Steering Column Question

[Hugh]

I am converting my 73 Satellite from auto on the column to console. I rebuilt my column shifted column and it works perfect. I have a column from a standard trans car that is a little rough and is missing the shaft that goes from inside the column to the steering box. This is the part that has the pot coupler. I was just on ebay and saw a steering column sleeve for an auto trans on there for sale. This makes me wonder....can I just take the sleeve that doesn't have the prnd21 off my rougher manual column and put it on my auto column therefore converting the column from auto the std? I have never heard of anyone doing this but I wonder if it is possible. If not, is the steering shaft compatible between the two columns? I say this because the column I want is missing the steering shaft. I just am wondering if between the two columns I can get what I need.

[kenny]

To my knowledge the only differences in shafts are between manual steering and power steering cars and the difference is in the length i can't imagine they would have made a power steering column shift shaft, a power steering floor shift shaft, a manual steering column shift shaft, and a manual steering floor shift shaft. I say put that shaft from the rebuilt column in the floor shift column, if that's the one you would rather use. I would put a new bearing in that old column while reassembling it.

[72bluNblu]

The steering shafts are the same, so you can swap those out no problem. There are only two different shafts, one for power steering and one for manual steering.

You can also swap the column sleeves, although I believe you need to swap two of them over, the one without the prndl and the next one out because of the shift arm.

People swap the column sleeves and steering shafts all the time to convert to floor shift from column shift or to change from manual to power steering or vice-versa.

[Hugh]

To my knowledge the only differences in shafts are between manual steering and power steering cars and the difference is in the length i can't imagine they would have made a power steering column shift shaft, a power steering floor shift shaft, a manual steering column shift shaft, and a manual steering floor shift shaft. I say put that shaft from the rebuilt column in the floor shift column, if that's the one you would rather use. I would put a new bearing in that old column while reassembling it.

Kenny; my thoughts exactly. I can't see why there would be so many different columns. I just want the car to look factory without the prnd21 column on it. It would have had the 4spd column with the console auto floor shift. It would just look so much cleaner.I will look in my fsm and see if I can find out how to remove the steering shaft correctly from where it attaches to the column. Thanks for the input 72bluNblu. I think I will just swap steering shafts.