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2blu442 · 07-20-2007, 08:24 PM

Not too difficult, just take your time as you do it. I like to remove it at the steering box, there will be two bolts/nuts that are 9/16" and 1/2" I use open box end wrenches. Then if it's a column shift there will be a rod under the hood near the firewall, I pull the clip and remove the rod from the column. Then move to the interior, there is a plastic kick plate with two 3/8" sheet metal screws in it over the carpet, remove that from around the base of the column. Then there's a plate attached to the floor board with something like 6 to 8 3/8" sheet metal screws around the edges of it. After that's removed there's a plastic cover under the column where it comes out of the dash, two phillips screws hold it on. Then behind that under the dash there's two studs that point down toward the floorboard, they have 9/16" nuts on them that hold the column tight to the underside of the dash. Before you totally remove those you will need to unplug the main column wiring harness that's against the column I believe on the passengerside, and there's two other wire plugs on the topside of the column down toward the floorboard. I believe the last thing is a small wire that hooks on the passengerside of the column close to where the plastic cover was with the two phillips screws. The wire goes from the column to the speedometer head and attaches to the lever that moves the transmission gear indicator. You will need to unhook that wire, I think I usually take it off the column. Once you unbolt it pull it into the car working the metal plate around the brake pedal, and as it comes through you'll also need to work the arm that the rod under the hood hooked to around the brake pedal as well. The piece that bolts to the rag joint on the steering box may hang up on the A-arm under the hood so you'll have to watch for that too. This is the stage where you'll need to keep your patience and rotate, pull and work the column out. I believe this should be the steps you'll need to take but I've got some columns in the rafters of the garage if you need to see photos of anything. John

07-20-2007, 08:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
2blu442 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Medford, Oregon Posts: 1,099	Not too difficult, just take your time as you do it. I like to remove it at the steering box, there will be two bolts/nuts that are 9/16" and 1/2" I use open box end wrenches. Then if it's a column shift there will be a rod under the hood near the firewall, I pull the clip and remove the rod from the column. Then move to the interior, there is a plastic kick plate with two 3/8" sheet metal screws in it over the carpet, remove that from around the base of the column. Then there's a plate attached to the floor board with something like 6 to 8 3/8" sheet metal screws around the edges of it. After that's removed there's a plastic cover under the column where it comes out of the dash, two phillips screws hold it on. Then behind that under the dash there's two studs that point down toward the floorboard, they have 9/16" nuts on them that hold the column tight to the underside of the dash. Before you totally remove those you will need to unplug the main column wiring harness that's against the column I believe on the passengerside, and there's two other wire plugs on the topside of the column down toward the floorboard. I believe the last thing is a small wire that hooks on the passengerside of the column close to where the plastic cover was with the two phillips screws. The wire goes from the column to the speedometer head and attaches to the lever that moves the transmission gear indicator. You will need to unhook that wire, I think I usually take it off the column. Once you unbolt it pull it into the car working the metal plate around the brake pedal, and as it comes through you'll also need to work the arm that the rod under the hood hooked to around the brake pedal as well. The piece that bolts to the rag joint on the steering box may hang up on the A-arm under the hood so you'll have to watch for that too. This is the stage where you'll need to keep your patience and rotate, pull and work the column out. I believe this should be the steps you'll need to take but I've got some columns in the rafters of the garage if you need to see photos of anything. John __________________ 1964 Cutlass Factory 4spd 1965 442 4spd 1967 442 Auto 1967 Cutlass Convertible 1968 442 Auto 1969 442 W30 Auto 1970 442 4spd 1971 Cutlass Flat Top Wagon 1973 Che*vy 3/4 Ton 454/TH400 Tow Vehicle Only the tow vehicle is finished!