Looking for info on Van tilt column

[Rreemo]

My truck has been retro-fitted with a tilt column out of a van - appears to be late 70's - early 80's era.

My blinker return switch has never worked, and now my blinker arm has come loose. Pulling the steering wheel revealed that the small set screw that holds the arm is stripped. I think I need a new blinker switch too, but would like to see a diagram on this thing if possible....trying to figure out what all will need to be replaced.

Anyone havine information on these van columns?...and/or know if the parts for these things are available through places like Napa?

Thanks.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

The truck turnsignal switches are the same except for the indicator light which can be transferred over.

The part with the stripped threads can be replaced without pulling the switch. Pulling the switch can be a project so if no one else posts a schematic, I will snap a pic of the page in the repair manual.

Jim

[Rreemo]

Thanks for the reply. I can see that there is metal insert that goes into the backside of the plastic switch - that insert is what the securing screw for the lever goes into. Not sure where I can get one of those.

Can you tell me how the cancel function works? I can't tell from looking at it why the turn signals do not cancel....I'm wondering if there is a part missing, or if something is broken with the switch itself.

Thanks again for any help you can provide.

[sneakysnake]

Here is a breakdown pic I have.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

There should be two springs that are on the switch itself. If one or both are broke the cancelling will not work. Or it could be caused by the part that is broke.

I will check to see if I have an extra part like you need.

Jim

[Rreemo]

Originally Posted by JimKshortstep4x4

There should be two springs that are on the switch itself. If one or both are broke the cancelling will not work. Or it could be caused by the part that is broke.

I will check to see if I have an extra part like you need.

Jim

Thanks Jim - both springs are in place and appear to be in good shape....I will take a picture of what mine looks like and post it up tomorrow. I think I might just be missing some parts in this thing, but for sure will need the little metal nipple piece that the blinker arm secures into.

Thanks again!

[JimKshortstep4x4]

I have a good cancelling plate assembly but not the little pin, (the ones that I have are broken). The cancelling plate can be replaced without having to remove the switch.

Hopefully someone will have a good pin but if you need a cancelling plate without the pin, let me know.

JIm

[Rreemo]

I'm thinking about just going ahead and replacing the whole switch with a new one, I can get it locally for about $80. I keep reading where some guys are saying that replacement of the switch is a pain, but not seeing that it would be too bad myself. I assume most are referring to having to fish the harness and plug down through the column? I'm wondering why I couldn't just unpin the big plug the make it easier to pull the wires down through it? Tape a pull wire to it on the way out, to be taped to the new harness and pulled back through?

Am I missing something on this, anyone else have suggestions on replacing it and/or know of any reason why this wouldn't work?

Thanks.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

What you are describing will work.

One of the things that I have done is cut the old round style plug off leaving about 8" of pigtail. On the new switch I cut the wires off at the flat plug, feed the wires through, solder the wires to the circle plug and cover the joints with shrinkable tubing. It is a litle bit of a project but I can avoid using an adapter.

If your new switch has the round style plug then I would not cut the wires but disconnect them as you outlined.

Jim

[Rreemo]

Man, I am so put out with this thing right now.

I bought a brand new turn signal switch from Napa, and a new return cam as well. Took my time, got it all installed correctly, and was very careful to not over tighten that weenie little screw that holds the trun signal lever in place.

Once everything was back together, tested it out, and it worked perfectly! signals return both directions just as they are supposed to. So I decided to take the truck out for a cruise....drove around town quite a bit, used the signals a lot, and they continued to work normal....I did however realize that the wheel has to be turned about 1.5 revolutions before the return will work...no big deal, it's an old design...I can live with that. However, once I started heading back home, I made a turn and noticed that the turn signal lever was feeling loose again....it got much worse throughout the next 4-5 turns I had to make coming home. Once I got back into the garage at the house, it was all but falling off!!! ARRRGGG!!!!

I went ahead and pulled the wheel back off to get a look at it....that stupid little ba$tard screw appears that it is once again stripped out! I don't understand why this is happening....I was VERY careful to not over-tighten that screw, and was also very gentle when applying the turn signals.....is the little nipple that it screws into just that cheap? It appears as though it is made out of some sort of crappy pot-metal or something....I can't imagine that these things were this delcate when new.

Nevertheless, I'm not really sure what to do at this point....I had no luck whatsoever trying to find the nipple piece by itself, that was why I ended up buying the whole switch to begin with. At this point the only choice I think that I have is to try to tap it out to a slightly larger size, perhaps choose a thread pitch that isn't so ridiculously fine like what's in there now, and then use a gob of lock-tite when I go back together. Honestly not convinced that this will even be a permanent solution....this is just a horrible design, and evidently these replacement parts are just junk, b/c I don't know how I could have been any more careful putting this thing togher.....and I was also trying to be so careful applying the blinkers.....a normal person probably would have broken this thing on the first or second turn.

Anyone else deal with this nightmare before?....any other recommendations out there?

Any suggestions at all would be MOST appreciated.

[Rreemo]

All fixed now....I ended up pulling it all back out and tapped the nipple to #10/24, then used a machine screw and some lock-tite this time....so far so good, appears to be much more secure than what it came with.

If it will just hold now I'll be happy!