I have been following the instructions in the article in the archives for tightening the E8 Torx bolts that work loose over time. The instructions are very useful and the most important admonition is to go buy a pin removal tool rather than try to make your own. I found a $9.99 one at O'Reilly. If you order online ahead of time you can get the same one at Autozone , Amazon, Home Depot (!) and likely Pep Boys. I got the last one at my local O'Reilly.

In one of those posts, someone mentions breaking off the 8-32 part that threads into the pivot pin. Guessing he was using the same tool. He didn't mention getting the broken tool out although he asked for hints for the process. You can drill a small hole and use a screw extractor if you can get a drill in there. I would guess that the screw will always break off basically flush with the top of the pivot pin. Mine did. My extraction method was to whip out the Dremel with a cutoff wheel and just cut a small slot in the top of the broken screw and use a flat screwdriver to get it out. You don't have to worry about also slotting the top of the pin slightly since it is a massive amount of metal. The pin will be just fine with a small slot in the top.

The problem with the tool is that there is a small step in the tilt housing immediately adjacent to the pivot pin. That causes the tool to tilt ever so slightly. I got the pin on the door side out without trouble, but my guess is that it stressed the tool so when I put it on the center console side, it tilted and broke the tool right off even with the top of the pivot pin. Fortunately I had an 8-32 all thread about 6 inches long and an inner/outer threaded piece that fit the tool well enough to get the other pin out.

The easy solution to make the tool work is to take the sheet metal spacer piece of the tool, put it in a vice and file a small step on the rounded edge. I recommend filing on the rounded side so when you are using the tool you can see the pin coming out. The step makes sure that the tool is perpendicular to the travel of the pin.

The threaded portion of the inexpensive tool appears to be fairly soft metal, so it is no wonder it broke off at the stress point. When I get a chance, I'll drill out and tap the big part of the tool and put a piece of 8-32 all thread in there.

You will notice that the threads on the pins are 8-32 rather than metric. The reason is that just about every auto manufacturer used the same Saginaw tilt wheel assembly on every vehicle from about 1969! It's the only piece of our Fieros that I know about that are not metric.

The two power distribution studs/nuts located below C500 are not metric.

[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 10-07-2016).]

Did you ever notice that wheels are combination metric/English? Our tires are 205/60 15 where the 205 is millimeters and 15 is inches! Probably not really 15 inches but some metric number close enough to be the same. Still seems weird.

quote Originally posted by Ray_and_kevin: Did you ever notice that wheels are combination metric/English? Our tires are 205/60 15 where the 205 is millimeters and 15 is inches! Probably not really 15 inches but some metric number close enough to be the same. Still seems weird.

Not "weird" to many because P metric and other metric size tires are Made To Fit All US and other counties with Inch rims made way before started making metric tires.
P Metric tires will fit on many cars built in the 50's and older.

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I am not sure how you guys keep breaking that pin puller. I have a set that is probably 20 years old now (was given to me) and it has pulled countless sets of pins from crappy gm columns.

are you taking that big spring out of the column before you try to remove the pins? I rarely have enough tension on those pins when I fix them some times I only need to turn the nut on the tool 1/4 turn and they come right out.

What is the part number for the pin removal tool?

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quote Originally posted by ILVMYGT: What is the part number for the pin removal tool?

Many PN because Many make/made them.

example http://www.lislecorp.com/di...products/?product=71

I have a snap-on one but never used. Many come out easy w/ screw and something to pull the screw.
See my Cave, Steering

Breaking a puller then possibilities:
Didn't remove tilt spring
Tool is very cheap
Someone in the past used locktite on the pins. (Many think Loose is bad but Loose pins Cannot fall out when column is complete.)

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 10-12-2016).]