Ignition Switch Broken Wire

[ea6driver]

I was cleaning up this ignition switch and one of the two wires broke off from the switch body. I attempted to pry loose the black plastic cover where the wire connects to the main body of the switch, but it just felt like if I kept "persuading" it that I was going to break the cover.

Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I might get this wire reattached?

[SteveJ]

It's just for the "key in" buzzer. I'm not sure what all you would have to disassemble to get to where it goes.

[Captain Obvious]

The later versions of that "key in the ignition" switch that I've messed with don't have that plastic shroud over the connections. Not sure if they changed the design over the years, or if the ones I've messed with had the cover removed by a PO at some point. In any event, these pics should help.

Start with this:

Remove this. Should pull off by hand:

Then remove this. Should come off with some light taps:

Where to go after that should be obvious:

[ea6driver]

Thanks for all those useful comments.... I'll work on it some more this afternoon and report my success!

[ea6driver]

Today I was able to remove the black plastic cover that houses the two wires. Unfortunately, I was not able to loosen the wire connector and remove the wire strands still crimped inside it. I tried using a pick tool and a 1/16 drill bit with no success. The wire connector is housed pretty deep inside the plastic cover and there just isn't much room to work in there. I think that it's probably doable with the right tools and patience, but I just didn't have the right tools and my patience ran out after about an hour of fiddling around with it.

[Captain Obvious]

Well you could always just cut (break) the plastic cover off the switch. At some point in the evolution they decided that cover wasn't necessary anyway. And if you're still skittish about it, you could just wrap a couple rounds of tape around the whole switch body to recover it after you've reattached the wire?

[ea6driver]

13 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Well you could always just cut (break) the plastic cover off the switch. At some point in the evolution they decided that cover wasn't necessary anyway. And if you're still skittish about it, you could just wrap a couple rounds of tape around the whole switch body to recover it after you've reattached the wire?

I actually considered that....and may still go that route.  One question...how do you know for certain that this plastic cover was in the earlier Z ignition switches, and not the later ones? I was thinking that this was actually a 77 or 78 switch...

[cgsheen1]

Sorry, I would never put this much effort into making that damn buzzer work. And I do electrical repairs for a living! (Not really for a living, I was being hyperbolic... But I do actually work on a LOT of Z electrical issues...) 🤪

[Captain Obvious]

10 hours ago, ea6driver said:

One question...how do you know for certain that this plastic cover was in the earlier Z ignition switches, and not the later ones? I was thinking that this was actually a 77 or 78 switch...

Actually, I don't. My data points are the most of my experience is with the later switches and my believe that they didn't ADD stuff like this in later years, only Munced down from earlier versions. I do know that I've got original switches from years as early as 74 as well as aftermarket stuff as new as a few years ago and I've never seen one with that kind of cover over those wires.

Sorry if I appeared more confident than I really am. Maybe I've been missing that cover off all the switches I've messed with!