My turn signal switch is busted, so I bought a new one, but I don't know how to get it in, can somebody help me out here?

Also the stem seems to be too large to thread onto the new one, which kinda pisses me off, because I can't return the switch. May have to Macgyver something there

 

What year truck?

 

1991 f150 lariat tilt wheel

 

I take the connector off, fish the wires down the column then reinstall the connector.

 

I mean how do you actually get to the switch, I can't seem to

 

I took the steering wheel off, and then from there I removed the two screws holding the switch. I then removed the wire by the hazard switch which is one screw. Remove the turn signal lever. Then I cut the wires about 2 or three inches above the old connector. I then removed the red clip on the new switch connector and pulled the wires out. Be careful doing so not to break the connector on the wire that sticks into the big connector, I did that and had to solder it back together. Then I Pushed the wires down the column. You may have to remove the black loom thing around the wires to get it to fit. Once it goes through if you had to take the loom thing off put that back in. Then from there I put the wires into the connector again, make sure to put them exactly how they are in the old connector which you cut off of the old switch this is why you cut the wires with a few inches remaining in the connector so you can see what goes where. Install the turn signal lever, and test the tilt. From there test brake lights, reverse lights (not sure if reverse lights are tied into the switch someone else might be able to tell you), hazards, and turn signals. If all of those function put the steering wheel on and then you're good to go.
If you would like I can find the YouTube channel that had the 3 videos on how to do this.

 

That sounds like an absolute pain in the *** if you wouldnt mind finding that channel, ill take a look at that. Thanks

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oou2FPEGiLw
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Here's the videos, I don't remember if you have to lower the column. If you do its just 2 bolts on the steering column bracket. I noticed his was lowered, but you might be able to get away with it without doing that. But it is probably just easier to remove the 2 bolts and lower it to make things go smoother. You will have to remove the lower dash trim panels if you lower the column, that's easy, just a screw headlight, washer *****, and some clips.

 

I did this once, sometime around 2009. Obviously, don't remember all the details. What I *do* remember is that after fiddling around with it for hours and getting nowhere, I decided to remove the column and attempt the repair on the bench. Once I did that, everything went smoothly. The column only takes a few minutes to remove, you might wanna try that

 

As long as it's easy and doesn't require any special tools, I'm interested. (I don't have a garage or any tools)

 

If you remove the column like he said, if its an auto make sure you get a bushing beforehand for the shift linkage if you remove the shift linkage from the column you don't have to its just an absolute pain to fish it through the firewall attached to the column. Its just 5 bolts on the firewall, the ignition switch plug, and the 2 bracket bolts to remove the column, and the turn signal plug. You would also have to remove the lower panels like I said above to remove the column. And if its an auto and the cables still there, you'd have to remove the gear indicator cable. BE CAREFUL removing the cable for the gear indicator if you do, even if you just lower the column you should. Those gear indicator cables aren't made by ford anymore and the amazon ones are crap by the looks of it. They are VERY VERY brittle if they are original, so even if your just lowering the column remove that because if you break it and you don't have pick and pulls near you it could cost you a lot of money to get one. Usually they are sold with the gear indicator, so that means that you have to buy the whole indicator and ive seen them on eBay for $150. That's the last thing you want to do, ive asked about them before and someone here said every time they go to the junkyard they take all of them off the trucks there. So they are high demand at junkyards to by the sound of it. Every time ive seen a column in the yard on the website someones already pulled the column and stuff a few days later. Its easy to remove the column, its just time consuming if you haven't done it before. You'll probably be fine removing the cable, just be careful with it so it doesn't get ruined. If you have a manual then don't worry about a gear indicator cable.

 

Luckily mine is a manual, so that's not a problem for me. This still sounds like a PITA, but doable. damnit why can't anything be easy

 

^^^ what he said. Now that you mention it, I recall the truck in my story was floor shift. And I do know those column-shift bushings do not like to be disturbed!

w/r/t quality of Amazon shift indictor cables: meh. The Ford ones are dog $h1+ too! So you're very right that caution with the original is the best course of action.

 

This is the switch btw, not sure if it means anything, but just figured I'd show it.

 

What went wrong with the old one?