CLB install (almost!)
 

Well OK, so I'm a weenie.........

I've read everywhere that putting in the CLB is a piece of cake. Anyone can do it, no sweat.

Well today I figured while putting in that MTI shifter, it would make sense to install the CLB I had on the shelf as well.

So I took the screws out of the knee panel underneath the steering wheel, and got the flashlight to find that plug I needed to disconnect. Well yeah, I could SEE it, and I could actually touch it with the fingers of one hand. But disconnecting it? Or even then plugging in the CLB itself then putting 12 volts to the other end to disengage the lock? Well try as I might, I didn't see anyway to get BOTH of my hands in there to be able to do that. And I have small hands. There was NO play in the cabling to be able to pull that connector down out of that opening where I could get at it, either.

It looked like I possibly could have done it if I had removed that metal support also underneath the steering wheel with some styrofoam padding on it, but it looked like other things might have to be loosened as well in order to do that. So this was getting to be more then I want to chew on today. Well folks, I bailed on the idea, and just buckled it back up. My column lock is not giving me any problems and I have a letter from GM saying they will fix it for free if it breaks, so I just couldn't see the sense of installed the CLB. Especially since it was not the easy job I had thought it would be. Or did I just overlook something obvious to everyone else? Maybe I need to find that webpage I found a week or so ago that detailed all the steps to see if there is something mentioned there that I just forgot about.

Anyway, I weanied out on this one. Just had to be satisfied with installing only the shifter today.

:shrug01:

Rich..it just pops off the bracket...I did mine in 30 minutes. I think you are over analyzing this....I am guilty of that myself at times. If its not locked you dont need to use the plug for the 12 volts. BTW...everyone knows the GM fix fails :)

Rich or whomever, I thought fixing the CLB involved taking out the center console, dash panel, et cetera:confused: . Are you guys saying all I have to do is pop the knee panel and plug this thing in:thinkin: ? Is it that easy?...........Tom:shrug01:

Well I just took all that stuff off because I was replacing the shifter, but in actuallity, all you are supposed to need to remove is that knee panel. It's held on by just 4 screws. But I just couldn't get my hands behind that bracket to be able to grab both sides of the plug to separate it. I really think I am overlooking something obvious because I haven't heard of anyone else who had a problem doing this. I'm fairly mechanically inclined, but yeah, sometimes I get a bad case of tunnel vision.....

Pewter99, WHAT pops off the bracket? You lost me there.....

the plug is attached to the column (at least on mine) and it just pops off then you can unplug the harness and plug in the new one

Well I guess I may have to look again, but it looked to me that the wires were bundled together further up in the dash. As I mentioned, I could get to the connector and grab it with my fingers on one hand but couldn't get two hands up in there grab it to separate it.

yeah its in there pretty good....I hate starting something that everyone says it easy but I just can't see it....I am sure you will get it when you look at it again. if I was closer I would come over and do it...

Hey Rich..does this help??

http://www.97vette.com/howto/columnlock/index.html

Thanks, yes, I believe I looked at this before: http://97vette.com/howto/columnlock/bypassinstall.html

But I didn't see anyway to get my hands in there like in these photos. Especially holding the connector with one hand and getting a screw driver in there to release that tab on it. Man, I must have been doing something wrong.....

Rich and Tom, when Greg at AntiVenom changed my CLB, he removed the center console. Don't know if it is necessary, but that is how he did it. You may just want to ask him.

Scott