1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

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UglyViking
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1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by UglyViking »

My 66 is a pretty massive project, but I'm eager to get it on the road. My first set of tasks is to get her running, driving and somewhat "working" before I start a full teardown and resto/rebuild. To that end I needed to get the blinkers working which meant rebuilding the turn signal switch actuator and the switch itself.

I had previously posted some questions/updates in Nick's thread on his 67 tilt wheel rebuild, thinking they would be similar enough, but now I know they are two very different animals so I'm starting a new thread here.

I got the first phase complete but I've found the steering is far more sloppy than I'd like, additionally I've noticed that it sometimes comes out of park! I need to dig into that a bit more but I plan to treat this as a full rebuild for steering column and all the items down the line (up to the power steering pump anyway, past that I'll treat as suspension).

More updates/questions to follow but the first one is "did the 66 have a "turn signal return" where the signal will return to it's neutral/off position once a turn has been completed? If so mine seems to not be working, so either I put it together wrong or something is sticking.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by action »

Transmission shift lever coming out of park especially on older vehicles.

Besides lining up the shifter, there can be worn grommets in the mix.
On the C-6 for an LTD I have, the shift linkage grommet down by the transmission was squashed. It accounted for a lot of play.
It was made of nylon I believe. Was oil soaked from years of leaking oil.
Generally a mess.

Something you might take a look at.
Once worn pieces are replaced, making a linkage adjustment may be in order.
Knowing that the shifter places the valve body main valve in the correct position helps.

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Dan Szwarc
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by Dan Szwarc »

I can confirm that 1966 tilt columns have turn signal cancel. At this age, there's probably some lubrication required.

And the transmission level popping out of Park is ENTIRELY controlled by the transmission, or more correctly, there are no detents in the column. Any resistance is in the transmission.

You have to inspect the bellcrank and its bushings. It's Probably sagging, and putting extra weight on the shift level.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by frasern »

There should be a cam on the back of the steering wheel, which engages the two small wire springs inside the column. In your photo, those springs are in place, so the cam is likely broken or missing. Going on memory, the saginaw may use a roll pin, but Ford uses a "clip on" type, which could be metal or plastic, and I don't know what the case is here. Also, if the wheel is not fully installed, the cam can bypass the springs. Inspect the back of the wheel's hub for any kind of projection.
Edit, '67 is plastic, and unlike anything else, anywhere, and mine is broken! Lincoln's are so much fun.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by TonyC »

You should be very afraid when your transmission slips out of PARK without direct control from you. I'm not going to say it never happens with a C6, but I will say that it's far less likely to happen than with a "PCA" in a '64 or '65. You could be missing a bushing in the linkage, which is causing that very dangerous Anton-Yelchin symptom. There is a bushing that connects the physical transmission shift linkage to the shift tube. Being made of nylon, it will wear with age, break up, and vanish; when it does, shifting gets very sloppy and shifting to PARK without using the parking brake becomes dangerous for everyone in the car's potential path of escape.

Unlike the shift-tube bushings used in '64 and '65, the bushings for '66 and later are smaller, much easier to replace, and readily available in "HELP!" sections of parts stores. Address that concern now, above all else, before your new-old car kills you or someone else.

---Tony
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1966 Continental Sedan, affectionately known as "Frankenstein" until body restoration is done (to be renamed "General Sherman" on that event)
UglyViking
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by UglyViking »

Well the good news is that I found out my parking brake doesn't lock into position. Time to take that apart and see what's up there.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by frasern »

When you say it wont lock, is it correctly functioning otherwise? The vacuum signal may be out of sync., or bypassed. See if brake holds with the vac. disconnected. The orange thing on the column, just below the turn sig switch is the adjustment. Otherwise, dirt or rust on the pawl, but check the easier thing first.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by UglyViking »

Haven't had much time to work on it for the past little bit. It looks like the vacuum is bypassed or something. I found a small metal lever that I'm able to actuate forward and back, I can hear a bellow as I move the lever. Pulling it one direction seems to let the parking brake engage and the reverse disengages the brake. Looks like I'll have to do some work to that system eventually but that's not something I'm super concerned about for the moment. Knowing it actually locks into place is a nice peace of mind.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by Dan Szwarc »

You found the vacuum release lever.

The shift lever actuates a switch that sends vacuum to pop the parking brake in Reverse or any forward gear. \

Stick your head up under the dash an take a look and you will see how it all works. It's a mess up there, though.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by UglyViking »

Oh this thing is beyond a rats nest anyway. I need to pull the dash again and strip all the wiring but that's prob gonna happen in 2 years.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by frasern »

If you can find an owners manual, it will help explain some of those systems. The metal trip lever is said to be for releasing the brake with the engine off. I think it should return inward when released, so if you have to push it in, it's probably rusty. Perhaps just spraying WD 40 into the ratchet, and working things back and forth will help.
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by Dan Szwarc »

66 parking brake release is "push to release", not pull. The handle short and tucked up under the dash. They flipped it to pull in 1970 which is more "logical".

I think Fraser should start a parking brake thread.
Heck, start a jumbo thread in the Member Projects sub-forum. Post your progress there and link back to it if you have questions.

I just noticed your 66 is the same blue as mine. Good ol' Pitcairn Blue, aka Dark Blue Metallic, aka Color Code K (I think, I may have to come back and edit this).
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by frasern »

Since when has Lincoln concerned themselves with "logical"? Yeah, that's a push lever, I was posting on memory again, always a mistake with an aging memory!
There's nothing rare about pitcairn blue, my '67 is pewter, now that's rare! Man is this off topic, you may have to come back and edit me!
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Re: 1966 Tilt column and steering rebuild

Post by TonyC »

Well, in all fairness, the operation of that lever makes it harder for anyone other than the owner (assuming said owner has read the owner's manual cover-to-cover) to release the parking brake and make off with the car without the owner's consent. The average thief will look for a conspicuous release handle, which virtually every new vehicle has now; if he doesn't find it, he's more likely to move on than to risk getting caught searching for what he wants.

Okay, that wasn't the reason for that design; but, with car thefts becoming an "in" thing just a few years later, it could serve the purpose of a deterrent...unless the thief is familiar with Lincolns of that series. Not many nowadays know of the auto-release, since that feature seems to have gone the way of the auto-dimmer, or the power-window bypass.

my '67 is pewter, now that's rare!
It was? I didn't know that, actually; that was the color of my grand's Man-Of-War, according to the shop manual. Hers had a pewter-metallic body (she called it "mud-gray" :lol: ) with a white vinyl covering and black leather seats/interior. I never cared for the three-color contrast, which came off as rather '50s to me; but I still hate myself for giving up that car for all the wrong reasons. Frankenstein has made up somewhat for that mistake, but I still can't fully forgive myself for that.

---Tony
"Don't believe everything you read on the Internet, just because there is a picture with a quote next to it." (Abraham Lincoln, 1866)
"Question Authority!"

1966 Continental Sedan, affectionately known as "Frankenstein" until body restoration is done (to be renamed "General Sherman" on that event)
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