Need a wee bit o help fellas. The wheel lock pin won't extend in my column. Second time it's done this to me, told the guy when I got the car I hated the newer gm column, but it's here and I gotta deal with it to get thru summer. Why won't this damn pin extend? If I fiddle with it I can get it to work, and it works for a week or two then does the same thing. Wheel won't lock, and I can't get the dang keys out. Help.... Thanks guys.
There may be a lower peice on the colum that has to rotate up when the transmission linkage goes into park. Kinda hard to explain. But the columns in console shift cars Had it,
If that's the problem, it would be the part where the shift lever would attach, you'd have to turn it all the way towards 'Park" (if you imagine you have a column shifter). Then find a place to put a screw into the tube, to hold it turned like that.
Yup, that's it. Slid it up and it popped right up, you guys are absolutely sexy beasts. Thank you so much for the help! You RULE!
Keep in mind there's a safety issue here...the interlock was originally designed to prevent you from being able to lock the steering wheel, when the car's moving. You have to put it into Park first. So...the best thing to do is to connect that linkage to the floor shifter, so the column works as designed. The next best thing would be to remove the pin completely, so you can't lock the steering wheel. Or you could get a column for a manual transmission car, they have a little spring loaded lever on the column, that you have to push up before you can lock the column. Think about it...what happens if you are driving, and have to kill the engine for some reason, and you turn the key too far?
I did just what squirrel said one time. I was running down the highway at about 60 mph, and blew a plastic oil pressure line. I shut the car off, but locked to column. By the time I figured out why I couldn't steer, I was right at the edge of the road. I got it stopped OK, but it was a thrill I don't ever need to experience again. Gene
Yeah, I gotcha for sure. My plan was to put a normal shoebox column and manual back in it eventually.
What Jim say's is true. I can not see if this is a column shift or floor shift. Any ways outer steering tube that rotates needs to be repositioned into correct position (park) and held in place permanently. See sector to see how it works.
I've heard of guys cutting off the pin with a dremel. As long as I lock the outer steering tube somehow it should be good tho, no? With it locked there it behaves as any other car and I can still steer with it in accessory...
Oh yeah, it's fixed for sure. Thanks for the help all. Much appreciated. I've been a mechanic all my life, but mostly boats, so motor based stuff. Car motors, just in boats, so a lot of the car stuff is new to me. Boats don't have steering columns, etc. Definitely got the adventure I was looking for by buying an old car already...
From 69 on most GM cars had that lock setup. My 4 speed 69 Cutlass S had it and you had to put the car in reverse when you parked it to turn the key and take it out. In the 70's I disconnected more than one Floor shift automatic Pontiac's shift cable at the trans and shifted the car into gear with the column collar to get it to or in the shop to replace the cable. If you cut the pin off flush when it is extended it won't hurt a thing except you will no longer have a locking steering wheel. The column will still have to be in park to get the key out though.
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