Ignition switch availability

[MSN Member]

From: Jupp318  (Original Message)
Sent: 7/13/2005 8:09 AM

Guys,

I seem to have an intermittant ignition switch.  Can anyone tell me what the availabilty is like for these parts?.  My rig is a '73 Brave RM300.

Cheers Ian...



From: denison
Sent: 7/13/2005 9:17 AM

Availability ought to be good, as the same switch was used in all of the mopar pickups, vans, and light trucks for the same year, or years. I cant recall if yours the type that is inside the steering column or on the dashboard? If its like mine, it is inside the column, an electric switch that is operated by the keylock assembly. The switch itself is separate, and has about 5 to 7 wires coming out of it, maybe 8 inches longs, with one long multipin connector attached. If you go to ebay.com and do a search for “mopar ignition switch”, the words can be in any order, you might see one that is the same as yours. ebay is a great research tool.
The only downside is that you have to remove the steering wheel to get this thing out.
If your switch is on the dashboard, it’s a different switch, but would still have been the same item used in the vans and pickups and light trucks of that year and probably later years. I think it also unscrewed from the keylock assembly, and had spade terminals on it. Sorry I don’t have the part numbers.
Mine looked just line the one being auctioned on ebay item # 4559409099. I see that seller ships worldwide, and his price reflects it being a new parts. If that’s not like yours, you could ask him whether he has one for your application.



From: Jupp318
Sent: 7/14/2005 2:14 PM

Hi Dave,

Many thanks for your reply, I looked up all the switches and found one for a valiant plus other models of Chryslers but the seller only deals with personal cheques or money orders not Paypal, but the part no he had listed matched with my part catalog.  The switch you had pointed out didn't have a part no but it did say it was for a valiant, it also looked the same as that in my service manual, so I bought it.

I'm just waiting for the seller to get back to me with the shipping cost, then I'll pay him the money and hopefully soon after that I'll be in possesion of a brand new switch.

Any tips on removing the steering wheel?

Many thanks

Ian...



From: denison
Sent: 7/14/2005 3:32 PM

Removing the steering wheel: On the bottom side of the horn ring somwhere you should find screws to remove, and the horn ring would come off. There is a nut, about 7/8ths or 13/16th maybe, that you have to undo. Then you use an inexpensive two legged puller to pull the steering wheel up and off the splines. Its an easy puller to find, most auto parts places sell the universal kind. I have seen people pulling up on the steering wheel, while having a helper hammer on the steering shaft, but I prefer the puller method.
I -think- the splines are keyed, so it wont go back on wrong.
Then: You have to undo a screw that holds the turn signal level in the switch mechanism. Next you have to undo screws and wiggle the turn signal switch mechanism up out of the column, to be able to reach down and undo the ignition switch. You will have to undo the connector for the turn signal switch, and attached a string to it - to allow pulling those wires back down ito the column when you want to put it back together. You have to undo the connector for the ignitino switch, and probably tie a string to it as well. This string should help you guide the wires for the new switch back down into the column. This info is in the service manual if you have one. Mine has it on page 8-67.
As a buyer I dont use paypal, and as a seller I probably wouldnt either. I know it generates about 1/3rd of the ebay revenue, but I dont trust the outfit. (I used to trust my credit card issuer, and they managed to "lose" a few hundred thousand sets of account information someplace, including mine: The public announcement is that they arent sure where it went !!)