The 'E' Type Forum

After I got the car back from the latest rebuild by my mechanic, the ignition switch is loose. It had had to be replaced, and the escutcheon (that metal ring that screws down to hold it on to the air conditioner) is just not quite tight enough to hold it from turning when turning the ignition on and off. This makes it a bit of a game, as I never know from one time to the next which way the key goes in. I suppose I could fabricate a kind of a tool with two pins to fit the two slots on the escutcheon, but it would take some doing to get it to fit properly.
Any other advice?
I guess there must be a correct tool out there to fit these things, but I can't seem to think of what it would be called, and of course, I only need it just once.

XK's Unlimited sell the correct tool: http://xks.com/i-6918401-jaguar-bezel-tool-17-2500.html

You can make one out of a bit of thinwalled pipe and a file. I used stainless.

If you've got a bit of appropriately sized pipe in your scrapbox it only takes a couple of minutes to file one up.

I made one from a piece of 2mm thick aluminium. I cut a notch in it to straddle the switch toggles and filed the ends of the legs to a Vee to engage the slots in the bezels.

Works a treat and won't damage the switches, being relatively soft. It should be fine for a home restorer although perhaps not suitable for regular use.

I tried to upload a photograph but got thwarted several times.

Regards

Wow! That's excellent. I will work on that tomorrow. I am sure I can find a piece of soft metal I can file down to fit that thing enough to screw it down tight.

Thanks so much for your help.

I've finally managed to upload a picture. My dodgy broadband connection just won't allow me to do it.

Like I said before. It isn't pretty but it is effective and you can keep re-filing the ends.



Regards

Make one for doing the toggle switches as well, it's WAY better than faffling about with snapring pliers. If you make one out of a bit of pipe then it will move the lozenge for you, if you make it out of a plate then it'll still be a bit fiddly.

neil4444 wrote:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLASSIC-CAR-S ... Sw2xRYUCK1

That's what I made, I had some 25mm and 19mm stainless pipe. I didn't bother with a tommy bar, that would have taken another 5 minutes to make - mine just have a bit of cloth tape on the end.

But for 20 pounds... not bad