89 4wd Light switch wont spring back! Low to high, et...

[sss1600]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.

The old man has an 89 subaru 4wd wagon with Ea82 carb motor.

The dash and taillights started dropping out intermittently and i found that if you tap the end of the indicator/light stalk that they would come back on.
Dad took the whole indicator stalk and housing assembly off of the steering column and dismantled it partially to clean and inspect the contacts.

Upon reassembly he found there was no spring back from the light stalk and it now just floats between low and high when pushed and pulled forward and back etc. All indicator and light functions work, theres just no 'SPRING' anymore.

I told him he must have dropped a spring when he opened it and to get another from the wreckers (not that id ever dismantled the switch or stalk at all).

Today we were at the wreckers and found another with the same twist to turn on light switch at the tip of the indicator stalk.
We flipped it over and undone the two phillips head screws that secure a small plate to the rear of the switch housing that retains the stalk.
There was no spring in there as we drew out the stalk from the housing!
We put it back together to see what gives and got the same result. No spring back!

What have we done wrong???

I didnt have much time to look at it today but any hints as how to correctly reassemble this part is greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
SSS1600 (and Dad).

[steptoe]

may get more jhelp if you use headlight switch in title - I was gonna say pull the 4WD light switch from the gearbox, lubricate it, check it with a multimeter and maybe add a washer to correct its position so that your 4WD indicator light works on the dash. BUT you need help with a headlight switch on stalk. Do the park light and head light circuits all work off the stalk?

[sss1600]

may get more jhelp if you use headlight switch in title - I was gonna say pull the 4WD light switch from the gearbox, lubricate it, check it with a multimeter and maybe add a washer to correct its position so that your 4WD indicator light works on the dash. BUT you need help with a headlight switch on stalk. Do the park light and head light circuits all work off the stalk?

Thanks, i have editted the title and some of the words in hope it now makes more sense.

I searched the Ultimate Subaru forum last night and the only thing i found was one person mentioned something about ball bearings in there somewhere!

Does anyone know if there is supposed to be bearings in there to make the 'spring' in the stalk for flash to pass?
Is this what could have been dislodged or dropped when dad removed the stalk?

[sss1600]

checked a car at the wreckers today.
when you remove the two phillips heads screws and withdraw the light stalk.
At the end of the stalk are two tips in a fork shape that are spaced about 25mm apart.
These tips are hollow and house a spring and ball bearing in each.
This makes the spring in the stalk.
These ball bearings easily fall out when the light stalk is removed.
Thanks for all your help anyway...