1964 Barracuda steering coupler

[midlifecuda]

So I bought a kit to repair my coupler on the end of the steering shaft. When I took apart my existing coupler the seal was shot as was the seal cover. The inside was hard rusty greese but when I cleaned up the end, everything seems fine. I don't see any wear on the two blocks on the end.Do these blocks tend to wear? There is no play with the pin or blocks. Why would I replace the blocks (new ones are not chamfered) outside of the fact that they came in the kit?

 

[pishta]

GRit and stuff get in the cup and could lap the slides in there to introduce a little slop. IF your slides are tight torsionally, dont worry about them. The 64 has a square cup, the 65 has a roundish middle section. Are your new seals going to fit? They usually are the 65 style. IIRC, the 65 style wasnt chamfered, but I could be mistaken. The little spring clip forces the shoes out, and I have no clue what the little paper tabs in the kit do.

 

[BillGrissom]

I re-used the shoes in my 1965, because they were still tight in the housing and looked superior. I also found that you should re-use the old gasket clip. The new one wouldn't clip in (as many found), so I forced it and tore the new silicone gasket. When I did my 1964, I was smarter and ordered just the gasket ($8 ebay), since that is really the only part of the full kit one normally needs.

 

[midlifecuda]

What seals? I only got the orange seal that fits over the shaft and seals the coupler. Also there is a small pin in additition to the pin that goes thru the blocks. What is this pin for?

 

[Daves69]

What seals? I only got the orange seal that fits over the shaft and seals the coupler. Also there is a small pin in additition to the pin that goes thru the blocks. What is this pin for?

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[BillGrissom]

The "dowel pin hole" in post 5 may be what midlifecuda ponders. There was a factory "bent rod" that went into those holes and secured the cover. I think it was an option, and probably started in the 1970's. I have seen them on ebay, and not for cheap.

 

[Tadams]

Great picture, Is the dowel pin just above the steering box. I need to remove my steering column, but having a senior moment, or 6 months, didn't know where it separated. I did purchase the rebuild kit, but other than tosing it in the trunk, didn't have a clue where it went. I thought I had purchased a repair manual to help me, but received a service manual that doesn't provide all of the answers I have.
Thanks

 

[pishta]

There is no pin up there, only the press pin that holds the shoes on. If you pull the gasket reatiner clip off, and slide gasket up, the column can then be pulled up and the shoes will clear the cup. R&R anything you see fit, but the new gasket will have to stretch over the old shoe pin as it aint coming out, or do it the hard way and remove the shaft altogether via circlip under horn button.

 

[Tadams]

Sorry, I guess I need to look at it again. Where does the column separate from the steering box.

 

[pishta]

The roll pin at the end. Sometimes its a bolt. remove and use a tool to pry coupler off splines of steering box

 

[Tadams]

I'll be home tomorrow and will go check it out. Thanks again for the help you give me.