Dali Racing : Library Article : Antenna: Installing the Mast

Dali Racing Article: Antenna: Installing the Mast

Categories :: [ DIY Section ]

Installing an Antenna Mast

Its pretty easy, and much easier with the drawings from the service
manual.

Time required: Less than 15 minutes.

Can you drink lots of beer and still accomplish this task: Yes
Tools required Antenna Nut Wrench p/n 07JAA-001000C
Or something to fit in those little slots on both sides of the antenna
nut.
I used snap-ring pliers and was careful not to slip and damage the
fender.

NOTE the orientation of the black plastic antenna spacer on the fender
NOTE the orientation of the slots in the chrome antenna mast nut. They
should be in line with the fender.

1) Lower antenna by turning radio OFF

The antenna nut is the chrome ring around the mast. The O-ring is the
small rubber ring around the antenna nut. The spacer is the angled
black plastic thingy (technically speaking), the bushing is black and
under the spacer, on the fender.

Place shop cloths, or some other protection on the fender around
the mast to prevent tools slipping and scratching the finish. Cutting a
small hole in cardboard and placing over the mast and spacer works well.
Just be careful.

2) Remove antenna nut, O-ring (N/A on pre-94 cars I think), spacer,
and bushing.

Before completely removing the antenna mast, note the orientation
of the drive cable teeth. They should be pointing towards, the left
rear corner of the car. Maybe even a little more left than that.

3) Carefully withdraw the antenna mast while extending it by turning
the radio ON. The mast lifts straight up and out.

Installation:

1) Hold the antenna mast drive cable (the plastic cable with teeth) so
its teeth point the same way the old mast came out. Insert the drive cable
into the antenna housing.

2) Check for engagement by gently moving the cable up and down.
It should engage the gears inside the motor. Try to get as much
cable engaged as you can, to where the metal base of the antenna
mast can install into the antenna housing

3) Turn the radio OFF and let the motor pull the mast in. If the mast
does not fully retract, turn the radio ON and try holding the mast in
place for a few clicks of the motor. It sounds like its jumping teeth,
and it is. Perfectly normal.

4) Install the bushing, spacer, O-ring and antenna nut. Torque the nut
to 1.7lb-ft (2.3N-m). This is a very LIGHT torque, and if you over torque,
you will deform the fender. DO NOT OVER TORQUE. Go slow once
the antenna nut becomes too hard to turn by hand. You can see the
fender flex a little. BACK OFF. THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH.
The slots in the nut should be in line with the fender.

5) Turn radio ON and let the antenna raise fully, then OFF again and
lower fully. A few clicks may be heard while the control cable is
seating.
Check for full retraction and extension with repeated ON and OFF of
the radio switch.

Spencer Smith,

95T,

with a few replacement masts under my belt.

Mark Basch comments:

Hey All, Spencer is dead right! The cord has teeth on one side only, and
they have to line up with the gear at the point it enters the spool. It
will
not feed down until the cord is pointed exactly to the gear. If you loose
track of which way it came out, its easy to figure out the alignment. The
tube that holds the mast is attached to the motor at one point on the
outer
edge of the housing. You point the teeth on the cord so that as it enters
the round part of the motor, the teeth point straight inwards from this
edge. Also, you can twist the cord as you lower it into the tube until it
does catch. Then when it doesn't go all the way down, hold it firmly
downward while someone turns the radio back on. When it tries to spit it
out, just hold firm and when the motor quits ticking, turn the radio back
off.

Have Fun,

Mark