B3000 will only start with solenoid jumped

[jaxboy]

I'm sorry if this is a duplicate, but I'm having trouble getting the forum to accept my post.
My B3000 was cranking very reliably before I replaced the water pump. Now it will only crank by jumping the solenoid. It runs beautifully, and everything works. There is voltage at fuse #24 inside the truck, but no power at the push-on terminal at the solenoid. There is no alarm system. I tried wiggling the gear shifter in park and neutral while turning the key. The only wires that were disturbed when I replaced the water pump were in front of the water pump (they are all reconnected), and the ground terminal of the battery. The battery has a full charge, and the terminals are clean and tight. The fuses in the engine compartment fuse box are good, and I cleaned their terminals.

 

[PanamaExpat]

I had a Lincoln that pulled a similar trick. Got in it one day while out and about and everything worked just no start. Turned out that Ford used to have issues with the ignition switch on the steering column. I know of two other friends one had a Crown Vic the other one of the full size Broncos and they did more or less the same thing. Not saying that this is your problem but it is worth looking at.

 

[jaxboy]

I have power at the fuse coming out of the switch. It's somewhere between the fuse and the solenoid. I tried wiggling the gear shifter in park and in neutral, while turning the key, but that didn't help. I'll try the relays in the engine compartment fuse box next. Does anybody know which relay is in the path? I'm thinking I might just run a switch from the solenoid to the dash. I'm an old dude, and all this bending and twisting is hard on the old bod.

 

[kukaepe]

The ignition switch has something like 18 pins going to it. By verifying you have power at one fuse in the fuse box, now you have 17 other pins to check if they are making contact. It has nothing to do with the lock cylinder on the steering column, the switch in down under the trim panel just above the pedals. The switch isn't that expensive, $24 at AutoZone, not a big gamble. Neutral safety switch is other common issue.

 

[jaxboy]

Thank you. I will look for it. I have connected a switch across the solenoid on a wire run into the interior. It is a beat-around truck I don't use that often, so a perfect fix is not a must.