1966 Chevelle steering column crisis
 

I have the column that came in the car when I bought it ready to reassemble, but may not have the part for the main body for the floor shift. It was always very loose and was able to turn the full range of a column shift car. I did not find anything that would retain it in position when I took it apart for paint 5 years ago. I've looked on line for an exploded view of a floor shift but haven't found one out of the 2,000 or so claimed to be that.
I have the column for the '64 I bought that is a floor shift and the body behind the signal cup is very solidly mounted. I disassembled it and discovered it is attached to the signal cup with screws. There is a sleeve pressed inside the body that the screws go in. There is no such sleeve in the '66 body. Is it missing, or is there something else on the '66 that holds that in place, or maybe this isn't a correct floor shift body ?
Pics for reference. As a side note, the body's interchange with the cups and the '66 cup does have the correct threaded holes to mount a body to it.


https://www.yenko.net/forum/cache.ph...2FDSC00348.JPG


https://www.yenko.net/forum/cache.ph...2FDSC00349.JPG


https://www.yenko.net/forum/cache.ph...2FDSC00350.JPG


https://www.yenko.net/forum/cache.ph...2FDSC00351.JPG

Here, it is standing on the tube, where it can flop all over and turn. Is it possible there would have been a spring between the body and signal casting that put pressure on the body to hold it ?

https://www.yenko.net/forum/cache.ph...2FDSC00352.JPG


https://www.yenko.net/forum/cache.ph...2FDSC00353.JPG

This helped me when I was putting mine together. It's not mine so I can't take credit for it. It is essential that all of those spacers are in correctly. It doesn't get tight until you put the steering wheel on. There is also a diagram in section 9 of the Chassis service manual if you have one.

I found part of that diagram on Team Chevelle a while ago. I don't have any of those spacers he talks about in that thread.
I recently bought a 1967 chassis service manual, but nothing in there for column.
I'll have to dig out my old Motors manuals and see if they have a breakdown.
Seems those spacers are unobtanium too. I may be experimenting with hardware store plastic washers and a slice of heater hose for that.