Ok, I successfully replaced the ignition switch for the M5400S Series Tractor. If anyone wants to know how, here are the steps:
1. Trace all your wiring lines to make sure nothing is chewed for frayed. None of mine were. Disconnect battery.
2. Unfortunately, you have to remove the gray dash cover, but that won't do you any good until you remove the steering wheel. First thing is you unscrew the bezel of the ign switch. Then remove the six screws around the dash.
3. So, you take a flathead screw diver and pop off the steering wheel cover, there 3 plastic prongs that attach it. You will need a Pulley-Puller tool, which I never heard of and had to borrow one. My tractor is 19-20 yrs old, so you some PB Blaster on the shaft after you take off the steering wheel nut and lock washer.
3. Once the steering wheel is off, you can remove the dash cover and pull the ign switch out and it will hang there [note that when you remove the ign switch, there is a sm notch in the top of the plastic that tells you where the switch goes back. There is also an open hole at the top of the switch too. I vacuumed a lot of crxp out of that area first since I had it open. I removed one wire from the old swtich at a time and put it exactly on the new switch. you use a Phillips head screwdiver to remove the screws, but put some PB Blaster on them too. They seemed to have been welded on there. If fact, one screw got stripped, so I had to use my vice grips to remove it. There are also these runner covers over the screws and the contacts on the swtich...a little PB Blaster just before the back end of the rubber cover on the wire really helped to slide them back, and re-slide them back on the new switch. There's a total of 5 contacts, but you will only use 4 of them. The one you won't use has a cover over it and I transferred it to the new switch too. Make sure you don't wait to do the center one last...little room then. I also did not slide all the rubber covers back on until I had all 4 new contacts re-attached - makes it easier to work. I also took my vice-grips and torqued them just as tight as it took to remove them.
4. Once they are all connected, slide down the covers. I then took electrical tape and completely wrapped all the contacts rom the ign switch all the way down the wiring harness until where is was already wrapped w wire. This will keep moisture, dirt and other out. One done, I properly aligned and reinserted the ignition back into the dash cover, then put on the white washer on the outside, then screwed on the bezel. To make sure it was all done right before I reassembled, I reconnected the battery, got back in seat and inserted the key, turned switch to left and got the red-glow-plug-light on dash, turned her to the right and she started fine as before...then you reassemble/
Finally. before I replaced switch, I was going to replace my fan belt, but the one I had still looked good. Here's a big tip for tightening the current one.
It's stated that you have to loosen both screws that secures the alternator. Make sure you only loosen the top one just enough to break the current torque level. That top screw also holds in water-pump. When I loosed the bottom screw, I then used a crow bar to lightly push down the alternator to tighten her to spec. Well, when I did that, I saw a few drops of antifreeze come out of the water pump seal - the whole county heard my new few words. I was scared I broke the seal/gasket. Once I got the alternator where I wanted it, I re-tightened bottom, then top bolt. I torqued that top bolt a tab tighter than before, and I tighten the one next to it, not a whole lot to throw off the torque pattern btw all the bolts. Once I started her, I open the hood and let her run for about ten minutes to see if it leaked any. By the Grace of God it did not. I then drove my tractor back to where I borrowed the pulley puller [2 miles] and popped the hood there too, no leak. The point is, I was not aware that bolt for the alternator also held together part of the cooling system...I check it again after I really work her hard to make sure no leaks.
Hope this helps. I did not edit this, so....
