[67JimmyMO]

Originally Posted by randy500

3.) Can either of these 2 types (half-moon or flat) be installed without pulling the connectors out of the plastic plug end?

Yes either style of switch can be installed without removing the wires from the connector. It is also not recommended to remove the wires because you may damage the tabs that hold the connectors in or the plastic connector, a loose wire in the connector can be hard to diagnose.

To replace you can follow the recent thread...just loosed the 3 screws holding the swith about 1.5 turns, then twist the metal upper collar, counter clockwise if I recall correctly about an inch or so and pull out while twisting.
Then remove the rubber and plastic bushings on the shift tube above the shifter bowl.
Remove the shifter arm
Pull the shifter bowl off the shift tube, now you have clearance for the wiring connector.
You will also have to fish the wiring through the column grommet, lube it a little with silicone or silicone grease and pull it up with a hook tool to fish the wiring connector through.

Thanks for that randy500, I was sure hoping that I didn't have to pull that plug off of a brand new switch to install it. Hope to do some more testing and make a plan this weekend.