E-Bodies.org Cuda Challenger Forum

Technical Shop => Wheels, Tires, Brakes, Suspension & Steering => Topic started by: FSHTAIL on March 04, 2020, 02:58:25 AM

Title: Steering shaft to box coupler/drive pin removal?
Post by: FSHTAIL on March 04, 2020, 02:58:25 AM
So I've got my 73 FSM and it's kind of vague.

I have power steering and need to remove the box. 
The fsm mentions 3 bolts and another 2 bolts to drop the column.    But the book is vague and general vs E body specific.  Seemed like 2 bolts and she would drop down/out?

To drop the column,  isn't it just the 2 bolts?
My light died and I'm going to buy a new LED version tomorrow because the 300 watt halogen gets the interior cooking a bit much...and I dropped the darn thing and the bulb said nope...   So for now I'm just trying to to get a game plan together.

Is the set pin on the coupler to the box tapered to where it'll only pound out from one side or the other?    I hit it with some PBS blaster and let it sit for now. 

The previous owner rattle bombed all the underhood stuff and went a little heavy in some areas, the PIN for example

So it's hard to make out if my punch was hitting the mark or if I'm going at it from the wrong side or what?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated 
Thanks for reading.



Title: Re: Steering shaft to box coupler/drive pin removal?
Post by: anlauto on March 04, 2020, 03:31:44 AM
The steering column has three bolts at the firewall and two nuts at the dash frame.
The pin is just a regular split pin, it should go out either way.
Title: Re: Steering shaft to box coupler/drive pin removal?
Post by: Rich G. on March 04, 2020, 04:15:59 AM
If your eyes are bad I would mark the coupler and the box. The coupler can only go on one way. One spline is different and I've seen people beat the coupler to get it back on if it's not lined up right.
Title: Re: Steering shaft to box coupler/drive pin removal?
Post by: JS29 on March 04, 2020, 08:10:39 AM
The pin is what is known as a roll pin, no taper.  :alan2cents:
Title: Re: Steering shaft to box coupler/drive pin removal?
Post by: headejm on March 04, 2020, 08:31:57 AM
Do not "pound out" the pin. Beating on the column shaft is not recommended. I used a C-clamp and a couple of adapters and the pin was easily removed. The C-clamp also makes installing the pin very easy.

Note: there is also a smaller pin inside the coupler that holds the shoe assembly in. That pin can be tapped out with a hammer after the column is removed from the car.  There is a very good video in our Resources section on assembly/disassembly of the column.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Steering shaft to box coupler/drive pin removal?
Post by: anlauto on March 04, 2020, 09:19:43 AM
 :bigthumb:
Title: Re: Steering shaft to box coupler/drive pin removal?
Post by: FSHTAIL on March 04, 2020, 11:58:37 PM
I took a wire brush on a drill and cleaned out all the crap, previous owners rattle bomb the hell out of it so it was all mucked up.  Now I can see what's going on. 

Thank you so much for the help everyone.
Doing the Borgeson box install along with other bits and pieces   
Title: Re: Steering shaft to box coupler/drive pin removal?
Post by: FSHTAIL on March 05, 2020, 12:02:09 AM
And my new work light is pretty rad, this thing never really gets warm but it's bright as hell... I'm retiring the halogen.

The camera doesn't do it justice, but it's not that typical bluish LED light you see