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Replacing Ignition Actuator
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Replacing Ignition Actuator
I’ve received help from FTE in the past and I wanted to return the favor. If you haven’t had the unfortunate luck of hearing a snap in your steering column and not being able to start your truck or get it out of gear consider yourself lucky. If it does happen to you don’t shell out $300 to have Ford do it. I recently had to replace the Actuator located in the steering column. It is found in tilt columns and from what I was told it commonly breaks due to people pulling on the steering wheel getting in.
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Lower your wheel all the way down and put your key in ACC. To start you take off the horn pad. To do this you will need a #20 torx, (#15 will or a 5/16 socket will work). Remove the 2 screws on the backside of the wheel that hold it on. Next mark where the steering wheel in located so you can put it back in the same spot and loosen the large nut holding the wheel on with a 15/16 socket. Get a steering wheel puller and 2- 5/16 Fine thread bolts at least 2 ½ “ long (At home depot they are printed with AWJ on the head). Look for two small threaded holes near the base of the steering wheel. If you haven’t already remove the black wire clipped in the hole. Thread the 5/16 bolts into the hole by hand to make sure they are the right ones. Place the steering wheel puller over the center shaft and the bolts into the holes and tighten the puller down till the wheel pops and becomes loose. If it feels like your wrenching to hard give the puller a little whack on the top of it’s bolt to help it out. Now you should have the wheel off.
At this point you will remove the turn signal lever on the side by unscrewing it. Take a ¼ socket and remove the screw holding down a little black box near the hazard switch. Remove the 2 Phillips screws holding down the turn signal. You need to get the turn signal assembly out of the way. You might have to push some of the wires up from the bottom to get some slack. Remove the 3 black Phillips screws under it. At this point you should be able to take off the part of the column with the key in it. If a black grease part with gear teeth on it fell out your ok. Now you should be able to see the broken part. It looks like half of a wishbone. I would remove any broken pieces that you can now. The part attached to the rod is held in by a roll pin. If you don’t have a small punch to tap it out with take a nail no bigger than the roll pin and grind the point off of it and use it to tap the pin out far enough to let the rod out but not so far it falls out and you lose it. Once the part is out take the roll pin and place it into the new part just enough to hold it in. There is a square hole at the top center below where the wishbone was. There is probably a piece stuck in there. If you can pull it out with needle nose or something pull it out. If you have trouble wiggle the shift lever around push it up towards park. If the piece is down in the hole get a ¼ “ dowel or similar and put some hot glue on the end of it and push it down against the piece in the hole and pull it out. How take 2 8-32 screws or bolts and thread them into the hinge pins on the side of the steering column. They are silver and stand out against the painted parts. Screw the screws in as far as you can and then grab on with pliers and hit the pliers with a hammer to pull them out. Now you should have enough play to get the new part in. If you need more just pull down on the steering shaft. Slip the new part in making sure the it all lines up correctly. And the rod is put back and you push the roll pin back into place to hold the rod.
It’s time to reassemble. Put the hinge pins back in place. Place the black pin on the new actuator into the elongated slot of the black part from earlier. Get the column part with the key into. Put the blinker assembly into it. Make sure the key in on ACC. and put the black part up inside there and rotate the key and it should suck it up into the housing. Holding the housing down on the column you should be able to rotate the key from Acc. to lock and remove the key in the black piece is in right. If not try removing the part and replacing it. Once it works you can put the 3 black screws in, the 2 screws for the blinker assembly, them the ¼ screw over the Hazards, now the blinker rod. Align the wheel to where you had it before and tighten the nut and put the work pad back on.
<o></o>
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o></o>Lower your wheel all the way down and put your key in ACC. To start you take off the horn pad. To do this you will need a #20 torx, (#15 will or a 5/16 socket will work). Remove the 2 screws on the backside of the wheel that hold it on. Next mark where the steering wheel in located so you can put it back in the same spot and loosen the large nut holding the wheel on with a 15/16 socket. Get a steering wheel puller and 2- 5/16 Fine thread bolts at least 2 ½ “ long (At home depot they are printed with AWJ on the head). Look for two small threaded holes near the base of the steering wheel. If you haven’t already remove the black wire clipped in the hole. Thread the 5/16 bolts into the hole by hand to make sure they are the right ones. Place the steering wheel puller over the center shaft and the bolts into the holes and tighten the puller down till the wheel pops and becomes loose. If it feels like your wrenching to hard give the puller a little whack on the top of it’s bolt to help it out. Now you should have the wheel off.
At this point you will remove the turn signal lever on the side by unscrewing it. Take a ¼ socket and remove the screw holding down a little black box near the hazard switch. Remove the 2 Phillips screws holding down the turn signal. You need to get the turn signal assembly out of the way. You might have to push some of the wires up from the bottom to get some slack. Remove the 3 black Phillips screws under it. At this point you should be able to take off the part of the column with the key in it. If a black grease part with gear teeth on it fell out your ok. Now you should be able to see the broken part. It looks like half of a wishbone. I would remove any broken pieces that you can now. The part attached to the rod is held in by a roll pin. If you don’t have a small punch to tap it out with take a nail no bigger than the roll pin and grind the point off of it and use it to tap the pin out far enough to let the rod out but not so far it falls out and you lose it. Once the part is out take the roll pin and place it into the new part just enough to hold it in. There is a square hole at the top center below where the wishbone was. There is probably a piece stuck in there. If you can pull it out with needle nose or something pull it out. If you have trouble wiggle the shift lever around push it up towards park. If the piece is down in the hole get a ¼ “ dowel or similar and put some hot glue on the end of it and push it down against the piece in the hole and pull it out. How take 2 8-32 screws or bolts and thread them into the hinge pins on the side of the steering column. They are silver and stand out against the painted parts. Screw the screws in as far as you can and then grab on with pliers and hit the pliers with a hammer to pull them out. Now you should have enough play to get the new part in. If you need more just pull down on the steering shaft. Slip the new part in making sure the it all lines up correctly. And the rod is put back and you push the roll pin back into place to hold the rod.
It’s time to reassemble. Put the hinge pins back in place. Place the black pin on the new actuator into the elongated slot of the black part from earlier. Get the column part with the key into. Put the blinker assembly into it. Make sure the key in on ACC. and put the black part up inside there and rotate the key and it should suck it up into the housing. Holding the housing down on the column you should be able to rotate the key from Acc. to lock and remove the key in the black piece is in right. If not try removing the part and replacing it. Once it works you can put the 3 black screws in, the 2 screws for the blinker assembly, them the ¼ screw over the Hazards, now the blinker rod. Align the wheel to where you had it before and tighten the nut and put the work pad back on.
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 537
Likes: 2
From: Alabama
Yeah, did mine about 4 months ago. At that time I couldn't find a lot about it, but I managed to muddle thru. I posted numerous post on here also to help anyone who needs to make this repair. According to my dealer they still repair this on even the new trucks. Ford must not have changed their design on steering columns in awhile. Thanks for the post. This thing can be a hair puller if you don't have any help and information.
guzzler96
guzzler96
New User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Lakeland,FL
Hi all, This just happened to mine ,I didnt know where to look for the (special part) and i needed immediate use of the truck so ,I (Jerry rigged)the ignition rod to stick out of the housing so i could run it. So this part is a dealer part,huh? I plan on replacing that and the bent rod also.About how much does it cost,anyone know? thanks,
William H.
89' F150 Longbed ,twin tanks
4.9 straight 6 , 5 speed
William H.
89' F150 Longbed ,twin tanks
4.9 straight 6 , 5 speed
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 537
Likes: 2
From: Alabama
About $10 for the lower actuator. If you can do a search by lower actuator or ignition you can probably find one I posted with the part numbers and prices. If you can't find it I will see if I can locate it when I get home and post back.
guzzler96
guzzler96
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 537
Likes: 2
From: Alabama
Thanks rernst. I think they must use that same design on everything. You should probably be careful if you have a tilt wheel with the clips that hold the tilt mechanism bar in, they bend pretty easily. I ordered those from the dealer and replaced mine while I was in there. Come in a pack of (6) for a reasonable price. Pay attention to how they fit on prior to removal. Makes them easier to put back.
guzzler96
guzzler96
Trending Topics
New User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 14
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From: Lakeland,FL
I really appreciate the info,It helps knowing that this isn't going to be a till death(the truck) setup. William H.
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Joe Kucinski
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 537
Likes: 2
From: Alabama
Unless you have a whole lot more cooperative dealer than I have here they won't tell you. Tried to ask my dealer some questions and they wouldn't even talk to me. They want to do the repair not help us do it. That's fair, but not helpful. You can get a pivot pin remover made by OTC and others, available at NAPA here, that makes doing those pins really easy.
guzzler96
guzzler96
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