I'm trying to pull some of the good parts from my 84 before it gets crushed and sent to china.
I remember trying to pull a steering column from a car in the junk yard and never did get it out.
How is it connected to the front rack? Thanks for any help..

I still have a very good 1.8 I would like to get gone too btw..

I've had to replace both my racks, which meant I had to pull both steering columns...Also had to get racks at the local junk yard, so I had to pull even more. So I've been through quite a few of these.
You'll need to remove the plastic cover underneath the dash on the drivers side, for starters. I think there are 3 screws and 2 nuts holding it on. You'll probably have to remove the courtesy light as you remove it out. Next is the small plastic piece directly where the colomn and the dash come together, 2 screws there and it comes off.Where the column connects to the rack, there is a Funny looking rubber like shield. You'll probably need to just take a box cutter and cut it off to access the pinch bolt. There is an upper and a lower bolt there, either one should do the trick. I think the pinch bolt is 12mm.Next you'll have to look way up into the underside of the dash area, about half way up the column there is a bolt on the left upper side of the column that is connected to the chassis. It is a hard one to get to, a 1/4 drive ratchet might help. I believe it is 13mm. After you get this one there is the mounting bracket above that small piece of plastic you removed earlier. There are 4 short 13mm bolts to the column itself, and then 2 13mm longer ones that bolt it to the chassis. The column is going to drop now when you take these out.
Now there is a cable that hooks the lockout so you can't shift the auto transmission unless the ignition switch is turned on. It runs to the ignition switch itself, and the cable disappears under the carpet at the firewall. I think it is a #1 phillips. If you got a manual tranny, you might not have this. Once you get that cable disconnected, you should have plenty of freeplay to disconnect all of the wires to the column, and it'll slide on out for ya.
If you had troubles in the past I bet it was that 13mm bolt up inside the dash that got ya, 'cause it got me too at first!
I'm sorry I don't have any picts for you. If I get a chance while I'm off for the holidays, I'll see if I can get in to mine and take a few for ya.

Thanks for the detailed write up. This should help. I'll try it once the weather clears up..

Ok...here's the picts. I gotta bunch of them so bear wit me :-)

Here is the pict of that cover you have to remove first. It is upside down to get a good shot of all the holes, but it'll give you the idea.



And here is one with the holes highlighted: All 4 bolts, and 2 nuts are 7 MM



here is a shot of one of the 2 nuts for the cover...



....and left side below the fuse block....



Here is the courtesy light I mentioned about



And removal.....



Now here is the panel underneath the steering column :



....and the 2 bolts.....7MM



...removal...



Now....down to the firewall. This is the protective cover you'll need to peel down, or just cut with a box cutter. These rack & pinions have the input shaft directly inside the passenger compartment. That shaft has a seal that does wear out and then you get hydraulic fluid all over your carpet and floorboard....BLAH. this forces the fluid, should it leak, down a clever little gutter designed into the insulation around the rack at the firewall. I found out this the hard way...it is way better to cut it at the top or side than at the bottom like I did, cutting it at bottom pretty much makes this useless.



Now here is the coupler, and the pinch bolt. .....it's best to strart down at the bottom and work up, since the column will start to sag if you start at the top and get in your way as you twist & squirm underneath. This a an 11 MM bolt head- -you have to take this bolt all the way out. BTW...that orange round piece in the pict here is the input pinion seal.



While you are in the neighborhood. Grab a 10MM deepwell socket and remove these 2 nuts right below and to the left of the column at the firewall, this releases the wire harness so you can pull the column out and gain good access to those plugs you'll have to disconnect!!



Ok, now here is a couple of picts of that nasty 13MM bolt that is so hard to see. I shoehorned the camera up near the fuse block to get these shots. It is on the upper left side of the column...about midway. This keeps the column shell in place. This one will trip you up if you don't know it's there....





Now you are ready to remove the main bracket, all 6 bolts are 13MM. the column will come down and lay against the heater ducting. You don't need to worry about removing that ducting. The column comes out just fine.







This is a very poor shot of that shifter interlock that you got to remove before you can pull the column back and get good access to the plugs to disconnect. It is connected to the starter switch and ises small phillips screws. If you have a manual tranny....you may not have this. I haven't been lucky enough to snag a 4/5 speed J-Body yet :-(



The rest is just ease the column out and disconnect the plugs as you go. Removing the drivers seat makes for better going if you got the time. If you decide to take the rack & pinion, pull the master cylinder and;leaving the lines connected, move it as forward as you can get. Then remove the power brake booster, and the power steering pump from the brackets. This will give you great access to the rack mounts. If that's not enough...once you pull the rack you have the BEST access to the heater core hoses. It just gets more fun as you go!! LoL Have fun and keep a net handy....should you loose your religion in the process.....maybe you can catch it again!!