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So the key has been a little sticky on my truck so I pulled out the ignition cylinder and cleaned and re lubricated it... Then everything went downhill.
I put it back in and it kept binding after the run position. From what I've seen aren't we supposed to have a bearing and snap ring behind the key cylinder before the gear? The gear came right out on mine. I noticed the problem was that the gear wasn't in far enough and was slipping.
I put a spacer behind the key cylinder and now it works smoothly but I can't get it adjusted right? I can either use the accessory position. (rotate key backwards) or I can start the truck. I fiddled with the gear and the actual switch on the column to get it where I could start the truck.
I'd like to fix it right but I might end up just running a pushbutton to start if I can't fix this.
You are going to have to take the steering wheel off and get in there to get it right. You also need to check and make sure that pot metal piece is not broken. They all break at least once on every Ford truck I have even owned.
I'm pretty sure that the actuator is NOT broken. I was looking at it today and I can't see any damage.
I might be able to turn the gear one more tooth but I'm more worried about the missing bearing behind the lock cylinder. I have two halves of a lock washer in there now so the gear will grab. Does anyone know if that bearing is available?
I'm pretty sure that the actuator is NOT broken. I was looking at it today and I can't see any damage.
I might be able to turn the gear one more tooth but I'm more worried about the missing bearing behind the lock cylinder. I have two halves of a lock washer in there now so the gear will grab. Does anyone know if that bearing is available?
You actually had the actuator out and looked at it? With the problems you are having and the disassembly required to get it out, I am having a hard time believing you had that piece all the way out. If you had the wheel off and actually were able to pull it out and look at it, then it is broken. It comes out easily in two pieces when it's broken. You have to pull the tilt pivot pins and take the large snap ring loose to get the unbroken piece in and out.
I did not have it OUT. I had dropped the column and removed the two half circle trim pieces that screw in next to the dash. My truck is a manual transmission so there's no shifter on the column. The plastic collar under the tilt mechanism was loose so I popped it over the key release button and slid it down towards the firewall. That way I was able to see almost the entire actuator. It's not broken where it usually breaks, and it will actuate the ignition switch both ways, it just won't move FAR enough to reach both ends.
Im partly wondering if my brass gear behind the switch is off by a tooth.
Someone else was in the column, presumably to change the actuator. They never put the bearing and snap ring back in behind the key cylinder. This allowed the brass gear to walk up towards the key, only engaging half a tooth internally.
The brass gear is intact but whatever it turns against is missing half a tooth from the added stress. Not having the bearing to act as a spacer, I kept "hopping" a tooth and not engaging the starter.
I currently have two appropriately sized washers coated in grease stuck between the key cylinder and the brass gear, the gear can't walk up, and now will engage what's left of the internal teeth and let the truck start.
Between the missing teeth, bad lower bearing, and missing key cylinder bearing, I just need to source a new column that's not going to cost two arms and a leg.
Finally found a diagram that shows the parts I'm talking about.
It shows the bearing and snap ring that I'm missing. Also apparently the part that's partially damaged (missing half a tooth) is the "upper actuator", not to be confused with the lower actuator which always breaks on these, and appears fine on mine.
No thanks lol I'm still dreading replacing the lower bearings, I'm hoping to find one used in decent shape so I don't have to!
I bought this truck so I'd have something to drive while I fix my other one, I don't really have the time to rip apart and rebuild a whole column or I would! This is my daily driver!
Finally found a diagram that shows the parts I'm talking about.
It shows the bearing and snap ring that I'm missing. Also apparently the part that's partially damaged (missing half a tooth) is the "upper actuator", not to be confused with the lower actuator which always breaks on these, and appears fine on mine.
Below the ignition cylinder is a snap ring (D0AZ-3C610-A) that retains the cylinder in place, flat 'bearing' (D6AZ-3E700-A) and brass gear (D4AZ-3E717-A - it's notorious for chipping teeth).
D0AZ-3C610-A =
GABRIELLI TRUCK SALES in Jamaica NY has 3 = 718-977-7348.
C & M TRUCK in Staten Island NY has 4 = 718-356-9852.
FREEDOM FORD INC. in Beacon NY has 4 = 845-831-5017.
MILLER OBSOLETE PARTS in Binghamton NY has 6 = 607-722-5371.
GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH has 170 = 800-543-4959.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- D6AZ-3E700-A =
MILLER OBSOLETE PARTS has 2.
GREEN SALES CO. has 123.
-------------------------------- D4AZ-3E717-A =
Thank you! I was hoping you would chime in with part numbers.
Would you happen to have a part number for the "upper actuator" my brass gear is actually ok but the upper actuator is missing half a tooth. There are two different actuators. I used Franklin2's pic in post #2 to ID them.
E9TZ-3E715-B (replaced E4TZ-3E715-A) .. Steering Column Lock Lever Actuator-Use with Tilt Wheel (#14 in pic in post #2) / Available from Ford.
MSRP: $29.90 / autonationfordwhitebearlake.com online price: $19.73.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D1AZ-3E723-C .. Steering Column Actuator-Use with Tilt Wheel (#13 in pic in post #2) / Available from Ford.
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