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Ignition & brakelights

G Guest
I�ll give an update to the fine people on this forum first.
The garage door alteration and 4-post lift are all in and working great. The door alteration cost only $700 and gives me 9�10� of clearance.
I have been driving my new toy (blue 72L), and getting used to the unique experience these cars are to own and drive. My vette buddies are quite impressed, one guy even said it was the closest thing to a C5 that he�s been in.
Now for the questions;
The brake lights aren�t working; parking & taillights do work. I suspect the brake switch, any one have experience with this?

Next; the ignition switch has been a real pain. It has become an act of faith every time I pull the key out! Some times I spend over a minuet pushing in, jiggling and rotating the wheel before the dang key frees up and turns. I dropped the column, but when I got to the sheer off bolts I decided to back off and find out more about what I can do. Dose anyone make an ignition that gets around all the steering lock crap? If I drill out the shear bolts and get the module apart is there something I can change to make it work better?

Thanks for all your help and happy holidays!!
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marlinjackmarlinjackThe Machinist #5723 AMARGOSA MACHINE 'Running on Empty- Middle of Nowhere'
Sometimes the two wires going to the break light switch(at the proportioning valve), one falls off, happened to me. You can test the break lights by jumper wiring these two wires together, be advised that the KEY may have to be in the ON or RUN position. You can check the switch itself with a continuity checker(or just a buzzer/light bulb in series with a 12 volt source). Lastly, it is NOT impossible for BOTH break light BULBS to be burned out. About the ignition lock, as you have already found, the steering wheel will pinch the locking pin and jam the key from turning, turning the wheel will USUALLY free it up. In your case, it sounds as if the keys' teeth may be warn out enough so as to NOT unlock the tumbler, or the pins in the cylinder may be gummed up! Try a shot of WD-40 in there, you might surprise yourself. Good-Luck with it, Marlin.

[This message has been edited by MARLIN JACK (edited 12-16-2002).]
bosswrenchbosswrenchMember
Once the shear screws are out, the ignition switch can be removed. Inside there is a weak spring thats supposed to pop the tumber holder outward after pressure on the column lock is released. Often, this spring is broken. Some good lubriplate or equivalent on the 30-year old column lock will help. Virtually all Panteras I've driven do this; neutralizing the steering wheel so there is zero pressue on the locking device, followed by slight sideways pressure on the key will allow the tumbler part to pop out and the key will turn. Mine was like this whe I got it in 1980. I really should get in there and fix it sometime....
M milehighpan (Guest)
Thanks guys,
Marlin Jack, are you saying the brake bulb and the turn signal bulb/filiment arn't the same?

Jack Deryke, when I took the wire module off the left side of the ignition, I observed that the plunger wasn't pushing against the tumbler very well. I'll try the wd40, if that dosn't work, is the spring esy to get to once I am past the shear bolts?
marlinjackmarlinjackThe Machinist #5723 AMARGOSA MACHINE 'Running on Empty- Middle of Nowhere'
I STAND CORRECTED!! After a closer look at the diagram, the following entry is correct! That the tail lights and break lights are DIFFERENT filaments with-in a dual filament bulb. So therefore it WOULD be possible for the tail lights to work while BOTH break light filaments were burned out. Regards, Marlin.

[This message has been edited by MARLIN JACK (edited 12-18-2002).]
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