Man i got into that column today and that was a job. I got as far as pulling the turn signal harness as far as i could and realized it was going to be a job. How in the world do you get enough slack to pull that column? I pulled the plug apart that the signal wires were attached to and it didn’t help much. Lol. I lubed everything up and pit it back together but had to take it apart again because although i had achieved what i wanted when adjusting for accessories power, it wouldn’t pull the rod for starting. You are probably right though…. Probably the gear rack is missing a tooth or two.
Once you've completed
@Ricko1966 suggestion...
This is the most common break on the rack, if you end up taking the column down this far plan for a difficult task.
To get slack in the turn signal wires If your turn signal switch doesn't need to be replaced:
1) Unplug the connector on the column under the dash
2) Record where each color wire goes into the connector (I like to take pictures)
3) De-pin the wires from their connector plug (there's a little barb on each pin in the connector that will release the wire)
4) Tie and/ or tape a string or another piece of wire to your wire bundle
5) unscrew the turn lever and hazard flasher knob
6) unscrew the turn signal switch
7) Pull the switch out as far as needed (make sure not to pull the string from step #4 so far that you cant grab it)
Re-assembly: Use the string to pull the wiring back in place, re-pin and reconnect everything in reverse order.
If you are replacing the existing switch with a new one - cut the wiring close to the switch and use the old wiring to pull the new harness through the column.
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