I need help (in more ways than one). I just got my T/A back from my engine builder, got it running- then lost everything electrical- smoke out of the steering column by the ignition switch. Do you think it's the switch itself? Wiring harness in the column? I'm trying to get it ready for Mopars in the Park this Saturday/Sunday. Also with the power steering hooked up- it slams the wheels to the left when running- centering valve must be screwed- is there an easy fix? I can get it there with no power steering- so not a major priority- but with zero juice to anything I'm screwed. Thanks and wish me luck- Kirby

Who installed the engine? If you were not a part of this, there could be a lot of things. If you know nothing on the installation, my first step woud be to break the ignition switch harness connection at the base of the steering column, and use a V.O.M. meter to look for continuity from one of the pins to ground. Check the end of the connection to the dash wiring first, as if the steering column was not removed, the trouble should not be on that end.I would think that maybe one of the wires to the starter may have not been routed and got against the exhaust and cooked through the insulstion, (just one possibility). Was it showing any signs of electrical trouble before the engine job?
Good luck.

"IF YOU'RE UNDER CONTROL, YOU AIN'T GOING FAST ENOUGH."

Hey Kirby, we hope to see your t/a this weekend at the show. If you had smoke from wiring then you should be able to find where it burned then see what color the wire that burned was and go from there. I have a wiring diagram at home if you need it, I can scan it and e-mail it if you need it or you should try to get on of the colored diagrams from classic car wiring, maybe someone on the forum can send you one of those. Good luck!

Al- I have a diagram- and I'm good at wiring- just looking for a short cut if someone had run into this before- I'll be there come heck or high water. I doubt the problem is from the installation- normally I do that myself- but I'm still having issues from my car accident. Not looking forward to laying under the dash to figure this out. Prior to reinstallation- the ignition switch worked intermittantly- so that is why I suspect it first. I honestly have not had a chance to look at it at all- I got it home at 1am this morning. I'm going to start by checking the fusible link (as I have no power to anything) then checking where the +/- go to the amp guage (rally dash), and then go from there. I just can't figure out how if the ignition switch failed- why it took it everything with it. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I guess you need to somehow do some checking and testing to see what happened. I wonder if the engine accessory wire ( I think it's blue for the alternator field, ignition and idle solenoid) got tied to ground somehow during the installation of the engine.That could heat up the wire and it could have burned in the steering column or it could have burned and melted the ingintion switch contacts and the plastic.Sure hope you can figure it out before saturday, I guess you could always hot wire the car to get it to run into the show. Also I had the same problem with my power steering when I had the hoses off, I just had to bleed the system and it worked fine after that.
Al-

I switched out the steering column for a "quick" solution. No smoke but no power. Now if I had stuck to my plan (dumbass) I would have found the wires to the ammeter were not tight- so thats why no power. Stupid me- but at least I don't have to worry about fire now- and I'll just replace the wiring in my original column and replace it again. Most everything works now- except fuel gauge and turn signals.