Just posting this to hopefully head off someone else having a problem and not be as lucky as me and have it happen in the driveway. For the last 2
weeks my ignition switch would not spring back on it's on after letting up when the motor started. I just didn't think much about it, didn't realize
the weak point that was about to let go. After I got it apart I found there is actually a round gear on the end of the key tumbler shaft that meshes
into a flat gear on the end of the shaft that goes down to the actual switch down the shaft. That gear looks like it is made out of the same material
as a tranny governer gear. It finally lost enough teeth it wouldn't move the rod to the switch. I found a new one and it looks like it is made out of
a different material like the tranny gear is. I say all this because I look back how many warnings have been given to me and I paid later for not
trying to figure out what the machine or my body was trying to tell me, Many of the old and not so old crumudgeons in this group can say there their
body was trying to tell them something and find themselves in the cat lab or surgery soon after. Changing this gear isn't hard just have a manual,
take lots of pictures, and a couple of special tools. I did move the rod up and down manually and it will start the motor fine and spring back on it's
own, I had changed the actual switch a few years ago so I didn't change it. When looking for this look for parts for a GM auto in the same years with
tilt wheel and the plastic gear has 6 teeth, there are some with 5. Just trying to help the next person from being stranded somewhere it's a cheap fix
unless you have to be towed.
Skip Hartline
--
74 Canyon Lands, FiTech,
3.7 FD, Manny Tranny,
Springfield Distributor,
2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd
weeks my ignition switch would not spring back on it's on after letting up when the motor started. I just didn't think much about it, didn't realize
the weak point that was about to let go. After I got it apart I found there is actually a round gear on the end of the key tumbler shaft that meshes
into a flat gear on the end of the shaft that goes down to the actual switch down the shaft. That gear looks like it is made out of the same material
as a tranny governer gear. It finally lost enough teeth it wouldn't move the rod to the switch. I found a new one and it looks like it is made out of
a different material like the tranny gear is. I say all this because I look back how many warnings have been given to me and I paid later for not
trying to figure out what the machine or my body was trying to tell me, Many of the old and not so old crumudgeons in this group can say there their
body was trying to tell them something and find themselves in the cat lab or surgery soon after. Changing this gear isn't hard just have a manual,
take lots of pictures, and a couple of special tools. I did move the rod up and down manually and it will start the motor fine and spring back on it's
own, I had changed the actual switch a few years ago so I didn't change it. When looking for this look for parts for a GM auto in the same years with
tilt wheel and the plastic gear has 6 teeth, there are some with 5. Just trying to help the next person from being stranded somewhere it's a cheap fix
unless you have to be towed.
Skip Hartline
--
74 Canyon Lands, FiTech,
3.7 FD, Manny Tranny,
Springfield Distributor,
2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd
