ignition switch?

[lyndo]

just brought my 85 ranger back to life. It will not run unless I hold the key in the barley start position, not enough to engage the starter but beyond the run position. hart to drive a straight drive with one left hand. When I first got it it would die sometimes, then start right back up and go on. cleaned some grounds and it seemed better. then I found if it did the intermittent knock off , I could touch the key just a bit and it would keep running. then I would flip the key ring over the top of the key holder and lett the other keys hang off the back side. I seem to remember a there were two ignition wires, one for starting and one for run. Your thoughts?

 

[RonD]

The key cylinder is not the ignition switch

Ignition switch is on the under side of steering column above brake pedal area

The key cylinder has a gear on the end, and that gear slides a rod, the actuator rod, when you turn the key, that rod runs down to the ignition switch
The Ignition switch is a slide switch, that the rod moves into its 4 positions, ACC, OFF, RUN, START

Could be ignition switch is just worn out, the contacts, I would pull it out and have a look

There should just be the one Yellow wire from engine bay to the ignition switch, it does split at the ignition switch to 2 or 3 attachment points

 

[lyndo]

update. I went out and messed w/ it and had the thought about the key vs ignition switch. I notice when I put it in run position the emision light and one below it would not stay on. I kept playing with it until the dummy lights stayed on. fired up and stayed running, unless i hit a bump. thanks for your input , I will have a look tomorrow