Still looking for ideas on the LOWER black insulator...
Although Marty mentioned a potential running change or production change at the steering box end of the column (inside engine bay) my request for the "LOWER black insulator" is asking for recommendations on material used between the steering column LOWER U-shaped bracket to the steering column tube (under the dash). Pictures suggest this to be black in color. Is it a black plastic or a black gasket/rubber material?
Richard : To avoid confusion, particularly for those not familiar with 1967 Tilt Columns, I thought that I would attempt to clarify a couple of items.
The 1967 Tilt Column, like the non-Tilt Columns, has one bracket that attaches the Steering Column to the bottom of the dash. This Bracket consists of two pieces ; an upper (3676) and a lower (3668) piece. Each of these pieces has an "insert" between the piece and the Steering Column. The two Bracket pieces can easily be seen in the Illustration shown from the 1960-68 MPC (copy attached). In addition, if you zoom in you can see part of the "insert" in the lower bracket. To better show the inserts, I have also attached an illustration from a non-tilt column that generically shows both the upper and lower "inserts".
John has provided what he found (a Formica-like material) as the "insert" in the upper piece of the Bracket, and you are trying to find out if the "insert" in the lower piece of the Bracket is the same material, or some different material, correct ?
Now that any confusion is hopefully explained in regard to the Bracket, I must add to additional confusion.
In checking my resources to find out if any noted the "inserts" themselves, I ran across some interesting, yet confusing items.
The 1967 only MPC (printed January, 1967), shows the Lower piece of the Bracket to be Part Number C7ZZ-3688-A, and the Upper Part to be Part Number C7ZZ-3676-A, both for the Tilt Column Only (just as a matter of reference the parts for a non-Tilt Column are shown as Part Numbers C0DF-3668-BP, and C0DF-3676-AP).
The 1960-68 MPC (appropriate pages printed June, 1968) shows that the Lower piece of the Bracket is still Part Number C7ZZ-3668-A, but now is not listed for "Tilt only". The Upper part of the Bracket is still listed as Part Number C7ZZ-3676-A for the Tilt Column, and for non-Tilt Columns, Part Number C5ZZ-3678-B is shown. (interestingly, in checking the 1967, 68 and 69 OSI books, I found no reference where the C0DF-3676-AP was replaced by the C5ZZ-3678-B).
Finally, in looking at the 1965-72 MPC (printed May, 1975), neither the Lower, nor the Upper Bracket pieces are shown for 1967 Tilt Columns. In checking the OSI books again, sure enough, some time between January of 1972 and July of 1974, both the Upper and Lower Bracket pieces were deemed "NR" (obsolete).
While going through all of these did not provide any insight on the "inserts", it did provide some interesting information, and unfortunately more questions, on the Bracket pieces.
Bob
