HELP - Problem re-installing steering gear box 51 88-a

[Guest 1951Olds88]

Please, I need help from someone amongst the many knowledgeable people on this forum. I recently had my steering gear box (and the shaft) removed and sent away for rebuild. It was returned a week ago and my local shop started to try to re-install it. However, something does not seem to fit.

 

The whole assembly seems to have 3 main parts, the gear box itself, a sleeve which connects to the steering column and the shaft which runs up the steering column and connects to the steering wheel. The sleeve (about 10"?) long connects somehow to the Hydramatic shift lever. According to the shop, it seems that the bushing at the end of sleeve is preventing a proper connection between the gear shift part in the steering column and the part in the sleeve. Cn anyone give us advice about this re-installation, perhaps the shop is not doing it right. Luckily at this point they don't want to force anything.

 

Or could it be that the rebuilder somehow mixed things up (unlikely since I did use what seems to be the country's premier company for rebuilding steering gear boxes, but they are human too). For example is anyone aware of differences in the steering gear assembly between my 1951 88-A and a Super 88, or between a 1951 88-A and the 1950 model (my car was built very early in 1951 and seems to have some 1950 parts here and there). Or could it even be that the rebuilder rebuilt my part for a manual gearbox rather than the Hydramatic?

 

Please, please, please anyone that has suggestions please reply to this post OR PM me.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Stefan

[Guest 1951Olds88]

No one able to help with this? 

 

Stefan