LEFT: With the seal off, you can see the road grime and dirt that have worked their way past the seal over the years.

BELOW LEFT: With the retaining bracket off, remove the seal. Use a pair of cutters or dykes to remove the cotter pin from the end of the relay rod. You may have to clean the end of the relay rod to be able to see it.

relay rod rebuild is actually removing the relay rod from your Corvette. It is possible to rebuild the relay rod still in the vehicle if you prefer not to remove it. This is also a good time to replace the idler arm assembly. The procedure will only take about an hour, assuming the relay rod is already removed from your Corvette. You will need a 5/16-inch socket and wrench, a large flat-bladed screwdriver, and some MAPP gas, available from any hardware store. Not everyone will need to heat the relay rod, so try yours first before buying the MAPP gas.