I just bought an 88 F150 5.8L with 67K original miles on it. It's in fairly good condition but has a few relatively minor issues, or I'm hoping they are minor!

Anyway, one cluster of issues revolves around the steering column. The first owner (I'm the 3rd) bypassed the ignition switch and installed a push button on the dash. To start it you have to turn the key on then push the button. I'd like to restore it back to just using a key. Evidently it was more than the first owner wanted to mess with, but is it a fairly straight-forward job? I'm assuming that only the ignition switch is faulty and not anything else but I won't know until I get in there.

Another issues is with the gear indicator. The indicator is pretty sloppy and as an example, when it's in drive the red marker is off to the side quite a bit. That in itself is really no big deal but sometimes even when it "looks" like it's in park the engine won't start at all. I have to shift out of park and back in a couple of times and then it will start. Is there a detent or something in there I could replace to snug things back up?

I don't want to wear out my welcome so I'll save other things for later. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

well if its a tilt steering column it can be done but you got to watch all the little parts the indicator is a small string that runs to the dash and has nothing to do with the no start issue i believe it has the neutral safety switch on the side of the trans on the shifting rod on the drivers side just slide under there youll see it as old as the truck is might be worth just switching out tell use how it goes

 

It's not a tilt column...

 

It may be a bad ignition switch (bolted to the top of the steering column under the dash) or it may need adjusted a little. You can loosen the two bolts holding it and slide it a little. It may also be a bad column actuator in the column. Or you may just have a bad neutral safety switch and the previous owner thought it was the ign switch.
Does it start every time in neutral?
The shift indicator can be adjusted by removing the lower column shroud and repositioning the little plastic anchor for the indicator cable.

 

I'll check and see if it starts in neutral every time, and who knows, maybe the switch has somehow come loose or something. I'll get in there and see what I can find out. Thanks for the tips.