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View Full Version : Locked Up Key Cylinder


28HopUp
07-30-2013, 10:33 AM
A while back, I had a replacement ignition cylinder installed in my black 85 SSP. It had a lot of play, and I needed to find the sweet spot to get power to the dash gauges. The new cylinder made things better, but not perfect. Lately, the engine developed a shudder/miss once it was warmed up. I tried to diagnose it myself, but ended up having it towed to the repair shop (the problem was too bad to drive the car there). The issue turned out to be the coil connection from the wiring harness. They also replaced the ignition switch below the column. The car ran great last week until Friday night when we all went out for ice cream. After we finished up the cones we got back into the car and the key would not turn despite my best efforts to get the cylinder and steering wheel in the right position. So I had the car towed home (Mrs28HopUp was not thrilled by the way).

Over the weekend I disconnected the battery and removed the plastic around the column. I attempted to remove the cylinder by pressing the pin while trying to turn the cylinder (with different keys too). No luck :( I also removed the electric switch under the column to make sure it wasn't bad, since that was the most recent repair. Still no luck. I asked around for ideas, because I wasn't thrilled with the idea of drilling the pin out or forcing the cylinder to turn with channel-locks. Yesterday, the repair shop suggested that I spray the cylinder with a light oil, and use a hammer to tap on the key. So I soaked it with Rem Oil, inserted the key, and gave it five nice taps. I was able to turn the cylinder to Accessory, and then a few tries later I was able to turn the key on. So I pushed the pin and pulled out the cylinder. :D The replacement cylinder from the earlier repair had broken. Thankfully, I kept the original cylinder and was able to fix the car.

So if you ever have a similar problem with an ignition cylinder, try the lube & hammer trick. Lately, I have been having issue after issue with different cars. It's been one of those times where I just lay down the tools, turn out the lights, and close the garage door to take a breather. So it was VERY rewarding to fix this one myself. :)

stadair
08-08-2013, 08:25 PM
Interesting. I'll have to try to remember this one...