How To Install an Ignition Switch in 1970 Dodge Dart

[abodyjoe]

ign 1 and ign 2 have to be tied together without a ballast.

 

[MoparMark91]

So brown and dark blue have to be tied together at the column connector that connects it to my aftermarket harness for it to start and run? In my picture that is what I'm dealing with the red was cut already by some idiot. So I just combine those to and connect it to my new column conector that is pink for my ignition coil. Again sorry if this sounds confusing I'll take more pictures in a couple hours

 

[Silverswinger]

I'm rewiring my 1970 dodge dart swinger. I also used kwikwire. It does say you can use the ballastor for this but now im stuck like you are. Or were

 

[frumharlem]

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.

Wait what? This sounds interesting, and may be the solution to the mystery! But, I don't understand what you are saying I need to do. I do have floor shift. It was converted from column at some point. I don't know what year the column came out of, because the car was like it when I bought it.
YES, there is a baby black wire that came connected in the harness (Standard Ignition Brand unit). There was also a large (like all others) Black wire and red wire. The instructions indicated that if not a 1976 model, you simply push the Red and black thick wires into the 2 marked empty positions on the harness. I did this. But, what am I to do exactly with the baby thin black wire? I am not following your instructions.

The issue worsened. I bought a new ignition switch. I put it in and regained power to all the correct wires with key turn positions, as it should. But, still no power to the brand new MSD 6aL that I just bought and swapped. So, then I went to another strategy. My Ground Wires.

Yesterday I added all new Ground Wires. I used 4 gauge and ran the following:
4 gauge from Neg Pole of Battery to the Radiator Core Support
4 gauge from Neg Pole of Battery to the inner fender
4 gauge from Neg Pole of Battery to Frame Rail
New braided strap from rear of block to the bell housing
8 gauge wire from steering column (right below the diamond cut out section, and anchored to the firewall.
8 gauge wire from upper steering column to mounting bracket bolt to dash.
8 gauge wire from under dash (just left of the emergency brake handle to the steering column mount.

The issue worsened. My ignition switch has not failed yet, but NOW, as soon as I turn the key to the accessory notch the main in-line 30 amp fuse pops!

I am sure 30 amps is way too much, and I intend on bringing that down to 20 amp once I finally get this all resolved.

 

[frumharlem]

no different you just have the ballast wires tied together.

I tried that for my 1971 Dart. I had 2 brown wires on one side of the ballast (outer end) and 2 blue wires and a black wire on the left (inner). I tried tying the left wires and then took one brown wire of the two (the one that was not going to the bulkhead, but the one coming out of it) and connected that to the thin red wire of the MSD 6AL. I also took the blue wire out of the Voltage regulator and tied that also to the thin red wire to the MSD 6AL box. Still not working though. just swapped the 6AL box for a new one ..still not working.

 

[frumharlem]

ign 1 and ign 2 have to be tied together without a ballast.

I assume that the splice is on the other side of the ignition switch harness. Meaning not the side going to the column, but after the male end of the harness that goes into the bulkhead connection in firewall?

 

[frumharlem]

a wiring diagram would be your best friend..

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

View attachment 1715082566

Question.... I replaced my bulkhead connector with a new one. I "thought" I swapped wire for wire keeping each one in the right location. But now I am second guessing. The Yellow wire on the ignition switch harness you show in the picture, on my car is HOT all the time. With key or without key turned to Accessory, run or start. I am blowing fuses and not sure if it is a bad ignition switch, a short somewhere under dash or simply the wrong wire connection at bulkhead.

 

[RedFish]

Wait what? This sounds interesting, and may be the solution to the mystery! But, I don't understand what you are saying I need to do. I do have floor shift. It was converted from column at some point. I don't know what year the column came out of, because the car was like it when I bought it.
YES, there is a baby black wire that came connected in the harness (Standard Ignition Brand unit). There was also a large (like all others) Black wire and red wire. The instructions indicated that if not a 1976 model, you simply push the Red and black thick wires into the 2 marked empty positions on the harness. I did this. But, what am I to do exactly with the baby thin black wire? I am not following your instructions.

The issue worsened. I bought a new ignition switch. I put it in and regained power to all the correct wires with key turn positions, as it should. But, still no power to the brand new MSD 6aL that I just bought and swapped. So, then I went to another strategy. My Ground Wires.

Yesterday I added all new Ground Wires. I used 4 gauge and ran the following:
4 gauge from Neg Pole of Battery to the Radiator Core Support
4 gauge from Neg Pole of Battery to the inner fender
4 gauge from Neg Pole of Battery to Frame Rail
New braided strap from rear of block to the bell housing
8 gauge wire from steering column (right below the diamond cut out section, and anchored to the firewall.
8 gauge wire from upper steering column to mounting bracket bolt to dash.
8 gauge wire from under dash (just left of the emergency brake handle to the steering column mount.

The issue worsened. My ignition switch has not failed yet, but NOW, as soon as I turn the key to the accessory notch the main in-line 30 amp fuse pops!

I am sure 30 amps is way too much, and I intend on bringing that down to 20 amp once I finally get this all resolved.

View attachment 1715542725

View attachment 1715542724

OK In the grand scheme of things, wires are the same color on both sides of any connector, ignition switch, bulkhead, all. Many steering columns are built with 3 additional wires coming down from switch area. 2 are pink and for key warning buzzer. 1 is orange and for the PRNDL lamp. Instead of adding another harness connector they used 3 ports of this ignition switch connector. That leaves only 5 of its 8 ports for the ignition switch wires. Not a problem when the ignition switch used in this column build had only 5 wires. Since the aftermarket already put the small gauge black wire where the orange wire belongs, I dont try to back it out and do something different with it. I just take the orange wire out of the connector on car harness side and use male and female spade terminals to connect it.
to this day I still don't know if this black wire is hot or ground, what models used it. Doesn't matter in my a-body example. It dead ends in the connector, no tape required.
Their instructions assume we will line up red with red, black with black. Why they don't leave this small black wire out of their connector also is a mystery to me. They could simply throw the connector in the box and state in instructions, "place wires to match the cars harness connector. Tape away any unused".
30 amp main inline fuse pops? That replaced a fusible link? Is is a small fuse or or large/what they call maxi fuse?

 

[yeager]

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.

Making sure i understand, i can snip the small black wire and abandon it? The switch dosent need it?