Hello, I am new here, lots of good info BTW. I have an 88 F150 that is very nice, but I have 1 problem. Recently, the ignition swich will not move all the way to start. I have pulled the colum down, and pulled the wheel. It is somewhere in the colum, the key swich will not push the rod all the way, it kinda moves all around, kinda katywompass. Something is worn in there. I can turn the switch on and jump it at the solenoid and all works well. What would be the easiest way to put a sytarter button or something? THX!

 

I just had the same problem in an 86 f150 I think. Mine would turn the key and not do anything else. Started it with plier son the silinoid (sp) and found I couldnt shift out of park, if thats the case what happened to me I had to take the housing that holds the ignition lock cylinder off. There was a piece of metal (the one that attaches the rod that goes down the top of the column to the switch i suppose) was broken off and stuck keeping it locked in park.

What I did was take the metal broken piece out of where it was, then push the rod on the top of the column down with some needle nose and it starts right up.

I don't know if that helps it all, im not to mechanically inclined, but no one else posted so if you have the same problem then you might be able to figure it out. (i just ripped it all apart and looked around to see if anything was broken)

Does the part that moves down when you turn the key kinda go down then bend? mine would do that (the piece of metal that broke was apparently a guide also, thus when the key turned to run, it all worked fine, then at start it would bend and not move the rod far enough)

Sorry about my messy confusing post, hope you get it working.

 

It is a manual, it will drive fine.....

 

The piece in question is the ignition rod actuator. To replace it requires disassembling the tilt part of the column. If it still will cut off, you could hook up a horn button to the starter solenoid to bypass the rod. Be sure to hook the power source to a "key on" 12 volts.