Electric Tailgate Swap

[Pancho]

Well, after about 6 months of other duties and life events I'm back on the '73 Wagoneer. Last spring I was fortunate enough to find a tailgate in the boneyard to replace my rusty, bondo'ed and rotted out original. It's the same color and the rear key switch is even keyed the same!
I've got a working safety switch, 2 working motor switches and even a decent set of window side channels to put it all back together. The one thing I don't have is the shaft that connects the keyed "lock" and the electric switch. Looks like it attaches with some sort of clip that pushes into the key mechanism? Anyone have a picture or diagram showing this piece? Even better, a part number or one for sale?

[acct21]

Picture:








Link to one for $15

Tailgate Key Mechanism on eBay

[Pancho]

Thanks. Doesn't it just look like a length of square stock? What holds it in place? That's my question. My other key mechanism (has a bent escutcheon and is pitted) has one epoxied in place that is home made. Must have been a common problem for the rod to fall off inside the door. If I can't find one I'll do that with this one but I'd rather not.

[Pancho]

My solution

After further study it looks like the shaft that connects the electric switch to the key mechanism is just a short length of 3/16 key stock. Originally it was crimped into the end of the key cylinder. The end of the key cylinder is jointed; to allow for alignment, I suppose.
This approximately 1.5" piece of key stock passes through the electrical switch and actuates the lever type assembly that flips the switch either direction.
My solution to keeping the new piece of stock from jiggling loose and falling into the bottom of the tailgate was simple. The new piece of shaft that I cut was pushed back into the key assembly socket and seems to be pretty tight. (Just forced-fit with light taps of a small hammer.) But to keep it from falling out in case it vibrated loose I took a hacksaw and scored the shaft on three sides ( not very deep) in order to install a 3/16" e-clip on the shaft in front of the electric switch. Now the shaft is effectively trapped between the lock cylinder and the electric switch.

[serehill]

Hmm

Great trick good luck

[cameronb1988GW]

collar cracked

my problem is the clip that holds the rod broke AND the square-holed collar in the key base is split and open. can the cylinder be swapped out? if it can, i'd buy that one off of ebay and swap my cylinder into it.

[Pancho]

Cameron, I'd suggest JB Weld to secure that shaft into the socket. I wanted to swap out my key cylinder too but I could never get it to release like you can on most key cylinders. I thought it was just mine but maybe all of those are non-changeable. Does the electric switch turn freely? To crack that socket would take some torque. I'd think you would bend the key before you would break out the socket. Just saying.....before you try to JBWeld it.

[cameronb1988GW]

Yeah after googling parts i realized that the cracked "collar" is part of the actual cylinder, so it's not something I could swap out without needing a third key or something stupid like that. I took the tailgate apart because I also thought that was a lot of torque. The actual switch was pretty crappy and I had an extra door switch so I swapped that out. The actuator isn't as long but I hope it will be OK. From searching forums I can see that I'm not the first to put a regular window/door lock switch into that housing. I'm hoping the PO just tore up that cylinder because the switch was acting flaky and not working all the time. I lubed everything with marine grease and mixed up some JB Weld. I found some debris inside the tailgate that makes me think the PO used JB Weld on it before. There was either a previous repair attempt or that cylinder came with some kind of plastic sleeve that deteriorated. I had tried to JB Weld the split before but I didn't give it more than a day to cure and it was a light application. I realized that if I don't replace that clip for the shaft I can JB Weld that shaft into the collar and there shouldn't be a problem taking the switch apart again if I need to. I'm going to take maybe a week to build a substantial glob of cured JB Weld making that shaft a permanent part of the cylinder, it looks like there is plenty of room inside the mechanism for a heavy coating.