67 steering column disassembly question........

[Troub]

Breaking the column down for refreshing and painting. Assume I have to pull the bearing in the top collar out in order to pull the inner shaft out the bottom of the column? Best way to do this without damaging the bearing sleeve? Pics of the current state of the bottom and top....sorry about the top side pic quality, all that's left is the bearing and that is what's keeping me from pulling out the inner shaft.
Oh and the pin at the column bottom will not tap out no matter what I do although I suppose there is no need to remove it as it looks fine.

View attachment 1715332117

 

[RedFish]

There's a tiny snap ring above the bearing. There is a burr there. Shaft gets crusty too. To file, sand, otherwise rub away burrs and rust should let the shaft slide right through the bearing. If not you'll need use a puller to remove cast upper bell with bearing.
The box coupling rebuild kit does include new cross pin. Its extremely tight press fit to the shaft so you would need a press to change it and get it properly centered. If it was very worn its ends would be egg shaped enough to see, but minimal wear would require measuring tool to see.
I've replaced only two of these pins. One was done with a shop hammer over anvil. It can be done but its a real challenge/chore.
The shift tube has a plastic pin in it that operates the reverse lamp switch. Be careful how you move things or break that pin. If its OEM switch and pin, I would bet its on the verge of failure anyway. To take that switch apart, clean and lube can help. Good luck with it

 

[Troub]

Thanks Redfish,
I finally realized that snap ring was the culprit. I got the inner shaft out but now I’m wrestling with removing the shift tube. The old Chrysler Tech videos have one specifically for the 67 column on YouTube and I see the place where you unscrew the Allen nut to release the shift tube from the outer housing. There doesn’t seem to be anything in that threaded hole on my column but it acts like there is and I can’t pull the shift tube out! Grrrrrrr!

 

[Troub]

There's a tiny snap ring above the bearing. There is a burr there. Shaft gets crusty too. To file, sand, otherwise rub away burrs and rust should let the shaft slide right through the bearing. If not you'll need use a puller to remove cast upper bell with bearing.
The box coupling rebuild kit does include new cross pin. Its extremely tight press fit to the shaft so you would need a press to change it and get it properly centered. If it was very worn its ends would be egg shaped enough to see, but minimal wear would require measuring tool to see.
I've replaced only two of these pins. One was done with a shop hammer over anvil. It can be done but its a real challenge/chore.
The shift tube has a plastic pin in it that operates the reverse lamp switch. Be careful how you move things or break that pin. If its OEM switch and pin, I would bet its on the verge of failure anyway. To take that switch apart, clean and lube can help. Good luck with it

 

[Troub]

Well Redfish there was a screw in there after all. It was just threaded so deep it was darn near invisible. Finally got all the parts separated. The pin that trips the reverse switch is gone, not sure if I broke it off or if it’s been gone for a while. Does anyone reproduce that?
Will sandblast all the column parts this weekend and paint em up. Any opinion on the column “rebuild” kits out there?

 

[RedFish]

The plastic actuator pin was found available in a earlier thread. Its longer than your OEM but works. If the pin breaks, binding in the switch is likely cause, so you may need both. A few owners have figered out how to use a bolt as steel pin. Head of that must clear the steering shaft beneath.
If your running a later model trans or rebuilding the 67 trans, a different rooster comb inside the trans ( changed in mid 1968 ) operates a three wire switch down there. Route your 2 purple reverse switch wires through the bulkhead and tape in with the neutral safety wire.
I never knew of column rebuild kits, just box coupling rebuild kits.