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I needed to change the ignition switch on my JD 420 Garden tractor.
I could have dismantled everything above it, but I am basically lazy, so I came up with the following:
Since most of the keys for older garden tractors are the same I have many of them laying around. I just cut one of them down so that it would go through the hole and the nut.
The following method should work for most tractors if you have a problem getting to the back of the switch to unplug or reinstall the wires. Even if you are not installing a new switch and you are just going to clean the connections, it would save a lot of time and effort if it is in a difficult place to get to.
1. UNHOOK THE GROUND STRAP FROM THE BATTERY! Always unhook the ground-black-negative cable first, and if you are taking the battery out, hook it up last, before working on anything electrical.
Simple reason: While working with the ground cable, If your wrench touches any part of the tractor, it will not spark!
2. Make the "Special Key" (see pic) and attach a 2 or 3 foot piece of ordinary wire to it. (see pic)
3. Put the "Special Key" in the old switch with the wire attached and turn it on, take the nut off the old switch and pulled the switch out by pulling on the wires. Make sure you don't pull it out so far that the 2-3 foot wire comes through the hole, When you get it out where you can actually work with it, unplugged the wires.
4 Clean the connections with contact spray and plugged the old switch in a few times to make sure they are cleaned, then plugged the wires onto the new switch, put the "Special Key" (see pic) in and turn it on, that will keep the key locked into the switch so that you can pull it through the hole in the dash.
5. Pull the new switch into place with the wire attached to the "Special Key."
6. Slide the not and washer (if used) onto the wire and screw it onto the switch.
7. Turn off the switch, remove the "Special Key" and reconnect the battery cable.
![Circuit component Electrical wiring Electronic engineering Cable Electronic component]()
![Tire Wheel Green Circuit component Computer hardware]()
I could have dismantled everything above it, but I am basically lazy, so I came up with the following:
Since most of the keys for older garden tractors are the same I have many of them laying around. I just cut one of them down so that it would go through the hole and the nut.
The following method should work for most tractors if you have a problem getting to the back of the switch to unplug or reinstall the wires. Even if you are not installing a new switch and you are just going to clean the connections, it would save a lot of time and effort if it is in a difficult place to get to.
1. UNHOOK THE GROUND STRAP FROM THE BATTERY! Always unhook the ground-black-negative cable first, and if you are taking the battery out, hook it up last, before working on anything electrical.
Simple reason: While working with the ground cable, If your wrench touches any part of the tractor, it will not spark!
2. Make the "Special Key" (see pic) and attach a 2 or 3 foot piece of ordinary wire to it. (see pic)
3. Put the "Special Key" in the old switch with the wire attached and turn it on, take the nut off the old switch and pulled the switch out by pulling on the wires. Make sure you don't pull it out so far that the 2-3 foot wire comes through the hole, When you get it out where you can actually work with it, unplugged the wires.
4 Clean the connections with contact spray and plugged the old switch in a few times to make sure they are cleaned, then plugged the wires onto the new switch, put the "Special Key" (see pic) in and turn it on, that will keep the key locked into the switch so that you can pull it through the hole in the dash.
5. Pull the new switch into place with the wire attached to the "Special Key."
6. Slide the not and washer (if used) onto the wire and screw it onto the switch.
7. Turn off the switch, remove the "Special Key" and reconnect the battery cable.
