720inOlyWa Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 As an aside, before I ask my tiny question here, a little story.... My wife has a POS 2010 Nissan Versa. The back latch failed early in the game, a common problem. The actuator for this latch lives in the passenger side door and it take a shit ton of fucking around to get to it and replace it. The part aint cheap neither. The dealership wanted almost $900 for the job. As a result, she drives it with a failed back latch. My 1995 Subaru legacy wagon had an innition switch failure and the switch is hard wired into some other bullshit, so it cost me about $300 to replace it. This car has given me well over 330k miles with very little difficulty, so I gladly fixed it. The ignition switch on a 720 that I am rehabbing has some issues. It is probably worn out, so I started looking for a replacement. RockAuto offers three options, raging from $10.95 to 16.95, plus shipping. Connecting the dots, we have gone from a $10.95 world, to a $900 world, since 1984. And people think I am weird for loving my little old King Cabs. Sheeeit. ANYWAY, I got the switch coming this way. But it didn‘t say that it comes with a key, so I doubt it does. What is the SOP here for keying this switch? Do I take the switch to a key maker and he can cut a key for it based upon the serial number on the switch? They don‘t do anything to match the switch to my existing key, do they? I figured that this was now going to be a two key truck, but I am not sure how to go about getting a key for the new switch. Any advice? Quote Link to comment
Roadster-ka Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 If you got only the electrical part, and at that price seems likely, it won't have the steering lock asst. Simply one screw to replace the switch portion Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 As roadster stated, the electrical and tumbler sections are seperate. You can take your new tumbler to a locksmith and have them key it to your old key if you want. Should not be difficult for them. If it comes with a key code listed most locksmiths could also cut keys from that, but then you would need a door key and a different ignition key. I prefer to match them. 1 Quote Link to comment
720inOlyWa Posted October 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2017 Okay, so my tumbler and ignition switch arrived this morning. So I gleefully headed out to install them, only to hit a dead end. The switch and tumbler fit into a mounting pylon that attaches to the steering column. To get that off, so I can replace the switch and tumbler itself, I need to remove the mounting pylon. Only problem is, of the 4 screws holding the pylon on, only two are phillips head. The other two have no slot or cross in the heads at all. (probably a security thing?) Before I just cut slots in these ‘screws‘ to back them out, I thought I would ask if there is a better way... Is it possible to remove the switch and tumbler witout removing the mounting pylon? 1 Quote Link to comment
tr8er Posted October 11, 2017 Report Share Posted October 11, 2017 You have the right idea. Dremel a slot. Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted October 11, 2017 Report Share Posted October 11, 2017 Yep use a dremel or hacksaw to cut a slot and the use a flat head screwdriver to remove them. Then replace them with better hardware. Quote Link to comment
bananahamuck Posted October 12, 2017 Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 Slot with a dremel,,,,, HAH!! I say ... Cut off wheel on a 4 1/2" grinder is way faster . 1 Quote Link to comment
720inOlyWa Posted October 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 I am like a surgeon with my dremel cutoff wheel. I cannot remember not having one, which suggests that perhaps I shouldn‘t operate one now... Nah! I did something today that, as soon as I recognized that I did it, made me ask myself ‘So are you gonna post THIS on your Ratsun thread, Mr. Shitferbrains?!?‘. I got interrupted while taking off the steering column shrouds and generally doing the tear down to those pylon studs with no head. So I had to step away and go in the house and do something and then I came back to the truck to maybe think about grinding a slot in the blind studs. I was feeling kind of good about things because the shrouds had dismantled so easily, and everything seemed so clean and well lubricated under there. Also, as a bonus, I discovered an adjustable steering column lever. Now why the hell hadn‘t I noticed that before? Weird. Oh well, let‘s wrap this job up and see if we fixed the choke relay problem.... And that‘s when it struck me like a thousand pound shit hammer: I had just dismantled the steering column in the wrong truck. The column of my daily driver- which had been totally rehabbed within the past year- was now torn down to the quick. Uhh, what? Here, hold my beer.... Actually, that reminds me of a great column that used to appear in R/C Modeler magazine, many years ago. The column was called Mr. DumDum which admittedly, was a weak title. But the content was hilarious as it consisted of stories not unlike mine above, only told from the R/C flying field and, of course, as told by the guilty party. Mr. DumDum was both a confessional, and a good laugh at someone else‘s expense (unless it was your story). Those two things are usually funny and always good for the soul. Now I wonder if that idea could translate to the forum world... 1 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted October 12, 2017 Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 Insert face palm here. :lol: Quote Link to comment
tr8er Posted October 12, 2017 Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 We've all been there... Well, not really, but I hope it made you feel better for a sec. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted October 12, 2017 Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 We've all been there... Well, not really, but I hope it made you feel better for a sec. I can honestly say I have never pulled the wrong truck apart, I have grabbed the wrong keys before, but I have a lot of trucks. Quote Link to comment
720inOlyWa Posted October 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 In my defense, all three of my trucks are the same color, same interior, etc. Plus, I am 68 and a refugee from the Woodstock Nation, so... 2 Quote Link to comment
dgi Posted October 12, 2017 Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 Doesn't the switch just fasten to the back of the tumbler with two Phillips head screws? I've never looked at a 720 system, but my 280z and 510 work that way. I just took of the shroud, used a sort screwdriver, and voila! No need to even remove the locking mechanism. But, I'm sure a 720 owner can give you better info that I can. Quote Link to comment
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