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Lower steering column exploded view

greatscot3

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Hello

In addition to my power steering pump needing to be worked on, my lower power steering column just above the coupling seems to be missing a dust seal and bearing or bushing.
I have a .pdf manual but the exploded view I have isn't very good and I can't tell exactly what it needs and how it should go together.
Does anyone have a good exploded view or pictures and maybe a parts list for that portion of a 1974 or compatible years Cuda steering column?
 

340challconvert

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coupler-jpg.jpg

This may help

Dino2 (1).gif
 

moparlee

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Phil, I think he is asking about the seal/plastic bushing between the steering shaft and the column above the coupling.
 

greatscot3

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Phil, I think he is asking about the seal/plastic bushing between the steering shaft and the column above the coupling.

Lee and Phil

Yes what Challcovert said is right, I need the assembly above the coupler towards the firewall that has the (yellow arrow) collar with the white plastic insert in it. I've been looking at these housings on other year Ebodies and they are not the same by a long shot.
I think I might be able to use that specially bent "C" clip on the outside of the housing but look at the guts of the one I am dealing with. This is supposedly a 1974 Cuda column but since parts seem to be missing, maybe the P.O. put something else in there. What is in there now just doesn't make a whole lot of sense when looking at the others which are simpler.
What is up with that loose spiraled spring and that rusty steel piece that looks kind of like a bearing race. Where is the rest of it? Not any clue here.
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The upper column is much the same as the other years of E bodies but evidently there aren't many 1974 year cars out there.
 

greatscot3

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I took some more pictures of the entire steering column minus the crush can. Not exactly sure where it is but I bought a Grant steering wheel and their crush can substit
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ute but have not tried to put them on yet.
Hopefully some of these pics will help identify what I have here.
 

greatscot3

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Saved this great article for myself on changing out the lower column bearing from 72bluNblu on our sister site Abodies
View attachment 62490

How To Replace your Lower Column Bearing: Better and Cheaper!!!


You can still buy the factory style plastic bearing; I picked up the ball bearing from the article for a future column rebuild.


340ChallConvert

You know what? I think that just might work. I have to take some measurements but that's AWESOME! I've been trying to find a simple solution for this for a while and this looks like it would probably work.
Thank you 1000 times!
 

greatscot3

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Great. Glad it was helpful
The use of the bearing in the write up was for a 74 column
View attachment 62550

Man, that sure was a home run because I didn't have any idea where I was going to get the right parts for that thing. I was going to end up getting a diameter of nylon or some other plastic and just having that machined into a collar. I had seen bearing blocks and pillow blocks something like that before but didn't connect those with this problem in my noggin. I've got one of those bearing blocks on order now from Amazon.

Thanks again, that was awesome, Jon S.

P.S. Now I have to see if anyone knows for sure I can pull my power steering box out of the car without having to remove the stock exhaust manifold and dropping that side torsion bar. This is a 440 in a Cuda with stock exhaust manifolds.
I think someone mentioned they had done it by removing their power steering pump, raising the engine a little on that side and pulling it out towards the radiator but I wanted to make sure before I start taking all that stuff apart.
 

AUSTA

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Is your column a column shifter with the stick cut off that could be a detent spring for the column shift hanging out the bottom
 

greatscot3

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Is your column a column shifter with the stick cut off that could be a detent spring for the column shift hanging out the bottom

Thanks for your reply. I am not sure what I have exactly. The P.O. has thrown me some curves and this might be one of them. Thanks to 340Challconvert he got me straightened out on a fix I am pretty sure will work using that aftermarket bearing block. I'm planning on pulling or cutting all that old stuff off the steering shaft.
 
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