General Discussion Discuss your Oldsmobile or other car-related topics.

Tilt column missing retainers for neutral safety switch screws

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old July 24th, 2012, 08:30 PM
  #1  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
andyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 9
Tilt column missing retainers for neutral safety switch screws

Weird one, but bought a tilt column to replace my non tilt column but there is nothing where the retaining nuts or whatever you call them where the screws that hold in the neutral safety switch are not there.....what to do? Anyone
andyman is offline  
Old July 24th, 2012, 08:45 PM
  #2  
Registered User
 
Highwayman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 489
For starters, what car is it for?
Manual or automatic?
Column shift or floor shift?


On some years an auto with floor shift the switch is on the column and some years it's on the shifter.
Manual transmissions had the switch on the clutch if it had one at all.
Highwayman is offline  
Old July 24th, 2012, 10:08 PM
  #3  
Registered User
 
Run to Rund's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,849
Some columns have the sheet metal screws just threaded into the column tube itself with no back-up nut.
Run to Rund is offline  
Old July 25th, 2012, 08:03 AM
  #4  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
andyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 9
Originally Posted by Highwayman
For starters, what car is it for?
Manual or automatic?
Column shift or floor shift?


On some years an auto with floor shift the switch is on the column and some years it's on the shifter.
Manual transmissions had the switch on the clutch if it had one at all.
71 Cutlass with a 4 speed, switch is on column but the tilt colum I picked up as the slot for the switch but not the retainers that the current non-tilt has. Identical besides that. The fasteners are kinda of like cage nuts secured to the column and little sheet metal screws secrure it.........
andyman is offline  
Old July 25th, 2012, 12:33 PM
  #5  
Registered User
 
Highwayman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 489
The neutral switch should be on the clutch pedal. (I think purple wires) The switch on the column should be for the backup lights. You may have a column out of a 69 or 70 where I think the backup switch was on the reverse linkage. I do know that 71 with an automatic was the year they moved the switch from the shifter to the column.

You may have to fabricate something.
Highwayman is offline  
Old July 25th, 2012, 12:55 PM
  #6  
Hangin' out...
 
henryk8398's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Posts: 608
Originally Posted by Highwayman

You may have to fabricate something.
Agreed.

I remember something like that on my LeMans. The holes where the Switch mounted were too large for the screws. There were some metal pieces that went into the column. The screws popped into those pieces. Why not poke around an Ace hardware (if you have one nearby) to see what they have? As long as its outer diameter is slightly more than the hole at the base of the column, and the inner diameter works with the screws, it doesn't really matter. Perhaps a wall anchor would work.
henryk8398 is offline  
Old July 25th, 2012, 02:59 PM
  #7  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
andyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 9
Originally Posted by Highwayman
The neutral switch should be on the clutch pedal. (I think purple wires) The switch on the column should be for the backup lights. You may have a column out of a 69 or 70 where I think the backup switch was on the reverse linkage. I do know that 71 with an automatic was the year they moved the switch from the shifter to the column.

You may have to fabricate something.
Thats probably it, yes it is the switch for the reverse lights... more than likely the column is from an earlier year than.
andyman is offline  
Old July 25th, 2012, 03:09 PM
  #8  
Registered User
 
Highwayman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 489
Another thing I was thinking about is how do you tell the difference between a column for an auto with a floor shift and a 4-speed column? I think the back drive linkage is different, but I'm not sure how.

Andy, do you have any idea what the tilt column came out of?
Highwayman is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
x75
Parts Wanted
1
July 26th, 2015 07:54 AM
oldspackrat
Parts For Sale
2
November 17th, 2014 06:31 AM
footbrake
Electrical
1
June 12th, 2006 06:10 PM
oldsnut7098
Electrical
1
August 10th, 2003 10:06 PM



Quick Reply: Tilt column missing retainers for neutral safety switch screws



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:02 PM.