my 1991 f-150 5spd has a broken ignition, when you turn it all the way, theres no spring resistance in the starter position, it turns with no resistance, and when you take the key out the ignition lights stay on, I read that this was a ford recall with theses trucks, some even had ignition fires, so I disconnected the battery, are they hard to change?

 

There is a little pushrod in there that brakes. I believe you can just buy the little rod and replace it. It isn't to hard to replace, kind of a pain though. I stopped flipping my key so hard to the on position after my friends broke and I helped replace it, you can totally see how they brake once you get in there. It may be another problem but from the symptoms it sounds like that rod broke.

 

Very hard unless you know what your doing.
A few months ago mine went out too so I took it in.
Took the guy about 45 minutes.

If I were you I would go down to your local Ford service dept. and ask them to look it up by your VIN to see if you still qualify. Basically if the work was never done you qualify.

BTW - I drove in the rain to the appointment with no wipers. I had to put pressure on the switch whenever I needed to use the wipers!

 

It is another problem. It's the switch in the column itself.

 

took it in to get it fixed, I'll post what it was when I get it back, just off the top of the mechanics head, he thought it was a gear driven peice in the colume

 

it was the the horseshoe shaped rod that connects the keyed igniyion to the switch in the colume, he said its made out of pot metal, and is a weak spot, 186.00