1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
There is alot of misinformation on the BB about antenna mast replacement. The following is the correct way to replace the mast.
First: IT SHOULD NOT EVER BE PULLED OUT THROUGH THE MAST OPENING. The mast has a split retaining sleeve that is supposed to prevent it from being pulled out from the outside of the car and serves as the internal electrical contact to the antenna mast. People who pull the mast out, leave this split retainer in the mast housing, defeating its purpose and making it more difficult to replace the mast properly.
Second: Turn off the radio at the knob and when the antenna motor stops running, remove the motor assembly from the fender and its inside mount. Leave the power wires connected at this point.
Third: With the assembly removed, turn on the ignition switch to accessory and turn on the radio. The antenna motor should start and the mast will try to extend. It's a good idea to position the mast in such a way that if the mast extends, it does not encounter interference by the car body or an object in the trunk.
Fourth: Disconnect the antenna lead and unscrew the phillips head screw at the base of the metal antenna tube. There is a metal strap that runs from this screw to a motor housing screw.
Fifth: Pull the metal antenna tube off of the motor housing and mast.
Sixth: Pull the antenna out of the motor housing. Here is where trouble can occur. If the toothed nylon drive cable is broken, it will be necessary to open up the main motor drive compartment. This is the large diameter chamber that is held by a single 9 mm nut in the center. The inside is paked with very dirty grease. (When I rebuild these units, I completely disassemble them and repack with silicon grease.) You will have to fish out the broken pieces of drive cable which may entail further disassembly by removing the center circlip on the drive wheel and removing the take up spool itself.
Seventh: Assuming all of the old antenna mast pieces have been removed and the motor drive chamber is closed, the new antenna can be installed. The toothed nylon drive cable is fed into the motor drive housing with the teeth directed toward the inside of the spool (i.e., you orient the teeth to the inside of the motor housing - not the outside).
Eighth: Have a helper turn off the radio as you feed the cable into the housing as it retracts. One person can do this with some practice. The sequence can also be performed by unplugging and replugging the power connector, but it is important that the reinstallation process start when the motor is in the fully mast extended postion so that the internal parking timing switch is syncronized with the mast position. The position of the mast is much less ambigous performing these operations with the radio on/off switch.
Ninth: The new mast should come with the split retainer installed. The old split retainer may still be in the metal mast tube. Make sure that it is not and that the tube is completely free of obstructions. Place the tube over the mast, and reinstall the retaining screw and metal contact strap. If the split retainer, the retaining screw, or the contact strap are not installed properly, poor reception will be the result.
Tenth: Reinstall the antenna assembly into the car, making sure that the antenna lead is connected and the drain is routed properly.
When installed properly, the top of the mast should be flush to slightly recessed in the outside mast mount flange.
SteveB
posted by 165.170.12...
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