Try DeOxit on the meter switch

So I think you are saying the meter works on Plate, therefore the meter is fine. Sailor Jack's suggestion to clean the meter is very good, also did you ever check the meter shunts and their solder joints?

I believe bad solder joints on shunts or open resistance on shunts would stop current flow. Transmitter works thus not likely. Meter works on some positions, but not others. I think the meter switch must have bad contacts. As mentioned, spray switch with DeOxit.

Yes, an open shunt or bad solder joint will prevent current flow but a broken or bad solder joint at the meter lead connection to the the shut at the terminal strip will prevent the meter from working. To confirm the meter is or is not receiving from the shunt through the switch put the switch in an inoperative position and connect the relevant terminals with two clips leads connected together.. If the meter comes to life the problem is the contacts. To confirm use the two clip leads to complete the circuit with a DMM or a VOM and see if you get a reading. from the shunt. The switch terminals are very clearly identified on the schematic with numbers for switch and shunt terminals. I now recall that I had to do that with mine and then cleaned the switch multiple times while working it many times. If you can get the Grid, PLT and Mod positions working (PLT already does apparently) you can ignore the OSC and Buffer positions and just tune those stages for maximum grid current available while keeping it at the recommended 5-6 ma. with the Drive potentiometer.

Bad solder joint at meter would not allow meter to work, but does perform in some positions.

Multiple solder joints on switch. Some might be bad.

Well My 6146 tubes are dead as I just had them tested all the others tested good. Apparently my tester isn’t working properly so friend stopped with his and tested.
Today I put the cleaned meter back in, rested shunts 3 & 4 tested at 5.3 & 5.5 ohms, 5 tested at 2.2 ohms, 1 & 2 I’m not sure how to test but they aren’t open.
I re-soldered all the switch connections, cleaned and tested all switches.
I don't know what the shorted 6146 and dead one would cause or what I can tests with them out. I tried once again for Oscillator and buffer current and get nothing. If I connect my multimeter to the back of the meter in OSC I see 5-6mA on all crystals even with only one crystal installed and tried all crystal sockets. In Buffer I see nothing

You had plate current so tubes aren't dead. The current with no crystals is normal and current drops when an active Chrystal is selected. This is all in the manual. I strongly suggest you find a local knowledgeable ham to help. I don't mean to be offensive but this has been a very difficult thread to follow with lots of assumptions and contradictory measurements. The Viking II is a very simple transmitter and is a pleasure to service. 6146 tubes are difficult to test because of the multiple internal connections so trusting tube testers is problematic as charts are often wrong and many test charts will show shorts in error as the shorts are due to the normal connections inside the tube. The only real test for a power tube is use. All tube testers will show shorts in a 6146 but the tube tester chart should show that indicated shorts in many shorts test positions are normal usually with an asterisk to refer to footnotes in the chart or manual. I wish you well and hope you can find someone local to help. If you are somewhere in the pacific northwest I would work on it for you for no cost except parts as approved by you. if you deliver and pick up. I do have a full set of tubes that all known good. My Viking IIis a joy to use. 73 Dave

Thank you, I’m starting to figure things out a bit after printing out the tube data charts and I received a nice set of manuals and schematic from my friend. Hard to follow the schematic on an iPad.

I strongly suggest you purchase a printed manual from Manual man or one of the many others that advertise on ebay. At ten to fifteen bucks, with free shipping they are cheap, one of the best bargains around,AND, make servicing equipment MUCH EASIER than trying to piece together several pages on a computer screen or worse yet some dinky little cell phone, either of which, are at best, a FOOL'S errand.

Read it from cover to cover a couple times or until you're are completely familiar with how the thing works, then, start trouble shooting.

I buy manuals for every radio and piece of test gear I have. I put the radio manuals into 3 ring binders along with all the notes and test data from my work on them.

Ya I agree I need it in hand not online?