Steering column fun 39 PU

If the toggle switch cylinder is in good shape the grooves on the spring loaded click ball are all good I recommend not removing it or the brass plug.
The key cylinder needs to be out before you can do this and the toggle switch itself should be in the position where you will get the full range off motion from the sliding parts. The toggle cylinder comes out by removing the sliding mechanism that is stuck. Once you are able to move the sliding mechanism there is a brass plug on the back of the column drop body in the center same as the one you removed to get the key cylinder out remove the brass plug the same way as the key cylinder plug. The top of the slide has a piece that is pressed on that piece is the tapered top sticking up thru the drop body in your pictures. soak that also. With the slide all the way down gingerly take a blunt punch and tap the center of the slide down into the area where the steering column goes thru the steering column area. Once the top piece comes off the top piece slides back up thru the top the and toggle cylinder will come out thru the back of the drop. Keep soaking and tapping to get it freed up. Does the toggle switch move at all? Did you get the key cylinder out?
 
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Gary: The drop is off the steering column ( mask jacket ) right? tell us more about the "large spring " I don't recall any spring in the drop. ??? 38, Bruce help me out here. spring .. someones .. re-do ? Broken key NO BIG DEAL... later... back to heat.and tap.tap. .How about, lets wash it out the hottes water you can get to. and someday no ones home, pre-heat the oven 300-350 deg. put the drop in the oven for an hour or two /three hours, then out and put it in a bucket of ATF, spray the "blaster, kroiy,oil... the heat.as it cools it will pull the oil in areas, not seen yet....or there is the hot and cold water treatment, as in boilding hot,and ice cold, oohoo yes she will love this in her kithen ... can't hurt the drop. should cause some movement...DON'T GIVE-UP. WE WILL NOT GIVE UP ON YOU .... OLD...BILL
 
Hey Mike, atf and acetone. Did Walt Dupont get that from you or you sneakin his trade secrets. When we were pulling the valves on my 59AB he had that stuff everywere! Thats good stuff!!
 
Gary in Mozarks said:
Yep its pretty frustratin,
I did get the steering wheel removed, using the three screw tapping method. I tapped the three spots with a 5/16x 24 tap and used a standard wheel puller and it came off, so I was able to get everything apart and to see the backside, down in the hole.

There is a large spring loaded squarish pin (on the backside of the toggle cylinder that sticks down into a slot on the collar, on the steering shaft. I have no idea what that does.

I wish there was an exploded diagram available so I coudl see how everything interrelates. Somehow that toggle cylinder has to come out. and I assume there is a shoulder on the front so it must come out that way. So far no movement so we keep soaking.
Gary in Mozarks
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Gary, I have two good write-ups on disassembling and reassembling the '35/'36 column drops (probably very similar to your drop) but was asked by one of the two authors not to repost or email his information because of copywrite infringement. What I could do for you is personally email both authors who wrote these instructions and ask then to help you out here or let me send this info to you. I will get back to you if they don't chime in here soon. JM
 
The spring loaded rod lives INSIDE the bigger piece that slides up and down when the lock turns; it sticks out maybe 3/8" and is the part that actually goes into the locking slot on the steering shaft. Its reason for existence is that if the lock goes down against the shaft when lock collar is not aligned withth pin, the spring compresses and the lock piece retracts into the bigger piece. Then as soon as the steering moves a bit, the spring snaps the locking plunger into the collar on the steeering shaft as soon as the slot arrives at the right position.
I also say don't remove the plunger part unless you simply cannot get it moving well any other way.
IF you can rotate the key part of cylinder with screwdriver...get toggle to OFF...and punch the locking slide thing UP, you can just barely get at the backside of the keylock cylinder, I think enough to apply some push there. Keep tapping and pushing on everything, as it all interrelates to allow things to move...key needs to get to running position along with getting the locking slide to go up, and they may be able to assist each other's motion as you work stuff looser.
 
BTW, the second pin that rides in a slot on the plunger is steel on the one I'm holding. I don't think you need to remove it until all else becomes hopeless!
With lock cylinder pin out, you should see the depression where it entered the lock shell, a place where some force can be applied.
 
And...even if locking plunger is fully down, you can get a lever down the steering column and push the actual spring loaded part up just enough to clear the hole in column jacket and allow removal. You will have to defeat the headless break-away bolt the clamps the lock onto column jacket, then very carefully and slightly spread the clamp by tapping a tapered screwdriver or chisel into the gap.
I can see how people become streetrodders...heave the thing into the dumpster and order an Ididit column from the dime store! No class, no style, but done in time for supper.
 
Heres an article I did on rebuilding a 35/36 Lock mech. Hope it helps.
stercolm_edit_5_09b_Page_1.jpg

stercolm_edit_5_09b_Page_2.jpg

stercolm_edit_5_09b_Page_3.jpg
 
Don, Thank you so much for the article, I figured the toggle cylinder had to come out from the front end but its nice to see confirmatioin on that. I will print off and study your post and let you know how it comes out. THanks again
Gary in Mozarks.
 
JM 35 Sedan said:
Gary, I have two good write-ups on disassembling and reassembling the '35/'36 column drops (probably very similar to your drop) but was asked by one of the two authors not to repost or email his information because of copywrite infringement. What I could do for you is personally email both authors who wrote these instructions and ask then to help you out here or let me send this info to you. I will get back to you if they don't chime in here soon. JM
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
Thank You Thank You Thank You!
I've got mine mostly disasembled, mostly by trial and error. Steering wheel is off, and column tube is off the shaft/gearbox assembly. Next step was to remove the collar twist-off bolt and get the collar off the column. The collar is apart down to the slide mechanism with toggle and the pin on the back. I was thinking the pin would have to come out but wasn't quite to that point yet. Your article is MUCH appreciated and will make the project sail along much faster now.
 
Here is a breakdown photo sent to me when I did it, Zeke
 

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Gary in Mozarks said:
Thank you
Click to expand...

Gary, I got an email back from one of the two authors saying that he had emailed his article directly to you and the other author Don Rogers has posted his excellent sketches with instructions and pictures here on this thread. You and others who read this post should have some great information now on steering column drops. Good luck! JM
 
Don,
Any tips on Step 6, 'remove the pin' ? Will it come out with Vise-Grips? What is the danger of it snapping off? It looks pretty easy to break, but it also looks pretty easy to fabricate a new one.
 
Scott, I used a very small pair of needle nose vice grips and fastened them to the pin leaving about 1/8" gap between the Vice Grip tips and locking mechanism slide. I then inserted a pry in the gap and wiggled(technical term) the pry while pulling on the Vice grips. The pin pulled out.
 
Thank You once again. Will give it try this morning. First, drill a slot and remove the clamping bolt, then remove the pin, then :cool: get the slide to come out!
 
Got it apart

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Well I got it apart as you can see in the picture. Im not sure I will be able to use the switch cylinder as I buggered up the end of the cylinder where the steering lock plunger comes out. trying to drive it out forward and the spring and plunger are stuck down now. The steel is very soft.

I removed the lock cylinder by rotating it all the way to the left,(per Don's instructions) and then drilling a hole in the center and using a screw clamped in a vice, I tapped the housing and the lock came out. (wow, was it tight) You also have to remove the switch plate to get the toggle out.

I found you have to drive the switch cylinder out to the rear, (into the center hole) The front collar is swedged on the switch cylinder. By striking the center of the cylinder, (From the front) you can move it to the rear. If I had known that for sure, I wouldn;t have messed up the steering lock plunger. I hope this helps others trying to do this .
Gary in Mozarks

PS an interesting sidenote, I reassembled the cylinder and it still will not toggle over even after Ive had it apart. Something is going on there I havn;t figured out yet but I will. It may be that I have to clean up the inside of the drop. GR
 
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