 Broken power antennas seem to be a common problem on 1984-1996 Corvettes. There is a fix though, without having to dish out big bucks for a new power antenna, and the repair is a fairly simple procedure. Removal of the antenna assembly from your Corvette is required, so refer to your service manual to obtain the procedure for removing the antenna assembly from your C4. We contacted Zip Corvette Parts, 8067 Fast Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111, 1-800-962-9632, and bought their antenna mast replacement kit.
For the rebuild, you will need a flat-blade screwdriver and a drill for drilling out the four small rivets in the antenna housing. You won’t be replacing the rivets so don’t worry about replacements. The procedure should take about 15 minutes once the antenna is out of your Corvette. So follow along as we rebuild you’re 1984-96 antenna. |
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01: There are a total of four brass rivets that need to be drilled out. Note that there is one in the middle of the antenna gear itself. |
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02: Once you have removed all of the rivets, pop off the clips around the outside of the antenna housing. Be sure to place the clips aside because you’ll need to reuse them. |
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03: Use a flat-blade screwdriver to carefully pry the housing cover apart. If you look where the clips were located, you’ll see a slot in which to insert the screwdriver. |
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04: With the antenna motor housing separated, you can carefully remove the antenna mast and gear.
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05: This is why our Corvettes antenna wasn’t working. You can see where the cable is broken |
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06: Here is the new GM antenna rebuild kit from Zip Corvette. |
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07: GM supplies instructions with each kit. As you can see, they are not very detailed, but at least you get a diagram of how the antenna is assembled. |
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08: After cleaning off any old sealant, apply new sealant to the outside of the antenna housing. |
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09: Insert the new antenna cable’s metal hook into the gear. There is a hole in the gear that the end of the cable will fit into. |
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10: Carefully wrap the plastic cable around the inside track in the gear. You must keep the cable tight while doing this or it could come loose. |
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11: Place the gear into the antenna housing along with the new antenna mast. You will see the rubber grommets that hold the mast in place. This assembles the same way the old mast came out. |
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12: Now reinstall the housing cover. Make sure you press firmly on it so the rubber grommet slides on the pin on the mast. You also want to be sure that the edge all the way around the housing is seated. |
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13: Reinstall the clips. They simply snap into place. |
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14: Once all the clips are on, you are ready to reinstall the antenna into your Corvette. You will not be replacing the rivets in the housing. |
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Antenna Fix: 1984-1996 C4 Corvette Antenna Mast Replacement Source: Zip Corvette Parts 8067 Fast Lane Mechanicsville, VA 23111 (800) 962-9632 Parts List:
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