Is the upper bearing removed by first pulling the steering shaft thru the mast jacket, and then sliding the bearing off the lower end of the shaft? (Non tele)
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Re: 63 Steering Column Bearing
Les, the process is rather complex for a 63. It helps immensely to have the 63 AIM and believe it or not the parts book from LIC will also help due to its pictures.
Tools, the normal set of wrenches, masking tape, camera, measuring tape and a marking pen that is permanent.
Take pictures and measurements of everything you will disconnect. Also mark where items line up to each other. Essentially you disconnect the steering shaft at the rag joint and pull the shaft into the car interior. If you have a coupe you may need to take off the steering wheel. The upper bearing on a 63 sits in the center of the horn wire. I found it easiest at this point to pull the rest of the column out of the car. Loosen the collar on the engine compartment side. Disconnect the green horn wire where it connects to the wiring harness. Disconnect the directional signal switch wires. Remove the two screws that attach the collar to the bottom of the gauge cluster. Remove the two nuts that attach the column to the clutch/brake housing. At this point you should be able to slide the column into the interior.
At your work bench, loosen the screw that hold the housing with the turn signal and push it down towards the black collar to reveal the bearing and the horn wire housing. Pull/pry the horn wire housing and bearing off. I needed to take the signal switch collar and the black gauge cluster collar off to remove the bearing and the horn wire.
You will probably destroy the horn wire when you do this. You may as well replace the lower bearing while you have everything out. Since I had it all out of the car, I cleaned and repainted everything prior to re-assembly. Just reverse the process to put it all back. When you slide the collar back on for the gauge cluster, be sure the rubber gasket on the inside has been cleaned very well. I used lithium grease on mine to make the assembly easier and to avoid scratching the new paint on the column.
This is unique to 63's to go through this pain. If you repaint the column, use interior spray dye on the top 13 inches of the column. 64 to 67 were painted black.
Hope I didn't forget anything.
Good Luck
Harry
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Re: 63 Steering Column Bearing
Harry Thanks for the great response. I learned a long time ago, that the only way around was through..but that doesn't stop me from trying to go around. I understood that you recommend removing the entire column but I was hoping to go "around" and just remove the shaft. Out of curiosity, what's the downside of leaving the mast jacket in place, and withdrawing the steering shaft from the jacket, while leaving the upper bearing in place? Then pry the upper bearing out of the mast per your post. So far,I have removed the steering wheel, and loosened the coupling upper clamp bolt, and the shaft seems to move easily in/out. There's a very loose fit between the upper bearing and shaft. (I haven't removed lower bearing yet though, so the shaft doesn't move far). Thanks LesComment
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Re: 63 Steering Column Bearing
The end of the horn wire has a plastic connector over the brass metal male plug. This is the connection to the main harness. The plastic connector, on mine, was too large to fit between the escutcheon that screws to the cluster and the steering jacket unless I removed the control assembly and slid the escutcheon to the top of the jacket. To remove the control assembly you need to loosen the screw on the side rear of the assembly and disconnect the wire to the directional switch. Also, the assembly doesn't come off unless the upper bearing, which is inserted into the horn wire, has been pry-ed from the jacket.
I found it easier to remove the entire jacket and work on the bench. I was cleaning and repainting the under dash area anyway.
HarryComment
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Re: 63 Steering Column Bearing
Les,
From under the hood loosen the clamp that holds the spring at the lower steering shaft bearing then remove the bolt in the upper rag joint flange which will free up the steering shaft. You will then be able to pull the steering shaft and hub out through the inside of the car. Go under the dash and snip the green horn wire off at the plug because you will not be able to pull the wire through the column because the plug will not go into the small hole where the wire comes out of the column. At that point you should be able to work the upper bearing out without taking anything else apart. The green horn wire is attached to the upper bearing.
Before you snip the green horn wire just try to remove the black plastic connector as I don't remember if the brass end will pass through the hole in the column. In any case you will have to reconnect this end when you reinstall. Don't know about reproduction bearings but NOS is difficult to find and will have a new green horn wire, you will just have to attach the connector so don't throw anything away.
Not a hard job, while your in there it's a good idea to check everything and be careful you don't damage the cancelling cam when installing the hub. Check out your shop manual I think the procedure is there.
.Comment
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Re: 63 Steering Column Bearing
Les, the black plastic connector will come off the brass male fitting with a bit of careful effort. The bearing and the green wire will pull through the jacket as per Tims' post. I kept thinking that even in 63 they wouldn't make it that hard to change the bearing.
HarryComment
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Thanks Timothy *NM*
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