"My bird IS the word" (mybirdistheword)
04/20/2020 at 20:09 • Filed to: None
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"My bird IS the word" (mybirdistheword)
04/20/2020 at 20:09 • Filed to: None | 4
| 12 |
Got some goodies in the mail.
With some help, managed to repair the high fan speed. Still missing the medium high setting, although if I was a betting man I would guess its the same issue: cruddy 70s electrical connectors. I also “fixed” i.e. found what I did with the parts for my neutral safety switch, and learned some interesting things.
1. Gm used the same mechanism on all the f bodies from 1971-1981 automatic cars
2. Nobody makes the parts, not even the critical plastic bushings. Wut. All the other bullshit they make... Thinking I should get the dimensions so I can make a cad file for 3d printing. If only I actually knew how to do that.
3. GM were massive cheapasses. F bodies in 1970 were available with column shifts, but it was almost immediately discontinued. They kept the exact same mechanism with a massive floor linkage for 10 years. Observe:
The whole column rotates, for no real reason other than there was a lever breifly attatched. They made hundreds of thousands of these in that period (maybe over a million?)
Fantastic as always.
By the way, my chosen wheels were backorderd do to the caronabeetus and thus I ordered snowflakes instead. I still may get turbines at some point, especially as a set through classic only costs 550$ on 35% off which they run all the time. Center caps are nearly 1/3 of the price of the wheel, but I already have those.
lone_liberal
> My bird IS the word
04/20/2020 at 20:52 |
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Column shifted F-bodies can’t be that rare. I’ve owned two of them, a ‘72 and my current ‘71, though a PO of my current car put in an aftermarket floor shifter so I removed the original column and put in one meant to be paired with that. I’ve been tempted to replace the header emblem just to get something shiny and new for a change but I’ve held off so far.
Old-Busted-Hotness
> My bird IS the word
04/20/2020 at 21:30 |
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GM’s being massive cheapasses is exactly why your column is the way it is. They used the same column in damn near every RWD platform . Even so, they needed four different ones: Tilt, tilt w/shift, shift w/o tilt, and neither. Adding a fifth just for the F-body would have cost money.
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My bird IS the word
> lone_liberal
04/20/2020 at 21:41 |
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I read it anecdotally that they stopped offering it in the early seventies while I was looking up parts, but I cant find any more info on it now that I'm looking for it.
Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
> My bird IS the word
04/20/2020 at 21:47 |
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Looking sharp. I love reading about the progress on this car. Next you’ll need something like this, but in blue of course, for your hood:
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My bird IS the word
> Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
04/20/2020 at 21:57 |
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Thanks. Can't beat the original, although it would be nice to get it painted instead of big vinyl. I can guess which one I'll be able to afford though...
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lone_liberal
> My bird IS the word
04/20/2020 at 23:04 |
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I don’t think I’ve seen later ones without a console so I don’t doubt that did away with the column shifter at some point.
GLiddy
> My bird IS the word
04/20/2020 at 23:24 |
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I remember the 1978 Camaro catalog that had a column shift pictured. Whether it was made or not, or anyone bought one or not, I have no idea.
I’m pretty sure they kept the assembly because that was the only way (without re-engineering) to keep the Park/Neutral ignition interlock functioning correctly. If you put headers on your car and they didn’t clear the rod that connected the transmission selector assembly and you removed it, then you could crank your car in any gear.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/daveseven/32467060980/in/photostream/
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GLiddy
> My bird IS the word
04/20/2020 at 23:37 |
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Replying again. Yeah, you discovered the cause of the infamous GM high fan selector failure problem. There was a single plastic connector that would melt and fail eventually. This was a problem on F and G bodies in my experience. The odd thing is that the fan motor had two power sources. The lower speed settings (including the basic never off...the fan run continuously and never stops) got its power from a ladder of successively increasing resistors...the higher the resistance, the lower the voltage and slower the fan speed. You’ve got a problem with that assembly I would guess. The high setting bypassed this assembly completely and allowed the fan to run on full 12V power. When the connector failed and melted, the quickest fix was to cut it out and replace it with a butt connector. I have no idea why GM did this.
Your resistor assembly should resemble this. I think it’s mounted in the cowl somewhere. Its been a long time.
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My bird IS the word
> GLiddy
04/21/2020 at 07:55 |
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Luckily it fits with my hooker headers. It operates the reverse lighs so I would need to engineer something without it.
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My bird IS the word
> GLiddy
04/21/2020 at 07:56 |
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I replaced the resistor already. My guess is that Ive got a bad connector,or wire somewhere, but 3/4 fan speeds isnt bad.
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GLiddy
> My bird IS the word
04/21/2020 at 10:37 |
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Forgotten about the reverse lights thing. AND on the Camaro it would work the transmission gear indicator that was between the two large gauges on the dash. In my old engineering days, would call this whole thing a kludge.
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My bird IS the word
> GLiddy
04/21/2020 at 11:09 |
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I just dont understand why, of all the parts they make for niche years and options, nobody makes this linkage.