Ignition switch adjustment

[KFD70XR7]

Hey guys, I’m wondering if there’s a procedure in here for key sector clocking on the rack that actuates the starter plunger.

So I got the hand-me-down 70 cougar from my friend, and his cousin had lost the keys and made an absolute mess of that upper column. I got a replacement ignition switch, even got the same keyed to the door keys and got these pretty shiny New Old Stock Ford key blanks cut. My biggest issue now is trying to get the clocking of that bronze key sector gear. Where should the rack be to actuate the plunger? I do not have much travel from run to start, and it doesn’t start the car at all. I can turn the key, and use a screwdriver to jump the solenoid and it lights right off. Looking through the schematic I saw line 32A, and I have continuity from the harness over to the solenoid.

I haven’t seen a lot of posts in here about it, and to be clear this is also a non-tilt column. I have the switch pushed all the way forward and I I’m thinking that maybe I have the rack itself too far forward when I’m putting the bronze Gear in. If I have the gear on the corresponding socket on the lock cylinder to essentially what would be lock position, wouldn’t I have the rack all the way rearward?

Thanks!

[Hemikiller]

Snippet from the 71 shop manual, same switch with a different plug setup. Be aware the 70 switch is a one year part with a unique plug.

[KFD70XR7]

Thank you! I’m wondering if I have the sector gear clocked wrong. I’ll go check that. I’m also wondering if maybe I don’t have the upper column all the way on the intermediate tube, and maybe that’s also why I’m not getting enough plunger travel.

[68CoolCat]

Another couple things to check… Neutral Safety Switch Adjustment or Wiring for the switch. This was my problem after changing my ignition switch. Good Luck

[KFD70XR7]

I don’t think this one has one at all. This car was originally a two barrel automatic and sometime in the '80s or 90s got converted to a four-barrel four-speed. You don’t have to put it in reverse or to press the clutch to start it. This could all be related, I just replaced the turn signal switch with a new unit, that starter switch is new as well, and I just replaced the solenoid with a Motorcraft unit. Now before I took this thing apart to redo the head gaskets, it would light off with the key. Now I don’t have that. Something else fascinating is that the hazards nor the turn switches work, but if I pull the hazard knob and flick the turn switch, I have the gauge lights, and I hear the relay clicking, but outside of the car I have hazards! Fuses all look good, I don’t have instrument lights, but I do have tail lights. And I also just tested continuity for 32A from the solenoid to the harness, the connector is fine. I also was able to test the start switch, just in case my crimping from the old harness wires to the new Switch were bad, and they all showed good continuity. The bright side is after I replaced the solenoid, I started seeing the low fuel light working, but then again fuel gauge isn’t reading, and Bill just rebuilt that thing! I swear this car is going to test my patience in electronics. A lot of this stuff worked 15 years ago, but I don’t exactly know what has happened since the last time I saw the car until now. Is there going to be another relay somewhere in between the connector from the switch out to the solenoid?

[KFD70XR7]

Okay, an addendum to my last post, and thanks to diligent searching here, reading 68CoolCat’s reply, and re-reading the wiring schematics, I am an idiot. So I saw this harness that was connected to nothing. I disconnected it thinking it might have been the neutral safety switch from the cars past life as an automatic, or possibly for the AC compressor (which is the next project to tackle). Silly me, not realizing there’s an important dead loop in the 32A circuit, saw the key phrase “square four pin firewall connector” on a few posts here, and realized that useless harness I unplugged when I had the engine apart had a connector just like that. So, plugged it in, and viola! No more screwdriver terminal jumping starting!

I realize a lot of this was me being an askhole, and I should have just taken a little bit more time and studied the schematics a little harder. I definitely want to chronicle this for any other cougar (or Ford) neophyte who is having the same issue.

Stay tuned while I figure out why I dont have dash lights, turn signals, or brake lights. The headlight doors and hi and low beams work, I even have taillights, and the hazards function when I raise or lower the signal stalk.

[68CoolCat]

Glad it helped. When you get all the other stuff working let us know what the issues were. Although mine starts/stops with a key finally nothing else you mentioned works on mine. Currently dealing with a transmission leak

[xr7g428]

You will never know how many people you helped with this thread. When I look at the site numbers it is very clear that the vast majority of people come here searching for answers. If they find what they need they happily move on until next time. After they have been here a few times and they start to recognize a few names they might develop enough trust to sign up. In the mean time we are helping our Cougar brothers and sisters.

The part that is really sad is that some people are so afraid of being scammed they won’t sign up. Instead they send emails to the tech support address or what ever with questions they want answered or to try to add comments to a topic. When I tell them they can sign up for free, there is no advertising, and we won’t sell or use their email for any other purpose they flat don’t believe it. The world sucks that way.

[KFD70XR7]

Okay guys… Let’s start off with a quote…

[quote=“coachJack, post:4, topic:5678”]

breaker

[/quote]

Instead of aggregating an old thread, I’ll post to mine. In the last episode, I forgot to reattach the neutral safety switch loop, now we are starting.

On to the stop lights that don’t work.

I did notice something kind of wacky with the flashers, their functionality is intermittent, if I depress the turn signal stalk like I’m making a left, I get the hazards out back, and a left directional up front. I have a left indicator inside, and the relay clicks along. Pull the hazard knob, I get zip. Nothing. No turn signals, no flashers. And it also looks like my sequentials aren’t working either. Joy.

Ordered a 15a breaker from WCC, only to discover that the breaker was disconnected! Now I found the green-red wire with the push connector, the only one I’ve found is the bluish grey one, but if I’m reading the manual right, the only other connector like that would be for the cigar lighter, and I think is blue-white stripe. My question is, where in the French Toast is that other green-red wire?! Now the stop light switch is plugged in, and I can see those wires going back into the harness.

And I honestly don’t remember if I had voltage to the switch itself, I think I jumped the plug to see if it was a switch and ruled that out.

Also, my glove box light will stay on regardless, and even after replacing that door switch it’s always on, I don’t think that plug is even remotely tied to the brake light circuit. For context, this is my first foray into Fords, so I’m a little blind here! The clock does light up, but its not working currently.

And here’s a photo of the car with the Magnum 500/Road wheels. I decided to go with a dark bronze, and the spokes I painted a graphite Argent.

So I guess to clarify, both wires to the thermal breaker are green-red, I see another connector with two green wires, but it doesn’t look like they have the length to go there, that rules them out. What the heck is that grey wire I’ve got going to the thermal breaker, I don’t see that on the schematic!

[Calicat]

The wire feeding the 15A breaker from the fuse box should be black/yellow, and then the wire out of the breaker feeding the brake lights and emergency flasher should be green/red. Not sure what you mean about looking for the “other” green/red wire?

[KFD70XR7]

Thanks for getting back to me! And this why I knew someone could help me! I was under the impression that both sides of the 15 amp breaker were that green yellow. I will dig into that spaghetti mess and see if I can find that red black wire you’re speaking of!

[Calicat]

You are looking for a black/yellow with the push-on terminal, not red black.

[KFD70XR7]

So what I’ve found so far is one other push terminal, but it’s grey. Im going to take a wild guess and say that is for the cigar lighter. I see that green yellow, but I’m not seeing any red black coming off of the harness at all. Would this be something closer up underneath the dash pad and instrument cluster area?

I also have that yellow connector with a black wire, and the 3 prong male female with orange, black/black, white. Are those for the radio?

[Calicat]

Don’t understand why you are looking for a red black wire?
Brake light/emergency flashers power feed to circuit breaker is a black/yellow wire, and I see several possibilities in your pic.

Yes, the lighter power feed is blue/white - probably has faded to look grey.

And the 3 prong plug with white, orange, and dual black goes to the stereo speakers from the radio.

[KFD70XR7]

Hey Calicat! Thanks for the info, and I did find that wire, tucked against the opening, so we are in business!!

I have my sequentials (well at least right) and hazards as well. The left directional energizes like it should, but then the right flashes in unison, but I’ll take what I can get!