Update from my "gremlin" post a couple days ago. All the signs are pointing to the ignition switch as the root cause of my troubles.

I have removed the IGN switch. The good news is it looks like I have the 673 housing that is apparently hard to find nowadays.
I haven't actually bench tested it yet. I will before I do anything else...
My main questions

1. How to remove the electrical switch from the housing without destroying the housing? It appears that when assembled a crimp tool is used to bend tabs over to hold the electrical switch in the housing. How do I uncrimp those tabs without damaging/destroying the housing?
2. Can I buy just the electrical switch part? Or, can I send mine off to somebody who repairs them?

 

I position the switch on my bench with the deformed tabs down. Then take a blunt punch like a lineup punch and a hammer to tap the tabs back into the original shape. I have also used a pair of vice grips to straighten the tabs.
If you take a rubber band or a clamp and put around the switch to hold the contact board in place until you are ready to slowly remove it, you will keep from chasing parts all over your shop - it is spring loaded with a light spring.

 

I straighten carefully with pliers or small vice grips. Even being careful you do risk cracking the metal.

 

Thanks for the warning about it being spring loaded... I put some rubber bands around it when I was straightening the tabs. That did the trick.

I did find evidence of burning/arcing between the SOL and ACC terminal. I reckon that probably explains my intermittent "gremlin" issues with NO STARTs. Not sure exactly how that would do whatever. But, clearly, burning inside the switch between those two terminals is a bad thing.

I will go look now for a replacement IGN switch. Since mine is already apart, if I can find one that is "just" the electrical switch and not the generic housing, that would be great.

 

Very true! Just remember, Bubba is in the next room if you damage the pot metal housing. A dab of mixed double epoxy to form new stops or indents can be made.....

Most switches are pot metal and can be altered. And yes that switch looks bad!

 

I don't see anybody selling just the electrical part of the switch. They are all selling the assembly including the pot metal housing (which is incorrect, no bulb hole and the tab slots won't line up with the harness connector tabs). So, I would be OK to buy the assembly and remove the electrical part and put it into my housing, except when I look at the pictures, it looks like their housing is different. The repro housing does not have three tabs. I don't know how the electrical switch is held into the housing. I'm not OK to pay ~$100 for something and then it turns out to be just garbage to me.

Anybody know where to get a rebuilt or reproduction IGN switch that will go into my correct original housing?

 

Below is a photo of a replacement ignition switch compared to our original...... I was wondering if it would be possible to remove the electrical switch portions from the housings and put the new electrical switch part in as well, but it is different, where it extends out at GRD into the notch in the housing...... Maybe trim off the excess??? The replacement switches are relatively cheap..... $30 to $40......

 

I'm letting it bounce around in my head... I did my best to clean up my internals and put battery post grease on it, etc. Worst case I try mine again while I find something repro...

 

Looks like $20 - $25 will get a Dorman or SMP replacement ignition switch here in the states. Judging on the location of the contacts on the one Dad's 66 427 has, it could very well fit with a small amount of reshaping the contact board edges. I think it is worth a shot, but then again, you have to deal with shipping and customs and etc.

I don't know of anyway to repair the contacts without burning up the board they are mounted on. Maybe some of the electrical types can advise on that.

 

I'm finding many NOS 1116686 ignition switches on ebay. I think the cheapest is ~$200.
Was that the GM counter replacement P/N for both '66 and '67?
I think the part number says '67 but the sellers are all saying it'll work with both '66 and '67. That seems to agree with a few old CF posts I found.

 

Some aftermarket ignition switches come with a add-on loop for holding the lamp. Personally, I question the value of the lamp as it has to be really dark inside for it to provide a halo around the switch.
Other posts I have read utilized the aftermarket switch and used zip ties to secure the electrical connector to the switch as the male locks aren't spaced the same as the female loops on the aftermarket switches.
Unless this type of make do, Bubba, modification bothers you, the $25 aftermarket switch might fill your need for function even though fit is a PIA.
The question of quality of the aftermarket electrical devices bothers me. Even the big three are manufacturing parts in China for new cars. Quality Control is a crap shoot along with the FleaBay claims of NOS. Judging based on the electrical devices I have purchased, the contacts are thinner and may be steel rather than brass or copper which may work and last for our occasional weekend toys, but not a good choice for a daily driver. On some items, SMP sells two "quality" range for the device, one with a better warrantee and one to compete with the junk.
I have 3 or 4 original switches that I was going to sell, but I want to disassemble and inspect them before I sell them but it seems most buyers don't want you to bend the tabs back.

 

I am totally fine with you bending the tabs back to inspect. If you decide you might do that, and might sell me one of your original switches, I'd be interested. I think the ebay going price for a NOS 1116686 is ~$250. I'd be comparing buying yours to buying one of those. If you take yours apart and it appears "perfect" then I'd consider it basically the same as the NOS ones on ebay. FYI, the guys selling them on ebay say "no gaurantees and no returns". So, there's that.

 

I am afraid I misled you Dave, the switches I have are not for a 66, but are #660, 694, and 697 for 65 Chevys and 68 Chevys. The contact lugs are a completely different arrangement which would require a different connector and rewiring for our cars.
I am surprised a 486 is worth $200 as they were used in full size Chevys, Chevelles, Chevy IIs, etc. I need to start saving my pennies. I know you are not likely to find many of these in Portugal, but you might check the forum websites for these cars to see if there are any for sale for less.
I am a believer in fix what you have if you can and then you know what you have - good or bad.
Ron

 

No worries.