ken welch

I need to do some dash things like new clock and headlight switch. While I tackle this, I thought I would try to take care of some things in the steering column. The "key left in ignition" buzzer is on regardless of a key being present. More urgent is the tilt and telescope. The column will sometimes shift out of position while driving. Is this something that can be addressed by tightening components? The telescope portion seems to be a bushing that tightens around another shaft. It seems that this could be tightened. The tilt portion however seems to be a "striker" that engages one of several slots. In my case, there may be wear that would require new parts. Or, could I get off easy by putting in stronger spring that holds the striker in the slot?
Thanks,
Ken

Geoff1340

Just completed an interior O/H and took the steering column in my 77 to a shop which specializes in that area, $200.00 well spent in my opinion...

GaryS

Go to http://www.corvettefaq.com and look in the tech stuff for steering related information. Jim Shea has put a HUGE amount of technical information on that site. There are exploded views of columns, diagnostic articles, and repair articles.

I had a similar situation with the key buzzer and used one of his articles to diagnose and repair my column. Essentially what happens with the key buzzer is that when you insert the key, the teeth push together two copper contacts that then creates a circuit to the buzzer. If I remember correctly from the troubleshooting, the areas where you check are the ignition switch in the column, the wiring bundle that is under and mounted to the steering column, and the key buzzer itself. In my case, I got lucky because my problem was dirt in the ignition switch in the column. After I removed it, using Jim's papers, I flooded it with solvent, dried it, lightly lubed it, and then reinstalled it. It worked perfectly after that. I went ahead and finished up the troubleshooting just to ensure that I covered all the bases. If you find that your key buzzer switch is bad, you are going to have to find a replacement since they are no longer carried by GM. The non tilt/tele switches still are carried. I bought a used one from Just Columns or something like that. They repair and rebuild steering columns as their name implies.
Gary
ps, be sure and spend some time at the website and download all of the stuff for your application.

Jim Shea

At the http://www.corvettefaq.com websight look under Steering.

One paper to download is entitled
Key Buzzer Diagnosis.

Another paper is entitled
Tilt&Telescoping Column 69-82 Disassembly and Repair Paper #1. The final page addresses adjusting the telescoping feature.

The other papers will assist in disassembling the rest of the T&T column tilt head.