i have been working on my '75 camaro for a little while now and when i had it towed to my mechanic's for work my one and only key to it got lost along the way.

i figure the only way to fix this problem is to replace the cylinder lock and use a new key and while attempting this i hit a new problem. when i took off the steering wheel and the metal plate beneath that i found that a series of gears and wires blocked me from the three large phillips screws that im supposed to take out. i have searched the internet for a solution but there's very little information on second gen. camaros and i'd really appreciate some help. thanks a lot.

Post a pic of where you are with it now...should only be a phillips head screw holding the ignition lock in, on that year..once the wheel and horn plate comes off and the turn signal cams come out...not sure what you mean by gears??

If it is like the one I took apart the gears on the plate he is refering to pushes a rod that connects to the ignition switch in the middle of the steering column. I found out that you can grab the rod, which on the model I had was on the outside of the column, and pull down on it and crank the car.

thanks for the help guys- ill try it again, and if i can't do it then ill upload a picture of where i am. thanks

You didn't mention it but I assume that you had a standard (non-adjustable) type steering column and not a tilt column.

I have a series of papers on disassembly and repair of the Chevelle steering column.

Go to: www.corvettefaq.com
click on: Jim Shea's Steering Papers
click on: A & F-Car Steering Papers
scroll down to the standard steering column section
download the Disassembly & Repair Paper #1 and Disassembly & Repair Pic #1

You will need to compress the toothed locking plate. This will allow you to dig out a small round wire ring that is seated in a groove on the steering shaft.

Once the plate is removed you will have access to the three screws that hold the turn signal switch in place. Then you will need to just pull the switch partially out of the column head. This will allow you access to depress the metal retaining wedge and release the lock cylinder.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/JIML82/LockCylinderWedgeLocation.jpg

Jim

JimL82 is correct; You will need to compress the toothed locking plate. This will allow you to dig out a small round wire ring that is seated in a groove on the steering shaft. Although this is easier said then done. Behind the toothed plate is a spring. You need to push down on the toothed plate and remove the retaining ring, then the remove the toothed plate. Behind that you will see what Jim pictured above. Slip a thin peice of metal in the slot that Jim has the arrow pointed to and the lock mechanism will pull right out.

awesome. i have all day tomorrow to work, and with all this information to work with- i bet i can do it. thanks guys.

i got it! thanks for all your help.

Thank you for closing out the post! So often a person describes a problem. Several people provide possible causes and possible solutions. Then we never hear from the poster again. Were any of the possible solutions correct? Did the owner just push the ride over the cliff in frustration? Is he/she still working on the problem? etc, etc, etc.

Glad to be of help.
Jim