Antenna mast again

[Stingray1967]

OK guys, I?ve done a lot of reading on the forum. I started out with an antenna mast that would only go down and stop about 8 inches away from the bodywork. Meaning it would not go all the way down. So I ordered a new antenna mast and ribbon cable from one of the online vendors. I just put it in, and it?s a little better, but it still sticks up about 4 inches above the bodywork. When I run the antenna down, there is about 1 1/2 to 2 full seconds of motor spinning time where the mask doesn?t move at all. I had the interior of the motor gear set totally apart today. The gears didn?t seem all that bad, but I?m wondering if I have a gear problem. Thoughts?

Also, when I took the gear assembly apart, there was not any small fragment of ribbon cable left in there. It just feels like the motor isn?t running long enough to pull the antenna all the way down. It goes up just fine.

Also, I measured the entire length of the old antenna mast on the new one. The new one is about 4 inches longer, almost all of which is in the length of the ribbon cable.

[lfalzarano]

I would suggest to replace the whole unit.


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[Mystic ZR-1]

OK guys, I?ve done a lot of reading on the forum. I started out with an antenna mast that would only go down and stop about 8 inches away from the bodywork. Meaning it would not go all the way down. So I ordered a new antenna mast and ribbon cable from one of the online vendors. I just put it in, and it?s a little better, but it still sticks up about 4 inches above the bodywork. When I run the antenna down, there is about 1 1/2 to 2 full seconds of motor spinning time where the mask doesn?t move at all. I had the interior of the motor gear set totally apart today. The gears didn?t seem all that bad, but I?m wondering if I have a gear problem. Thoughts?

Also, when I took the gear assembly apart, there was not any small fragment of ribbon cable left in there. It just feels like the motor isn?t running long enough to pull the antenna all the way down. It goes up just fine.

Also, I measured the entire length of the old antenna mast on the new one. The new one is about 4 inches longer, almost all of which is in the length of the ribbon cable.

Sounds like you've got the wrong antenna/ribbon assembly?

[Stingray1967]

This is the product I ordered.
https://www.theantennasource.com/CHEVROLET/CORVETTE/Corvette%201993-1997%20.html

[Stingray1967]

Any other thoughts before I order a whole new assembly?

[Corvette95]

I have never had luck with just a mast. Usually part of the old mast is broke off inside the motor. This is likely why your new mast won't feed all the way down.

[Mystic ZR-1]

A couple thoughts:
Did ya get all of the old ribbon out? Take it apart to check.
Is the antenna assembly half way thru it?s cycle when
it grabs the new ribbon?
Sometimes it takes some screwing around, on/off with the key,
making sure it?s at the end of it?s Out cycle when Ya try to feed
in the new ribbon etc. It?s a 2 person job, one on the key the other screwing with the antenna
I?ve done a few of them and sometimes ya just hafta walk away, have a
beer and try again later...
Don?t buy that whole new antenna assembly yet...

[Stingray1967]

I have never had luck with just a mast. Usually part of the old mast is broke off inside the motor. This is likely why your new mast won't feed all the way down.

Yes, there is nothing in there. I had the motor assembly (at least the part with the plastic spool area) completely apart in my hands. It does NOT have any segments of ribbon left in it.

[Stingray1967]

A couple thoughts:
Did ya get all of the old ribbon out? Take it apart to check.
Is the antenna assembly half way thru it?s cycle when
it grabs the new ribbon?
Sometimes it takes some screwing around, on/off with the key,
making sure it?s at the end of it?s Out cycle when Ya try to feed
in the new ribbon etc. It?s a 2 person job, one on the key the other screwing with the antenna
I?ve done a few of them and sometimes ya just hafta walk away, have a
beer and try again later...
Don?t buy that whole new antenna assembly yet...

I thought perhaps I wasn't getting the ribbon to "start" on the gear at the right point. So with the spool area completely apart, I artificially advanced it from (let's say) the 3 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock. I got it to suck all the way in (once), but when it ran it all the way out again, and back in again, it didn't pull it all the way in again. Very frustrating.

[viper107]

throw it away and buy a new one,the frustration alone is worth it

[lfalzarano]

Ditto with Viper107


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[Stingray1967]

throw it away and buy a new one,the frustration alone is worth it

New mast or whole new antenna?

[viper107]

whole new motor and all

[kluketic]

I have done this repair, it was on a '79 but the basics are the same. This repair is really straight forward. Sounds to me like the unit is functioning properly. You just have the wrong length plastic ribbon cable. You seem to know hpw to do the reair, reorder the correct cable and be sure to compare mast and ribbon lengths to your old ones, a slight difference is expected do to the broken end, but this might be only about an inch.
I had purchased an aftermarket unit prior to repairing mine, it was of very poor quality and did not work correctly. I'd recommend fixing your unit.

[lfalzarano]

When in doubt rip it out! Buy a complete unit for the car as Viper107 recommended. I did on mine. You already have it out of the car, now replace it with a whole new one.


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[Stingray1967]

Whole replacement assembly on order, thanks guys.