Steering column help

chris142

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My ignition actuator broke. I youtoobed a couple of videos. Looked easy enough. Im 3 hrs into my column and am not making much headway. Plus some parts fell out and I have no clue where they go. Anyone have a pic of where things go? If not what years trucks can i get a column out of at picapart tomorrow?
 

chillman88

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I don't have pictures but if you are in a bind (assuming it's an 87 manual like your signature says) you can use any column from early 80's through 91. Auto or manual.

I don't know if the first few years of the 80's were the same or not but I have a 91 with the ZF5 and was running a column from an 84 automatic in my truck.

The 80's columns will need you to swap the plastic cowling and the aluminum mounting bracket from your current column but otherwise it will be a direct fit.
 

franklin2

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He may need to swap over his ignition switch (electrical part) if he uses a different year column.

Don't feel bad, the first actuator I did long ago I went to the Ford dealer to ask about it. They let me go back to the shop and the mechanics in the shop directed me to their "steering column guy". That tells you right there that none of the mechanics liked working on the steering columns, and had this one guy doing it all. With his advice I got it in with no trouble.
 

chillman88

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He may need to swap over his ignition switch (electrical part) if he uses a different year column.

Not as long as its 84 or newer. Like I said the older ones I would guess are the same but I don't know.

When I used the older column all the plugs were identical, including the ignition switch on the bottom of the column.
 

chris142

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Im stuck. I have to pull some pins to get the new part in. I dont have that puller tool. Got a mobil mechanic scheduled for tomorrow.

This could not have happened at a worse time. I'm in the middle of my house renovation and use my truck almost every day to bring stuff home from the hardware store. Pretty impossible to bring home 10 ft sections of zbar in a wrangler. I have untill the 31st of this month to get the house in order.
 

Cubey

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I had to tear my 87's column waaay apart to replace the actuator. Mainly to extract the broken piece. But i got it all back together. I cut off the tab on the long end, which just keeps it from getting out of park without the key. so cutting it off is no big deal unless you are worried about kids putting it into neutral and rolling it away. It not only makes it easier to put back together, but replacement in the future is much easier if it breaks again.
 

Macrobb

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I know it's not the "right" fix, but on one truck I just got so fed up with it breaking *again* that I just cut the metal rod, bent it upwards about half an inch from the top, and just use that as my switch. Key does nothing; the rod on top of the column is my "key" switch.
 

franklin2

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If you are talking about the tapered pins on each side that the column tilts on, you just find some screws that will thread in to the middle of the pin, put those in and then take a claw hammer and pull the pins out.

The trick the Ford shop mechanic told me; Once you get in deep enough, and are at the point you can get the broken piece out, but can't get the new piece in place, you pull the tilt pins, and then you put downward pressure on the center of the column and take the snap ring off. Have your new piece ready. He said whatever you do, DO NOT LET GO, KEEP DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON THE COLUMN. Keeping downward pressure, scoot the column downward enough to gain clearance to insert the new actuator piece. Scoot it back up in place and get that snap ring back on there as soon as possible. Then you are good to go.

He said if you let the column fall apart after you take the snap ring loose, you will have a mess and it's a pain to get it back together. You know these guys probably get paid by the job, and know all the quick tricks to get it done as quickly as possible.
 

chris142

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I know it's not the "right" fix, but on one truck I just got so fed up with it breaking *again* that I just cut the metal rod, bent it upwards about half an inch from the top, and just use that as my switch. Key does nothing; the rod on top of the column is my "key" switch.
thanks but my truck is not a hooptie. Plus with my ocd that would drive me crazy!
 

chris142

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I knew that gm used this design and now i know ford did. I wonder who thought this was a good idea? Why not put the switch right behind the key like they do on todays stuff? My 78 Toyota had the switch behind the key and was easy to repair.
 

laserjock

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Sorry I’m late to the party. If this is a pre-92 tilt column, I think my manuals have a full exploded view. I did mine. The pins are threaded 10-32 I believe. I threaded bolts in and pulled them with pliers and a hammer. Going back together is tough. You need 3 hands and a tail yo get all the springs compressed and the pins back in with everything clocked correctly.

Let me know if the manual will help.
 

chris142

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Whoever designed this needs to be shot. No wonder so many people hate Ford's. Im into it 3 hrs and the mobile guy 2 and we are no closer than I was Friday. Plus now its heating up fast. I expect him to call it quits soon.
 

79jasper

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Making the job way harder than it needs to be.
Go down to the parts store and buy a universal ignition switch......

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 

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