How To Install an Ignition Switch in 1970 Dodge Dart

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abodyjoe

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How To Install an Ignition Switch in 1970 Dodge Dart

Here's a How To for installing an ignition switch. This is on a 70 Dodge Dart

If your gonna do the ignition switch, you may as well do the turn signal switch while in there. That way everything in the column is new..

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First pull the wheel...
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Pull the turn signal stalk and unscrew the turn signal switch..
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Pull the column screws out
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Pull the snap ring...
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Slide the column apart.
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Pull the next snap ring off by the steering lock plate.
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Then this little cover. It covers the roll pin that holds the steering lock plate on..
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Pull the roll pin out..
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Then slide the lock plate off.
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Pull the two screws that hold the plate on.
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Pull the ignition switch screws.
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Let the two switches hang for now..

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Now pull the column down
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Then the mounting plate needs to come off..The little wire cover comes off
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With the mounting plate down and the column hanging you can fish the old wires up through the column. Then the new wires just get fished back down and you reverse the entire procedure and put it back together.

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do you know which wire is which on that ignition switch

a wiring diagram would be your best friend..:)

here are what the wires were on that switch...

71DartIgnitionWiring.jpg
 
Many reproduction switches have a extra smaller gauge black wire poked in a connector port where the factory poked the orange wire that goes to shift bezel illumination ( column shift, varies with model and/or build ). This extra wire isn't shown in above drawing, nor is what the factory did at the connector port shown as open.
To put it together as received will only blow a fuse. If you don't have the special tools required to remove terminals from connectors, go ahead and snip the orange wire. Make it up to the wire coming from that bulb socket beside the OEM connector. Male and female spade terminals or simple butt crimp. The extra black wire,,, just forget its there.
 
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I have the Napa switch but it never came with the diagram I'm trying to hook it up to a Ron Francis wiring harness but thank you guys that diagram is lifesaver very hard to find
 
i used a standard brand switch from napa when i did the american auto wire harness in my dart. that diagram is what we made after wiring my car to remember what exactly we did..lol
 
I have a 1974 dodge dart and I don't know if the new ignition switch I bought will fit in the car because the old wires has 8 wires in the connection and the new one has only 6 wires. I need help can someone explain to me
 
I am not an ignition pro. But I can't tell you how many times I have gone to get a part for my car and they give me the wrong year, or the right part, but to a different car. Double check with another parts store if you can, but you are in the right place to find the answers. Not everyone here knows everything but everyone here knows something about everything. Give it time, you will get a better answer soon, prob this week end.
 
I have a 1974 dodge dart and I don't know if the new ignition switch I bought will fit in the car because the old wires has 8 wires in the connection and the new one has only 6 wires. I need help can someone explain to me

Many plastic harness connectors do have 8 or more ports. And the OEM engineers would use the extra ports for connection of other items/circuits, like the column shift indicator lamp, key buzzer, etc... where they were building a separate assembly like a steering column. Here's another example... Your alternator has 3 wires but that engine harness connector has temp sender and many other wires routed through it. Anyway...
All the ignition switches have 6 terminals where wires could be attached. All aftermarket replacement switches have a wire attached to each terminal. Majority of OEM switches had only 5 wires attached. A large red, a large black, a blue, a brown, and a yellow.
It's my understanding that some vehicles did use that 6th switch terminal/small black wire.
 
That has got to be the best help aid I've seen on FABO yet. Even though I need something like that for a dash mounted (69 Dart) ignition switch that was impressive. Nice job Joe. Now go and do a 69 Dart.
 
That has got to be the best help aid I've seen on FABO yet. Even though I need something like that for a dash mounted (69 Dart) ignition switch that was impressive. Nice job Joe. Now go and do a 69 Dart.

Just what I need. Can I get a part number if this is the correct piece for a 1972 Duster?
 
Thanks. Your DIY has been very helpful. I found during my disassembly the sleeve over steering wheel lock pin was not installed. Should try to find and install one?
 
In a related question. I noted in your pictures when you dropped your steering wheel it is down several inches. When I drop mine it only comes down about 1 maybe 1 1/2 inches. Am I missing something?
 
I dont know if I'm in the right place but in need of help fellow a body owners! I am currently rewiring my 1971 dart and I'm caught up at the ignition switch, I do see the above diagram for new harness installation picture but I am not running a ballast resistor because i have pertonix in it so I am one wire too much on the ignition switch side. My question is in my setup with no resistor how do I wire the ignition switch as the new kwikwire harness only has 4 wires for ignition and ignition column side has 5.
 
What if I have my ballast resistor bypassed? How do I wire it then? I am wiring up a kwikwire harness
 
Yes that's what I did with original harness but with the aftermarket harness it does not give you that option, I have 4 wires from kwikwire side going to ignition switch connector but 5 on column ignition switch connector so fo I just splice my blue a brown together? I will post pictures here when I get home in a bit
 
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