93 5.0 Ignition Tumbler

My brother was driving his 93 5.0 that he just bought a few days ago down the road and all of the sudden it dies on him. He finally figured out a little while later after messing with it that if he started it and then held the key forward then it would stay running and he got it home like this... If you return the key to the normal position then the car dies, but if you keep it just inbetween the normal on position and the START position (but making sure that the starter is off) then it will stay running. He was told that it was the ignition switch so he went and got a new one (the little part that plugs up on the bottom and uses 2 tork screws to hold it on). We replaced this part and THEN the damn thing won't even stay running using that trick. It would not start at all, but just keep cranking. SO then he went back and got the whole tumbler setup for another 10 bucks and we got the damn steering wheel off (WHY THE HELL WOULD THEY DO THAT that way?!) and replaced it and after we put that all back in... NOW It will start and run for about 2 seconds before studdering and then dying. This is more than it did before, but it still dies everytime.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY CLUES?!

Well that little elongated part on the electronic ignition switch part is completely useless. one end is elongated, the other end is just a hole.....so that you can't move it at all when mounted. Even if it's off the column, I can ground the original one and make it stay running by holding it slightly further than the ON position but making sure the starter is off. returning to the ON position kills the car. On TWO new switches now, they will start the car VERY briefly but immidiatly kill it...and you can't hold it inbetween and keep it running... (i'm guessing this is because the original is old and worn) BUT WHY THE **** does a new switch not work?! Maybe the problem is not the switch at all....but where else would it be? What would be the difference in the two ignition settings (the one where it's just BARELY not kicking the starter over, and the ON position?) that would make the car keep running?

PLEASE help!

also, what do you mean by "plastic actuator"? The little finger that comes out of the ignition and sticks into the switch is metal and it moves just fine.... I'm thinking that the problem is'nt the switch at this point. (read above post for clarification)

Anybody!?