column-mount ignition switch

[chevyhed53]

I am putting a new ignition switch on my GM column. What position (all the way rearward, frontward, in-between) should the key and the rod be in at installation? And which of the "stops" should the switch be set on at installation? Any good wiring diagrams would be appreciated as well. I've seen a number of them online, and they are not consistent. Thanks!

[hatzie]

The GM service manuals and wiring diagrams are in my sig...

[MikeB]

Just installed one a few months ago. What I remember is adjusting the fore/aft location on the column so the ignition key would engage the the ACC circuit on one end and the starter motor on the other. In other words, make sure the key will move the switch thru its full range of travel.

[chevyhed53]

Thanks very much. My mistake was tightening it down first, then moving the rod.

[chevyhed53]

I'm encountering different diagrams online for the column mount ignition switch. One shows the purple solenoid wire below the pink ignition wire. The other has the solenoid wire on the opposite side (to the right) of the pink wire. Confused!

[hatzie]

The ignition switch wiring colors are not one-size-fits-all... even tho the switch terminal functions don't change over several years the wiring colors can be different. The colors are entirely year dependent.
Download the GM wiring diagrams for your year truck from my manuals post.

[chevyhed53]

Thanks, will do. Problem is figuring out exactly what year PO cobbled parts together. Truck is a '56 on an early '70s truck frame, with some Chevelle running gear. I've upgraded the steering, redid the interior including gauges, did some re-wiring, and just swapped the TH350 for a 4-speed, with mechanical clutch linkage. Got immersed in the ignition switch when I put a new CVR starter in place of the old GM unit that wouldn't clear the new 621 bellhousing. When I bought the truck some years ago, a friend told me I should immediately rewire the whole thing. Nah, I said, I'll do it in sections. Bad decision!

[hatzie]

Since this is custom I'd draw your own color diagram for the switch plug. I'd be sorely tempted to draw up a full wiring diagram of my own for something that's Frankensteined together by someone else.

You can magnify the PDF to 200% to 300% or so, select the switch area of the picture, copy to the clipboard, paste to a image editor like GIMP or even CAD software, and print the image on a letter size sheet as a starting point.

The GM wiring diagrams will give you the switch function pinout so you can correlate your colors to the functions and move on from there.

As tempting as it is to rip it all out and start over it's usually a better idea to do bite size repairs that you can complete in a day or two and document it as you go. The '56 original wiring should be fairly simple and any original 6V wires will be oversize for 12v service.