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@HH56 Much like you when he speaks I listen! I've begun cataloging both of your tips, and general knowledge even if the topic is not something I'm
Currently dealing with

Well, I'm pretty sure I found the problem. And looking at the rivets and thinking back to my symptoms it The first engagement of the lights as I would twist was decent illumination then after that it was very hard to get them to illuminate. And as you look at the rivets in order of contact the first or if it is not nearly as oxidized as the second up.

The first engagement of the lights as I would twist was decently illumination then after that it was very hard to get them to illuminate. And as you look at the rivets in order of contact the first or if it is not nearly as oxidized and the second

In the pic, the first rivet to see contact is on
The right

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@HH56 your memory is as sharp as ever on this one!

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Wiper surfaces and rivets done, here are some before and after collages hoping to get home from work tomorrow with enough energy to start on the indicator switch

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If the rivets are loose enough the terminals can twist oxidation can start under the head where they make contact with the plates or resistance wire. Hope that has not happened as it is very hard to eliminate it or stop it from coming back. Some of the contact cleaners have anti corrosion ingredients in them that is supposed to do the job and keep corrosion from restarting but those cleaners are not commonly found at retail or inexpensive.

I don't see any slits on that rubber plug so ones I remember seeing may have been on later cars or something someone added. If there are none and the plug is still fairly soft rubber possibly an xacto knife could slit the rubber along the side so the wire could slide out the side and then be reinserted. A layer of tape or maybe heat shrink around the plug would hold the wires in. If unable to do that without destroying the plug I don't know if there is enough clearance for it to slide up the shroud without removing the wiper switch.

@HH56 luckily they are not loose at all, they have zero play, so much so that when the wiper surface is turning and indexes above a rivet there is considerable drag

Good they are tight. Twisting the knob has essentially three active positions and only one relies on the wiper landing on an actual rivet. Detents for the positions are probably worn and barely felt but are done by small notches on the protect plate located on the side of the ceramic opposite the coiled wire.

The first position is all the way to the left and is the contact for the courtesy light which is a rivet on the side opposite the coiled wire and located in a notch on a protect plate. It is connected to ground for the courtesy light to go on. All the dash lights are off.

The second position is all off. The wiper lines up but does not touch any rivets on the rheostat side and the other wiper end is riding on the protect plate so everything is off.

The third starts the wiper on the rivet which holds the coiled wire. That coil of nichrome wire is the rheostat. Lights start bright but then get dimmer as it moves along the coiled wire.. The range is fairly small -- maybe a third of the knob twist available. The wiper on the courtesy light side stays on the protect plate so nothing happens there.

I'm removing the steering Wheel and wondering how to remove the washer stack that's on the horn wire. Does the nipple at the end pull off or does the wire get cut to allow the washers and steering wheel to come off?

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As I recall, you have to disconnect the connector from below the gearbox under the hood, then pull the wire out through the column. The other end has a bullet-type connector that should be able to slip through the washers.

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And if you tie a piece of sting to the lower end of the wire before pulling it out you can untie to remove the steering wheel and then use the string to pull the wire back through the steering column.

Thanks guys!!!!!