88 switch ignition lock removal (write up)

[Ecomike]

I had the same problem for a week! Finally found something that the key normally triggers when inserted that normally frees the cylinder to be withdrawn. I forget exactly what it was, or where it was, but it is there. I looked at the new cylinder to figure out where it would be!!! Good luck!

 

[Lostman]

That would be great but I don't have the key at all and I can't even seem to punch the lock. I tried drilling it out today too but it seems I have one of the few cylinders that are actually made out of a good steel. The drill bit barely even scratched it.

I looked at the new cylinder for over 30 minutes again tonight, I can't see anything that would keep it in regardless of being able to turn it or not. Maybe I'm totally missing something but it seems I will have to wire around the switch.

 

[Ecomike]

I do recall that switch must be turned, rotated in order to get past some sort of pin, or metal shape. There is an L shape in the cylinder wall that the pin or metal extension fits into that requires the cylinder be turned before it can be withdrawn. Problem is turning the cylinder with out the key, or a working key, Perhaps inserting a large flat blade screw driver and turning the screw driver with vise grips, or something similar? But as I recall it will not come out until the cylinder is turned first.

Mine was 85-87 vintage, not sure what year yours is?

 

[Lostman]

Not sure what year it is from, but I'd guess late 80's non tilt. I tried the screwdriver deal. I even tried to beat it into the lock with a 3lb sledge hammer, with nary a scratch.
Anyone that has drilled one out please let me know how you've done it, I think I'm down to having to do it that way.

 

[Southwest Chuck]

Not sure what year it is from, but I'd guess late 80's non tilt. I tried the screwdriver deal. I even tried to beat it into the lock with a 3lb sledge hammer, with nary a scratch.
Anyone that has drilled one out please let me know how you've done it, I think I'm down to having to do it that way.

Answer forth with in a moment.......

 

[Southwest Chuck]

Not sure what year it is from, but I'd guess late 80's non tilt. I tried the screwdriver deal. I even tried to beat it into the lock with a 3lb sledge hammer, with nary a scratch.
Anyone that has drilled one out please let me know how you've done it, I think I'm down to having to do it that way.

No need to drill and DO NOT do the above any more. You can break the rack linkage behind the ignition lock. not good. Let's cross our fingers on that one for now.

Look at this picture again. The arrow points to the buzzer actuator. It is white and has 2 copper contacts pointing to the 11 o'clock position. Use this as a reference. There are two types of retainers. One is a screw retainer, the other is a spring loaded, half moon type retainer.

Screw Retainer type:To the immediate right of the buzzer actuator is the hole where the screw retainer came out (there are three types, a torex, hexhead, or a phillupshead screw). If yours has this screw, take it out. (If not, see the Spring loaded Retainer Type). If the ignition does not come out, the buzzer actuator tab On the ignition lock may be hindering removal, (or it has the spring retainer type lock). It's shown in the next picture and is blue, on the bottom left of the lock and is shown extended.

In either case this actuator needs to be removed. In your case, this tab may be extended and is caught behind the white ignition actuator described above. To bypass this, you must remove the white actuator by gently pulling the actuator out. Wiggle it and use medium pressure with needle nose pliers. It WILL come out. Now pull the ignition out. It still may give you some resistance, because of damage or deformed actuator tab. You can toss the white actuator and the clip retainer if you wish to deactivate your key buzzer. That is it's only function and is not a necessary component. If it does not come out, then it may have a spring retainer. Look my next post on this type and how to deal with it.

NOTE: (1) never have a key inserted into the lock (it protrudes the Tab on the ignition lock). (2) with both or these types of ignitions, the ignition does NOT (and should not be) be turned.

 

[Southwest Chuck]

Spring Retainer Type Ignition.

Look at the copper contact points of the buzzer actuator. See the void behind the upper one, right where the lower one stops (in a shadow behind it.). This is your access point.

After confirming this is not a screw retained ignition (and the screw is not present), pull out the white actuator as described in the previous post. In the lower part of the void is where the access is to the half-moon retainer. If the lock has never been replaced, there will be a thin layer of casting over the access slot. Because of the sloping in this recess, your access point is at the bottom right in this recessed void. Use a thin flat screw driver or other probe to tap through the casting and press inward on the retainer while pulling out on the ignition.

Note: When the manufacturer went from the Spring to the Screw type retainer to retain the ignition, This casting stayed in the column for the spring type. So, a spring retained ignition would still fit in a screw retained column.

Hope this helped. PM Me if you need further help or clarification. Good luck !

One Last point. If your column or ignition does not look exactly like the photos, you may have a different column type. They are rare but does take a different procedure than the one described, does have to be Picked or drilled, and then turned to press the retainer for extraction. (cross your fingers that you don't have one of these) If unsure, try to post some pics of the column and ignition.

 

[Ecomike]

Nice posts Chick! I just remembered that my 85 gave me fits, partly because I was trying to replace it with an 85, but the column had been replaced years earlier with an 86 or 87? The new 85 lock would not install. IIRC, 5-90 said there were 5 different GM column versions, and I found 5 different GM locks for XJs at AZ one day when trying to match my old one.

Moral of story, don't assume the Jeep year, is the same year as the column you are tackling!:doh:

It might help to go look at the different new locks at the parts store to see the differences!

 

[Southwest Chuck]

On researching further, If you have a late 80's era cherokee, then I am positive you have a spring retained, AMC type ignition. Use the above procedure and you are set.

Below is a poor picture of this type of ignition. On the lower left of the lock you can see the white buzzer actuator tab. On the upper left, you can see the black, spring loaded retainer that must be depressed for removal. Once removed, the key code will be stamped the the lock housing. By making a key from this code, you will then at least have a door key, assuming of course it was the original ignition.

 

[Southwest Chuck]

Nice posts Chick! I just remembered that my 85 gave me fits, partly because I was trying to replace it with an 85, but the column had been replaced years earlier with an 86 or 87? The new 85 lock would not install. IIRC, 5-90 said there were 5 different GM column versions, and I found 5 different GM locks for XJs at AZ one day when trying to match my old one.

Moral of story, don't assume the Jeep year, is the same year as the column you are tackling!:doh:

It might help to go look at the different new locks at the parts store to see the differences!

Very true! Many variations out there, and the owner modified ones can give you fits sometimes !

 

[Lostman]

ok, My column is as shown in the above picture, it was semi-broken when I got the column and not in working order even if I could have gotten the number off of it for a new key. I have the entire column torn down for modification so everything is out of it and the column piece only had the cam and lock cylinder still in it.
There is nothing that I can see that is holding it in yet it will not release. I am going to try to drill it out still. If this doesn't work I will just put another key switch on the dash (this is actually in my willys buggy now, so it doesn't have to have the column key I was just trying to keep it simple since I have another cylinder already with a good key.

 

[Lostman]

After 3 hours of tearing apart the lock cylinder (piece by piece) I got the tumbler out but the housing stayed firmly in the column.
It would move inward about 1/4" before contacting the gear and outwards until it seated (from the back side) againsnt the column again. I still couldn't see anything holding it in. But kept looking anyway. It turns out that there is a spring loaded setup in this particular lock that I couldn't find anyone or anything that could show it.
If you look in the picture posted above by Chuck with the red arrow then look slightly to the left and up you'll see a small opening to the side of the lock keeper bolt. Inside that slit is a small keeper that had proved very effective in keeping in the cylinder.

If you have this same problem push it in with a small flathead screwdriver and the assembly will pop out. Once it is out I had to find a self tapper screw to hold in the new lock because the old one didn't have the keeper bold in place from the factory due to the retainer it was made with.

Good luck to all, hope you don't have to figure it out the way I did. I had the entire column torn down for some modification but still took way too much time to figure out how to get the lock out. Now it is back in the rock crawler and needs a little support from the firewall before it will be driveable.

Kenneth AKA CrazyKen

 

[Southwest Chuck]

After 3 hours of tearing apart the lock cylinder (piece by piece) I got the tumbler out but the housing stayed firmly in the column.
It would move inward about 1/4" before contacting the gear and outwards until it seated (from the back side) againsnt the column again. I still couldn't see anything holding it in. But kept looking anyway. It turns out that there is a spring loaded setup in this particular lock that I couldn't find anyone or anything that could show it.
If you look in the picture posted above by Chuck with the red arrow then look slightly to the left and up you'll see a small opening to the side of the lock keeper bolt. Inside that slit is a small keeper that had proved very effective in keeping in the cylinder.

If you have this same problem push it in with a small flathead screwdriver and the assembly will pop out. Once it is out I had to find a self tapper screw to hold in the new lock because the old one didn't have the keeper bold in place from the factory due to the retainer it was made with.

Good luck to all, hope you don't have to figure it out the way I did. I had the entire column torn down for some modification but still took way too much time to figure out how to get the lock out. Now it is back in the rock crawler and needs a little support from the firewall before it will be driveable.

Kenneth AKA CrazyKen

Gad you got it out!

 

[NDMstang65]

Thanks for this thread...it helped me out a great deal. However, I did figure out a neat way to get the spring back compressed with everything back together. I simply took the horn button and flipped it upside down and used a large flat washer with a notch ground out of one side, You have to have the steering wheel nut and washer and button in your lap, at the same time you have to compress the spring down enough to get the little clip back on the steering shaft on the main splines.

After that you simply hold the steering wheel lock in place and put the horn button on upside down and orient it so the tab sticks out, put washer on and then the steering wheel nut. You can now easily compress the spring down, and with 2 flat screwdrivers you can push the retaining clip down on the shaft due to the 2 holes in the horn button. Hope this picture helps you guys as well. This thing had me in a pickle and it was the easiest way I figured out how to get it back together.

Thanks!
Nick

 

[new-xj]

thanks for the write up worked great for me.

 

[buzzbombxj]

Great write-up, I pulled off my steering wheel and looked at the column blankly for a few minutes, then searched naxja. Finding this saved me hours, and this was one of the rare jobs that did not send me to the hardware store. Bumped so others can find it easy.

:05of5:

 

[aolivett]

I don't have that bolt that holds the ignition lock in place. is there somewhere i can pick one up, does it have to be a certain kind?

 

[aolivett]

Somehow I lost the bolt that hold my ignition lock in place, actually I don't think it was ever there at least when I took my steering column apart. What size bolt should I get when I go get one at ACE?

 

[truck7575]

Thanks for this thread...it helped me out a great deal. However, I did figure out a neat way to get the spring back compressed with everything back together. I simply took the horn button and flipped it upside down and used a large flat washer with a notch ground out of one side, You have to have the steering wheel nut and washer and button in your lap, at the same time you have to compress the spring down enough to get the little clip back on the steering shaft on the main splines.

After that you simply hold the steering wheel lock in place and put the horn button on upside down and orient it so the tab sticks out, put washer on and then the steering wheel nut. You can now easily compress the spring down, and with 2 flat screwdrivers you can push the retaining clip down on the shaft due to the 2 holes in the horn button. Hope this picture helps you guys as well. This thing had me in a pickle and it was the easiest way I figured out how to get it back together.

Thanks!
Nick

Just wanted to add something that helped me... I did what nick said above and once i got it compressed then this is what I did

It worked beautifully and it was rather easy to get it all back together, I would imagine that you use any clamp with a soft foot to it. I just thought Id share what worked for me

Rick

 

[lvcherokee]

thanks for the write-up, it worked great on my 87!