sdpatt
Sr. SHO Engr.
Here's another one of those stories where you wonder how long a part can last before it finally gives up and quits. As my 5 year old daughter and I pulled up to Pep Boys on a trip to check out their battery chargers (mostly for the boat battery), I was unable to turn the key far enough to stop the engine. Something was hanging up in the steering column. After wiggling and twisting the key a bit the engine turned off, but another twist of the key found it unable to start. Uh oh.
I called my wife and had her bring a few selected tools to remove the steering column shrouds and to give Pamela a ride home. I could always push start the car if necessary, but I was parked in front of a car parts store so I would have been a little embarassed to have to resort to that and would probably need to return for the parts anyway. Even before the calvary arrived, I used a long shafted vent thermometer to remove the ignition lock cylinder. I had installed that Ford part only a year ago and it already seemed loose.
Now on my own, I bought a Borg-Warner ignition lock cylinder replacement at Pep Boys and found that the car would start, but it required that I turn the ignition key to a certain point near full lock - just enough, but not too far. The ignition switch had apparently failed and was preventing smooth motion of the slide switch inside and only making a small piece of conductor availble to make the starter circuit. I reinstalled the Ford lock cylinder and was once again unable to engage the starter. The lock cylinder was loose enough not to manipluate the switch far enough to engage. I re-entered the store and purchased a Borg-Warner ignition switch and headed home to install the new switch. For a little over $30 in parts, the SHO should be back in business.
Upon disassembly of the old switch under the steering column, I found that the original had overheated and melted on two sets of spade terminals. So to answer the question about how long the ignition switch might last, about 15.5 years. The original ignition lock cylinder laster about 14 and the Ford replacement about 1(!) year. I cleaned up what I could on the female portion of the connector and installed the new switch.
A test start found the combination of the new lock cylinder and switch to function "as good as new." I am once again thankful that Ford designed the SHO to be a rather simple machine to troubleshoot and repair and even more thankful that God provided me the abilities to take care of it.
Back on the road again....
I called my wife and had her bring a few selected tools to remove the steering column shrouds and to give Pamela a ride home. I could always push start the car if necessary, but I was parked in front of a car parts store so I would have been a little embarassed to have to resort to that and would probably need to return for the parts anyway. Even before the calvary arrived, I used a long shafted vent thermometer to remove the ignition lock cylinder. I had installed that Ford part only a year ago and it already seemed loose.
Now on my own, I bought a Borg-Warner ignition lock cylinder replacement at Pep Boys and found that the car would start, but it required that I turn the ignition key to a certain point near full lock - just enough, but not too far. The ignition switch had apparently failed and was preventing smooth motion of the slide switch inside and only making a small piece of conductor availble to make the starter circuit. I reinstalled the Ford lock cylinder and was once again unable to engage the starter. The lock cylinder was loose enough not to manipluate the switch far enough to engage. I re-entered the store and purchased a Borg-Warner ignition switch and headed home to install the new switch. For a little over $30 in parts, the SHO should be back in business.
Upon disassembly of the old switch under the steering column, I found that the original had overheated and melted on two sets of spade terminals. So to answer the question about how long the ignition switch might last, about 15.5 years. The original ignition lock cylinder laster about 14 and the Ford replacement about 1(!) year. I cleaned up what I could on the female portion of the connector and installed the new switch.
A test start found the combination of the new lock cylinder and switch to function "as good as new." I am once again thankful that Ford designed the SHO to be a rather simple machine to troubleshoot and repair and even more thankful that God provided me the abilities to take care of it.
Back on the road again....
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