube assembly using Tool
J-22551 (fig. 3B-99). Insert the hooked end o f the tool
into the notch in the shift tube just below the shift lever
housing key. Pilot the sleeve over the threaded end o f
the tool and into the upper end o f the shift tube. Force
the shift tube out o f 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.
CAUTION: Do not ham mer or p u ll on the shift
tube 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)
removing as shown in Figure 3B-100. 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
m ounting plate and the instrum ent panel seal from the
column jacket.
Assembly
NOTE: W hen lubricating components during the
following installation sequence, use any general
purpose lithium soap grease.
1. Install the dash panel seal, m ounting plate and
the instrument panel seal on the column.
2. Colum n Shift Models - Press a new shift lever
spring into the shift lever housing.
bearing housing support
and then
the dash panel seal,