[Chevelle-list] TILT COLUMN WON'T MATE UP STEERING WHEEL, HELP

[Chevellebuddy]

You Guys,

It's not the wiring.  That's configured.  The problem is the
"SHAFT" has a locking plate on it.  Is it supposed to?  I
heard from the "Nice folks at Gary's it's not supposed to--."
and I can't be pulling their heads from their darker nether
regions on this issue except to try to get my money back.

ANYBODY GOT OR KNOW SOMEONE WITH A '68 !!?

ANYONE HAVE AN EXPLODED VIEW THAT THEY COULD
SEND ME THE PICTURE?  I have acrobat 6.

I can't berlieve the amount of money and time = hundreds of
dollars and scores of hours.  Well at least I took out my
frustrations in life with this project,...Didn't hurt anyone and
it's cheaper than GOLF and LIQUOR.  Aaarrrggghhh!

Send any off-line info you can, LOVE YOU GUYS!

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Here's a repeat of my text:

Hello,

Recently I decided I wanted a tilt wheel column for my
1968 Chevelle.  Now the problem is they're really hard to
find in good shape and so I bought one from Gary's Steer-
ing Column Restoration in Koon Kreek, TX for $419. total
shipped and everything all rebuilt, even came with cancel
cam and a new tilt lever.

Now the bad part was the wires were all backwards on the
column's harness so every one of the wires had to be re-
moved and reattached to their rightful electrical ends.

Then everything was working good and I bolted on a Grant
Steering Wheel I had sitting around.  That because the '68
Walnut Steering Wheel I had bought on eBay! and I was
having <it> restored at (another "Gary's") Gary's Steering
Wheel Restoration in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  The Grant fit
right on the new column and I waited, and still drove my
Chevelle around.  Easy waiting that way!

Just yesterday the Origional Walnut Steering Wheel arrives
but then it doesn't fit.  Apparently the origional wood wheel
hub for this steering wheel is correct<---No chance it can't
be!

This hub and subsequent hubs I looked at all being the same
and recessed 3/8's of an inch under the edge and flat across.

I looked at a few pictures I had on file of '68 tilt column I saw
being sold on e-Bay! and this looks identical, but none of my
pictures shows the locking plate on the end of the column
shaft.

Then I call Gary's (The one in Texas!) and I explain the locking
plate (the thing-a-ma-bob with the three holes in it) is sticking
an inch and a half out of the bell housing of the steering column
and the bottom of the steering wheel hub is only recessed a
quarter inch = No-can-put-together-scenario, and so I said,
"Whatsupwithat!!?"

Guy says he needs a picture but doesn't have anybody there
with internet.  Then I ask him "Can locking plate be taken off
the shaft by a puller?"

He then says that he wasn't aware '68's had a locking plate.

I tell him this was sent by his company and was very explicitly
stated that it's a completely rebuilt 1968 tilt column for Chevelle.
That doesn't surprise me but still I tell him that this appears to
be a 1968 floor shifted GM steering column in all ways except
the locking plate.

Can anybody tell me, "Can I just take this off?"  Or do I have to
go and remove and reship this entire column back to Gary's?

Can anyone tell me?  HELP!

                                                         --J.G. Warburton
                                                         '68 Chevelle SS CVT
                                                         A.C.E.S. # 6448