when my tilt wheel is tilted up my starter wont engage but when i tilt it down the truck will stated and run fine it is a 1989 F350 crew cab XLT
is this some type of safty feature or is there a short in the colum i should be worried about? thr rear abs lighjt is on also but the previous owner has pulled the the blub or somthing to try and hide it did not notice this till after i bought the truck. any help or advice

This sounds similar to a problem I had with my '88 F-150. I think what your problem is, is that the actuating rod that connects your key tumbler to the ignition switch is binding from lack of lubrication. The very best way to fix this would be to remove the plastic cowling from around the steering column and take a Q-tip and put a light coating of grease on the actuating rod. An easier way that might help would be to take a WD-40 type product with a straw on the spray can and spray in there at the correct angle.

I drove the truck the first time since I did the engine swap.
I first put it on jack stands and put it in drive, i set the cruise for 55 and let it run for 25 miles like this. there did not seem to be any probles so I went for a actule test drive.
when I got back and parked I notice a very light little bit of smoke comming out of the colum at the point where ther steering tilts.
I have a light oil leak from a valve cover gasket and of coarse all the normal grease and oil from doing the engine swap causing some under the hood smoke but I did not see any way for it to enter the cab. Any Ideas?

Here is histrory of what i have done to truck
i recently bought a 1989 f 350 crew cab dualy and it used oil so bad i couldn't drive it any where and i can not afford to rebuild at this time. it did not smoke or leak but it would get rid of 4 quarts in about 30 miles so i am puzzeled on where it was going not wanting to ruin the motor i did a swap till better times
it had a 460. with automatic- now it has a 1987 5.0 with automatic
evrything is wired engine wise .the 460 engine harness fit the 5.0 with some mod's. but the tranny wiring has me stumped there is like 4 wires for the 5.0 tranny but the 460 tranny has at least 14. the speed senser at odmeter cable no prob but nutral safty switch and the plug fot the tranny
are the confusing ones. the truck starts and runs with all the wires hanging off the tranny and the nutral safty switch from the 460 pluged in just hanging there to. and will i still have to change the engine control module ?
any help wanted. i have had to borrow my daughters truck for now but she needs it back and i am on a fixed income so i have to do this with out money
There is a black wire with a white stripe running to the engine control module from the o2 sensor ,but it is factory spliced into the nutral safty switch. Doe's the lead to the nutral safty switch need to be connected and if so to what? i have a left over light blue wire with a white stripe and of corse the black wire with a white stripe from the O2 senser
I have finally gotten everything wired in this truck but that, and if I dont need it. I am back on the road
There was an electronic shift transmission in it before, now it has a AOD instead of a E4OD. So I had a lot of trouble doing the wiring to get things right
I modified the 460 wiring harness to fit the 302
and I built the 302 distributer out of the one from out of the 460.
and yes I still had to change the engine cortrol modual because it was
running to rich for the 302. after all that it runs great.
So if i could get some help with this wiring I'll be done. thanks to all that have helped out
PS
I got 2 manauls chilton and haynes nether one tell anything about tranny wiring or the wiring for the nutral safty switch. and my truck is 1989 F350
and the motor and trans are 1987 E150 if that is needed
I hope i did leave anthing out i just pasted my other post in so you no what i done and why

Maybe i f i could get a book with the complete wiring details. i would have this trouble

http://www.alldata.com/ They sell a years service for your vehicle for $29.95.
They have good wiring diagrams which you can print of for your vehicle.
http://www.aa1car.com/library/abstestr.htm

Thanks I'll probell do that cause i plan on having this truck for a longtime.
I have not done any mechanic work since 1980 and never on any new cars.
things have really changed since my day. this truck has perfect body and i have always wanted one. again thanks