ignition switch

[slyfox]

I would like to know if it's  hard to change the ignition switch on a 70 charger , i have a new one, my old one is pretty loose, and causing me some problems.   Thanks    Sly

[b5blue]

Yup a pain in the butt actually. Disconnect battery. Pull the horn pad then unscrew and remove the horn button to get a socket on the steering wheel nut and pull the wheel, take care not to loose the tube like bushing just behind the wheel when you pull it off. Unplug blinkers and ign. switch without busting the keeper clips or you will be tie wrapping them when done to hold then tightly together. Loosen the 3 column bracket nuts till they allow you to unscrew and remove the wiring cover on the bottom of the column. Remove the screw holding the blinker arm to the switch and the arm itself. Oh yea unplug the key in buzzer and anything else running up there inside the column too. Next unscrew the whole blinker assembly and pull all the wires up and out with the entire switch, it's about now you think: I should have gotten a new blinker switch this looks old and brittle. Then you find and remove the screws that hold the upper column bearing assembly and if you have said your prayers and been good you won't need the upper bearing assembly removing tool (I actually have one)the FSM tells you to use to get that section off the steering shaft without busting the little plastic tabs that hold the collapsible two piece steering shaft together. (If they do shear off you'll have some other problems we won't go into yet) Now this done you will be looking at the lock wheel, a disk with slots around the edge. Around the center is a keeper ring to remove, get that out of there and anything else I missed that is or has been in your way. Now that lock wheel...seems there is a pin that holds that to the shaft and it is hidden under a kinda hoop or band that is not to hard to get off....the pin on the other hand is a bitch unless you have the tool the FSM refers to (That I don't have) Somehow you get that pin out of there and take that lock wheel off. Or you do like I did, worried about the darn shear pins that hold that two piece collapsible steering shaft together and not wanting to risk opening a can of worms by pounding on my column to get that pin out, you go under the hood and remove the roll pin to the steering coupler then slide the coupler off the input shaft to your steering box. That will do two things, let you slide the darn steering shaft up just far enough to use a stubby screwdriver to remove the screws holding the ign. switch in place and also make you think you should have gotten a coupler rebuild kit and serviced the coupler since your in this far now. Now with some moving the key lock around you can get the actual switch out and away from it enough to work the switch and wires free of the rest of the column but I have to warn ya....your one kinda button/slot kinda keeper from popping that old crusty ignition key lock assembly out and sliding in a nice new shiny one that comes with nice crisp action and two new keys. If you decide you must have that shiny crisp action new key lock it will not match the doors locks so buy the set that includes the door locks that match or you are doomed to having 3 keys, 2 that look very similar, a life of sticking the wrong key in your door or ignition just when everyone is watching and expecting coolness...there you are...farting around with keys. Now you may be saying I'll just have the key matched....until you find the A-Holes at several lock shops want 50.00 for 5 minutes work.....handed to them in their air conditioned shop and told anytime in the next couple of days, 25 cents worth of parts and 5 minutes....Oh you'll do 2 door locks for 30.00 each...how nice of you. Any way there ya go kinda reverse this to put it all back and don't feel to bad about not replacing the upper column bearing in the upper column bearing housing that was looking at you just before you remounted the blinker switch, it will be easy to do later, you gotta get them door panels off. Let me know if you want to buy a nearly new ignition key lock, good used upper column bearing or a 2 month old new ignition switch that works fine except for not cranking the engine over like it should. (I'll even throw in 2 door locks and keys that don't match)   PM me if ya get stuck...I've done this 3 times in the last year!   

[slyfox]

  Thanks for the info.    Sly