Toms cutlass

Installed a tilt column from a ‘71 in a ‘70 Cutlass. The correct turn signal, tilt adjust and shift levers on ‘71 and ‘72 have black end caps with chrome. The correct turn signal and tilt adjust lever for a ‘70 have fluted ends with no black end cap, and the shift lever has a fluted end with a brown wood grain end cap.

Is the shape, configuration or fitment of the column shift lever different for a tilt vs. non-tilt column on a ‘70 Cutlass/442? I’ve been advised that the shift lever for a tilt column has an additional bend that the non-tilt shift doesn’t have. However, I came across pictures for a ‘70 tilt column (see below) and the shift lever doesn’t have the additional bend like the shift lever for a ‘71-‘72 tilt column shift lever.

Trying to determine if a non-tilt shift lever from a ‘70 will work in the ‘71 tilt column.



This is a shift lever for a ‘71 - ‘72 tilt column.


The additional slight bend highlighted.


‘70 tilt column showing the shift lever without the additional bend as the ‘71 tilt shift lever above.

Are the column shift levers for ‘70 - ‘72 tilt and non-tilt interchangeable?

Was the shift lever a part that could be separately ordered and if so, are there different part numbers for tilt and non-tilt column shift levers in ‘70 and ‘71?

Thanks in advance for all of your shared knowledge.

joe_padavano

The answer is even more complex than I expected. From the Jan 1972 Parts Book.

402430 is 1970 Cutlass/F85 and full size without tilt.
402909 is 1970 Cutlass/F85 with tilt, but ALL 442s with column shift AT (tilt and non-tilt). Huh???
408658 is all 1971-72 non-tilt
408659 is all 1971-72 with tilt

no1oldsfan

Joe you rock. I love your input always.

Toms cutlass

Joe, you always have the answers, the insights, the reasons, etc. ... Thank You.

I compared the part numbers for the various shift levers you posted to those listed in a Canadian Olds F85 parts catalog also from 1972. See attached and '64-72 Canadian Oldsmobile F85 Master Parts Catalog - Text Listing for Group 4.000 AT - OLDSmobility.com and here's what it shows:

For 1970, it too shows column shift lever with tilt as 402909, and a different number for the non-tilt. So I'd say it's fair to conclude that the shift lever in 1970 F85 is different depending upon the type of column.

Next, for the 1971 - '72 tilt column (which is what I have installed), the column shift lever with tilt is 408659 (as you posted) - also a different part number than any of the shift levers listed for 1970.

But do the different part numbers for 1970 tilt shift lever vs. the 1971 - '72 tilt shift lever mean that the configuration is different or just the appearance? In other words, can you take a 1970 tilt column shift lever and use it in a 1971 - '72 tilt column? One clue that the shift levers are not interchangeable across those years is this: the spring inside the column that the end of the shifter sits on is different in a 1970 vs. 1971 - '72 tilt column. See SPRING, TRANSMISSION CONTROL LEVER 7806096 1969-70 ALL COLUMN SHIFT w/TILT WHEEL and 7812853 1971-72 COLUMN SHIFT w/TILT WHEEL - IN CARRIER (emphasis added)

One more wrinkle, I discovered that there are 2 different tilt columns for 1970, a "first type" and "second type." See attached 1970 steering column identification code chart.

And finally, I found this old thread that is related to this "shifty column tilting" question: https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-column-55487/

I'm think I'm going to back out of this rabbit hole and just use the tilt, turn signal and shift levers that are correct for the 1971 - '72 tilt column that I have installed, even though their appearance is different than for 1970.

Thanks again Joe.

joe_padavano

Unfortunately the Parts Book doesn't go into that detail. The P/N differences could just be due to the different **** on the end, since that would require a different part number.

Toms cutlass

Possibly, though it's not just a difference in the **** end of the 1970 vs. 1971 - '72 shift levers. The images in my 1st post above show the configuration of the shift levers are also different.

And the **** end for the 1970 is shorter than for the 1971 - ‘72 ****.



**** on left is NOS for 1970; crusty **** on right is removed from the 1971 - ‘72 tilt shift lever (image above).

The NOS 1970 fluted shifter **** is too short to install on the 1971 - ‘72 shift lever. I also have a NOS 1970 shift lever **** wood grain end cap. I was hoping to be able to install these parts onto the end of my existing 1971 - ‘72 tilt column shift lever so it would have the same appearance as the 1970 shift lever. I'd have to cut the shift lever at the end to allow for the shorter **** to (hopefully) fit and obtain the "insert" that holds the end cap into the fluted end, and hope that works too.

joe_padavano

So it is due to the **** differences.

Seriously, I should have said that "at a minimum" the **** difference would cause a part number difference. There's no way to know what else might have been different from the info in the parts book. I wasn't claiming that the **** was the only difference, I was pointing out that it was one POSSIBLE reason for a different P/N and there was no way to tell from the parts book.

Toms cutlass

Correct, not only an appearance difference of the "sleeve" end ****, but also the length of the sleeve that is press fit onto the end of the shift lever.

Edit: And most importantly, the “business end” of the shift levers, the end that is inserted into the tilt column may also be configured differently, and therefore the levers may not be interchangeable.

70sgeek

Not expecting this to be substantively helpful but on my '72, when I needed a Cutlass-correct column shift lever assembly for my tilt column I just secured whatever one in good condition I could find off the parts forum - I didn't think enough about it to check whether any difference between tilt, non-tilt or 70-72, presuming they were essentially the same for function/visual purposes.

Whatever actual 70-72 vintage /style shift lever I do have is Cutlass-correct for that period but I did have to grind down the point a bit on the end where lever inserts into the column, in order that I could get it bottomed into the column properly in line with the roll pin that holds it in place. That could have been more a function of the column I installed (a fully rebuilt GM 70-72 A-body tilt column, not necessarily indicated to have come from an Olds initially), than the lever itself but I have no real idea otherwise. Grinding it about 1/16" down made it work properly so I thought no more about it.

Toms cutlass

Thank you for your reply, 70sgeek. Actually quite helpful. Sounds like you may have modified a non-tilt shift lever to fit a tilt column. That would explain a functional difference in the different shift levers.

Your explanation reminds me of when I installed the tilt column (35+ years ago), I recall trying to use the original 1970 non-tilt shift lever in the 1971 tilt column (trying to keep it original), but the lever wouldn’t work. So I used the shift lever, turn signal and tilt levers that were in the 1971 tilt column that I bought back then, but they’re not correct appearance for a 1970 one-year only. (The correct 1970 turn signal and tilt levers are available after-market, but not the shift lever.) It’s not a concourse car, so I should probably just let go of this detail and be happy having a Cutlass tilt column with a correct sport wheel.

Thanks again.