I replaced the steering column in my 1973 F100 and now have a couple of problems. The worst I guess, is that it won't start in park, but it will start in reverse. The turn signals don't turn themselves off when you turn the corner either. Did I get a bad steering column from the junk yard? Sheez, I don't want to have to take it back out and do that again... ha ha. Are these adjustments or what? Also, I didn't get the steering wheel lined up correctly, but I think that can be adjusted for sure. Thanks in advance for any input.

 

Was the donor the same year? C'mon man, more info!!!!!

I'll take a stab at it since no one has posted:

The Park vs Reverse could be a linkage adjustment issue OR a simple adjustment to the neutral safety switch. Does it even go into "Park"? Is "Reverse" acting like "Park"?

Turn signal cancel... the cam might be missing or the turn signal switch is bad.

 

It seems like the steering columns and all the junk inside them are real weak points in the early Dents. My '73 250 was really good and I think I was lucky. The column in my '74 350 has some of the same problems you're mentioning.

The cam that's part of the plastic unit that houses the turn signals, flasher and horn contact thingies gets brittle over the years. Mine went bad, so I ordered one from LMC and it's working OK now. But the horn went from sounding off every time I made a tight turn of the wheel to not working at all.

And HIO mentioned before, but the neutral safety switch sounds like it's out of adjustment/position. On yours, it's located at the base of the column and you might want to check the actuator pin that's clamped to the shaft inside the column right above the NSS, too. These things tend to fail, as I found out when I was changing out that cam.

The steering wheel off-center is an easy fix. Drive the truck for a block or two and get it the front wheels as straight as you can. Then stop, pull the wheel and reposition it on the splines as best you can, reinstall the lock washer, tighten down the nut and put your horn center back in. It might be a little off as you drive it again, but it'll be closer to centered than it was before.

 

I was told the column came from a '73, it certainly looks and feels better than the one with the plastic collar that I took out of my truck, it didn't fit at all. I wonder if I can take the turn signal switch out of it and swap them out?

 

Hmmm...not sure if it'll swap. If the one you took out of your '73 had a plastic collar (assuming you're talking about the shifter collar), it doesn't sound like a stock '73 column. They were all steel/pot metal in those Dents.

Easiest way to tell is to take them both out and compare them. For what you'll pay for a new replacement signal assembly from LMC, it might be worth it in avoided aggravation!

 

Actually, swapped it out because the one in it came out of, probably, a 78 or 79 model. I guess I misspoke, I was talking about the metal attachment that goes around the shaft where it enters the dashboard. It's painted to match the dash. The one I took out has a plastic part there that is supposed to screw into the dash. Thank goodness they didn't make holes to screw it in. I put pictures of both in the before and after albums I have posted.

 

Okay, I found the neutral safety switch and I'm going to try to adjust that. So, it looks like in order to replace the turn signal switch AND adjust the steering wheel, I need to remove the steering wheel. My manual says to remove the bolt and use tool xxxxx to remove it. Is it really necessary to have a special tool, or will it just yank off when I loosen it? Also, dumb question, it doesn't mention how to remove the horn button (assume that's the whole center piece in the wheel), just to do it. Does it just pry up and out? I don't want to booger it up by not knowing how it works. Thanks!

 

IIRC, the horn pad has a couple of screws that go in from the backside of the steering wheel. remove the screws and it will come right off. Autozone and others will rent you a puller and yes you will need it.

 

I was afraid of that, ha ha! Guess I'll wait til the weekend. Even with the extra daylight, sounds like I need to get a fresh start.

 

Although using a steering wheel or harmonic baancer puller will work, I have yet to have encountered a steering wheel so tight that I couldn`t remove it by hand. After removing the horn pad, and loosening the steering wheel nut most of the way, I grab the wheel at the 3 & 9 oclock positions, and pull up on the wheel while twisting the wheel back & forth. Once the steering wheel releases its grip on the steering columns splines, it will slip right off, so I leave the nut on a few threads to prevent my head from hitting the rear window when it releases. Also, I always mark the steering column and steering wheel with a Sharpie to ensure that I can reinstall the wheel back in it`s origional position.

 

Anyone know where to find a step by step manual with parts explosion on replacing the shifter column, etc?