35/36 Column Drop pin

N

nb141fd

Senior Member
I am in the process of repairing a 35 or 36 column drop mechanism and am in need of a new 'On/Off lever pin to move switch contacts'. As can be seen from the photo below the pin in my drop is broken. If anyone know where I can get the pin I would appreciate the info. Also, since I will probably have to drill the pin out I would like to know the diameter of the hole needed for the pin if anyone has that information handy.

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Thanks in advance, Tony
 
nb141fd said:
If anyone knows the diameter of the hole to be drilled for this pin please let me know. Thanks, Tony
Click to expand...

Tony: When you get the new pin from 3rd Generation, measure it, that will give you the size of the hole the pin goes into.
 
Thanks Lawson, I guess I assumed that the hole needed to be slightly undersized since the pin is an interference fit.
 
If you can grab the reminder of the pin with vice grips then use screwdrivers to pry the vice grips.
 
I couldn't grab the pin to remove it; not enough showing to grip. I broke it off at the surface and have ordered a new one. I will re-drill the hole when the pin comes in.
 
Another option may be…Unless more of it is gone now, take it to someone who can build up the end with weld, then grab the weld bead with vice grips and pry it out with two screwdrivers on either side.
 
Thank you for that info, Terry. My '33 has the on/off thumb 'tab' broken in half, can you imagine. I had been considering dropping the column in order to replace the thumb tab, by unscrewing both column-to-dash bolts.(didn't know about the pin)

(this '33 thumb tab metal is of poorer quality than the '40 pickup I had. (would have to be, to crack in half. I wouldn't believe it, but to see it snapped in half!

It happened(broke) when the cross-country driver started it and drove the car off the enclosed box! "Hey" he said, "This just fell off onto the floor when I started the car! I wanted to tell you so you have the piece."

(the piece looks deteriorated as does all brightwork on the car inside and out (I think the lifelong Massachusetts salt air got to the brightwork big time. (body is perfect, no rust).
 
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Both Third Gen Auto in Tenn and Southside Obsolete in Minn had the original style switch lever for the 33-34. It is only held on by the single screw on the side of the lever. The lever is made of cast white metal and as such is not very strong.
 
Don’t some people delete the steering lock pin due to rare cases of the steering locking when driving.
 
It was very common to remove the locking feature on the Early V8's, usually by the younger drivers.
The pin has nothing to do with locking the column, the pin only engages the switch. When the knob is flipped to turn off the engine, and the key is rotated, the assemble moves into a locking ring on the steering shaft. In order to eliminate the lock feature, the lock ring must be removed from the steering shaft.
I removed the lock ring from the column in my '36 in 1954 when I put the '40 column shift in my car.
 
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