thanks jim, marc, I took a full two days off with the fam and the big barbecue is tomorrow.
I did get the steering shaft on and the column mounted today when everyone took a gnap (its a bigger nap, a guh-nap) after the bowling party.
moved the power steering low pressure return line and a heat riser on the exhaust, otherwise a straight shot.
I had to rotate the splined joint 90 degrees from center on the flat, the upper joint was built 90 degrees different than the last one I used.
BUT I was able to get BOTH the long rubber seal AND the interior column firewall seal to line up, thats always a heat/air leak on these 98 columns.
gas pedal in and almost ready, need to add a hole in the firewall that is in the right spot for the cable.
bbq tomorrow, maybe something gets done in the moooornin.