No Start- 85 S10 Blazer

[coargonaut]

A little help here, if you please.

A 1985 S-10 Blazer, 4 x 4 with tilt wheel. It will not start. Insert the key, and it doesn't do anything. No accessory click, no on click, no start or no return from start. It acts like the cylinder is not connected too the internal mechanism. Yea, can't shift the gear selector lever.
Pulled the steering wheel, and removed the lock cylinder and it seems to work OK. I am told that there is some sort of rod that activates some switch, but I have been unsuccessful in figuring out what this mechanism is called, and where I can get a diagram or schematic of the steering column. I am thinking of stopping off at my local dealer to see if they have a diagram.
Any hints>

Ed

[Oldtruckfanatic]

The mechanism is the ignition switch...It's on top of the steering column about half way down with a bunch of wires coming out of it. There's a rod between the lock cylinder and the switch via a mini rack and pinion setup (the key turns a gear that moves a toothed bar in and out and the rod is connected to it). there are two screws holding the switch to the column and the rod is bent 90 degrees at the end that goes into a slot in the switch. The problem for you sounds like it's in the little rack part since there is tang on it that makes the shifter lock in park so it most likely has stripped or broken the little toothed bar or the gear that moves it. If you can't shift it out of park the little bar isn't moving when you turn the key. Hope this helps.

[coargonaut]

Not sure the real name for some of these parts.
There is a gear, driving off of the ignition cylinder. The rack is part of what I call an actuator rod.
Finally dug down far enough to see this actutor rod is broke- sheared off. Now to fish out the other pieces, and get a new part. Off to a parts store I go.

thanks for the advice.

Ed