Ignition switch upgrade?

[Oregoon]

Hey there everyone.

Yesterday I broke the bezel on my 66's igntion and upon further inspection, my lock-cylinder seems to have some circumspect JB Weld applied to it (I'm guessing it's been drilled out before) and it seems on the verge of falling apart.

I would like to replace the stock switch, cylinder, and bezel with a simple bolt-in unit, something like this: http://www.carquest.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... ?acesApp=0

Anyone done this before? It looks pretty straightforward...

The stock unit is a pain to install, as I remember from helping my buddy on his '64, and I'd like to simplify things in the name of easy removal down the road.

Also, I went through a similar headache with my old International, and it took hours of blown fuses to get everything right.

Any help would be appreciated!

[azjake]

I just replaced the ignition switch bezel in my '64 F100 and found it not to bad of a job. As a matter of fact, I had to remove the switch again the other day to repair some wires that the magic smoke had escaped from.


Jake

[Oregoon]

I'm familiar with the magic smoke...

Wiring and I have a long and fiery history, hence my post.

I have an extra four-post universal cylinder in my treasure-trove/banana-box collection of auto goodies and will probably remove the stock unit later today and commence rewiring. I kinda want to do a starter button too, strictly because I dig 'em.

It looks like I can just trace the wrires and connect them according to the markings on the back of the new cyclinder... However, my old International (R.I.P.) looked the same way, and I have no idea what I did to it, though the resulting magic smoke resulted in a lot of explotatory wiring work under the dash--a lovely place for a 6'2" 225 pound guy like me.

Hoping to avoid that scenario with my slick, so if anyone can tell me what pitfalls to avoid... It appears the big red wire is the angry one?

[bobenhotep]

Here is how I would do it, it involves a test light and as little standing on your head as possible.

1) unplug the ignition switch.

2)ground the test light to something. Test which wires on the ignition switch are hot. mark them.

3)disconnect the battery negative lead.

4)cut off the wires you have marked. clamp connectors as needed to hook them to the battery part of the new switch.

5)hook the wires that were hooked on the stud part of the ignition switch to the acc terminal of the new switch.

The remaining wires are for ignition and start. Run a wire from the ign terminal on the new switch to your ignition system. Mine has a relay and a 15a fuse, but you could use just the fuse and put it in inline near the switch.

You can hook the start button to battery power, that will allow you to turn the engine over without the ignition firing, like after oil changes or whatever.

The rest of the wires on the igniton switch are not going to be used for anything. You can cut the plug off and throw it in the banana box. fold the leftover wires on themselves and tape them to avoid smoke escapes. There is a pink wire under there. You can cut and cap it near the firewall, and keep it. it is the resistor wire for the stock ignition. Someday, we may find a use for it. hope this all makes sense.

[Oregoon]

Many thanks!

That all makes excellent sense! It's roughly what I'd planned on doing, right down to the lack of magic smoke.

You get my nomination for Slickster of The Year, for sure!

[bobenhotep]

Thanks man. I am sure there are more worthy slicksters than I.

I was hoping it made sense. Did you see if the carb ran without the spacer, or did you find a better sealing one?

[Oregoon]

It runs the same either way, though seems a little happier with the spacer. The problem is a strange little channel machined into the mating surface of my carb. It has no purpose I can discern, and it makes sealing it a pain... I found some thicker gaskets that seem to work, though I'm tempted to JB the channel.

Another question: Do I need that pink resistor wire? I imagine it's still hooked up (I haven't had a chance to fool with my ignition in a few days). Would it have any effect on my Duraspark II and HEI?

[Toyz]

Sounds like a Loafomatic throttle plate!
Paul

[Oregoon]

Sounds like a Loafomatic throttle plate!
Paul

Elaborate, please! It's weird and it's making my life difficult! Any fix for it? The throttle plate, that is...

[bobenhotep]

If you are powering the ds through the pink wire, it will not have as hot a spark as direct 12v. I am not 100 percent certain, but the vacuum channel to the carb base on your carb is probably the vac channel that hooks to the bottom of the metering rod diaphragm. If you plug it, the metering rod will not be able to respond to load, and it will run rich. If you are running a YF, that is what that thing is. Paul is referring to the load o matic throttle plate, but I know the YF has a vac channel in the bottom too.

[Oregoon]

I wonder if that's what's causing my tuneability issue? I have no intake leaks to speak of, good compression, properly adjusted valves, and the damn thing won't idle below 900 rpm no matter what I do. The lower the idle, the more likely it is to die and spit a puff of atomized fuel out of the carb. Yet when one puts a foot in it, it howls like scalded cat.

With my old loadomatic and stock crab, it would idle down absurdly low--though the carb leaked fuel from the accelerator pump, hence the upgrade to a Carter YF, Duraspark, and HEI.

Looks like some wrenching time tomorrow, I mean, wiring time...

[bobenhotep]

Yeah, HEI runs direct 12v. I have mine set up with a relay under the hood to run it. Let us know how it goes.

[Oregoon]

Okay! I found the pink wire. I'm relatively sure it's the cause of my troubles.

In the spirit if simplicity (and because I'm a solid-gold clod when it comes to wiring), can I simply trace the pink resistor wire, pull it, and replace it with an appropriate gauge wire?

If that's the easiest soultion (Bear in mind: Wiring isn't my strong suit), where does that little pink snake go, anyway?

If that won't work, I am wide open to suggestions, especially the detailed variety!

As ever, thanks to everyone for their patience. Doubly so to Bobenhotep and Paul.

This my first Slick, and I'm certainly learning a lot. I'd be lost without the good people on this site taking their time to explain things to me. Rest assured, your goodwill is being payed forward wherever possible.

[bobenhotep]

You can indeed remove the pink wire and replace it with a conventional copper wire. If you trace it it goes to a plug in the firewall. You could also just run a wire from the ignition switch directly to the module. It will work either way. I would suggest adding a fuse to the circuit. Mine is a 15a, but I don't remember how I came up with that number.

[Oregoon]

You can indeed remove the pink wire and replace it with a conventional copper wire. If you trace it it goes to a plug in the firewall. You could also just run a wire from the ignition switch directly to the module. It will work either way. I would suggest adding a fuse to the circuit. Mine is a 15a, but I don't remember how I came up with that number.

I'm confused... If I went from the switch directly to the module, wouldn't that by pass my coil?

Thanks!

[bobenhotep]

My bad, yeah run it to the coil. You could run it to the module, and jump power from that connector to the coil, but to the coil is easier.

Dan