ignition key won't go into key tumbler
- Thread starter mikefamig
- Start date
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Motech
You mention a green guide plate. The only green part that I see is the plastic which is green on the orignal lock cylinder but it is not green on the SMP/Echlin part, it is black. Maybe that is an indication of something?
L\Bronco
Well-known member
Hi Mike, he's referring to the retaining plate at the bottom of the hole. It is often green, but sometimes it is just metal, it is held down by a small snap ring.
(The gear that the lock tab engages, (rack gear), is directly under it.) The plate and gear have very similarly shaped openings, if the gear is out of time by a tooth, the 2 holes won't be aligned perfectly and this could cause your issue. (The old lock might slide right in, while the new one won't.)
One of the tumblers in the lock might have jammed preventing the key from engaging properly, (a sure sign of wear) Lubing it worked, but yes, it will likely happen again.
I have rarely had trouble with those locks unless the rack gear was out of time or the switch was holding things out of position.
Good luck with the motorcraft one.
Cheers
Motech
Well-known member
The green guide-plate is inside the column, fixed and held in place by a snap-ring. The rotating end of the lock cylinder slides through it to engage the gear/rack behind it.
This is it removed with pinion gear
In this illustration, they call it a bearing
This is it removed with pinion gear
In this illustration, they call it a bearing
Motech
Well-known member
Good point.
I don't recall any other color but green, but to be fair, it's rare I even look in there unless I'm tearing that column completely apart.
Wow great detail!
And yes the plate and the rack are very well centered in alignment.
When the new cylinder gets stuck it feels like it's body is a press fit in the steering column. It does not bottom with a click, it just jams up tightly and is even hard to wiggle in the hole.
And yes the plate and the rack are very well centered in alignment.
When the new cylinder gets stuck it feels like it's body is a press fit in the steering column. It does not bottom with a click, it just jams up tightly and is even hard to wiggle in the hole.
L\Bronco
Well-known member
Ha Ha
Up here we call that a "pencil width" error.
When "certain countries are ripping off designs to flood the market, we figure they trace the original and they often miss the pencil line, so he new part is ever so slightly larger than the originals. Happens all the time with brake pads.
If you can figure out where its binding, you can remove a little material with a dremel tool or die grinder to achieve a fit.(The new world is such a wonderful place!)
The Ford one will likely work for you though.
Cheers
Motech
Well-known member
Excellent.
You think? It gets way more miserable if that plate and rack are removed, so...
Is there maybe just some crud built up in there? A good scrubbing with a stiff bottle brush, some electrical cleaner, compressed air and a touch of di-electric **** in the bore could di wonders.
And don't forget to have your key turned just so in the lock cylinder upon installation. If that little lock pin is hung up even a tiny bit, it will resist insertion big time, especially that last little bit.
Motech
Well-known member
Hahaha!
I expected the word "insertion" to get the "*****" treatment up above, but they got me on l.u.b.e
I expected the word "insertion" to get the "*****" treatment up above, but they got me on l.u.b.e
The casting is rounded in spots where the original has nice sharp corners and that may just be the problem.Ha Ha
Up here we call that a "pencil width" error.
When "certain countries are ripping off designs to flood the market, we figure they trace the original and they often miss the pencil line, so he new part is ever so slightly larger than the originals. Happens all the time with brake pads.
If you can figure out where its binding, you can remove a little material with a dremel tool or die grinder to achieve a fit.(The new world is such a wonderful place!)
The Ford one will likely work for you though.
Cheers
I have machinist and tool-making experience and I'm familiar with fitting parts and I might just take a little dykem-blue and paint up the old part. In case your not familiar with Dykem, it is a very thin blue ink that you paint onto the parts being fitted together and then when you push it into the hole it will scratch the ink and show you where the interference is and with that you just shave a little material where the marks are.
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L\Bronco
Well-known member
Awesome idea! (Mine is called "prussian-blue" leftover from the days when we used to machine cylinder heads and grind valves ourselves."
Sigh
Cheers
Can you tell me what the electrical contact on the side of the cylinder is for? Is that for the warning buzzer?
So the Ford dealer promised to get the Motorcraft SW-2241 part which is the only part number that the Ford master parts catalog shows for the 1989 Bronco which is Ford part E9TZ-11582-A.
He delivered SW-2061 which is E5TZ-11582-A for 1985 Bronco.
Good news is that it slips right into the steering column and works like new.
The casting on the Motorcraft part is much neater and cleaner than the SMP/Echlin part and the chrome on the thumb **** is very nice while the others are thin chrome over a rough cast.
I learned that the Echlin and SMP parts were identical right down to the casting numbers and I learned that they do not fit all of the applications that they claim to. I do believe that cleaning up the casting with a grinding tool would make them work but I'm much happier with the Motorcraft part. It even feels tighter when turning the key.
Thanks for all the help here, I'm going to put it all back together now.
He delivered SW-2061 which is E5TZ-11582-A for 1985 Bronco.
Good news is that it slips right into the steering column and works like new.
The casting on the Motorcraft part is much neater and cleaner than the SMP/Echlin part and the chrome on the thumb **** is very nice while the others are thin chrome over a rough cast.
I learned that the Echlin and SMP parts were identical right down to the casting numbers and I learned that they do not fit all of the applications that they claim to. I do believe that cleaning up the casting with a grinding tool would make them work but I'm much happier with the Motorcraft part. It even feels tighter when turning the key.
Thanks for all the help here, I'm going to put it all back together now.
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Now can you guys tell me where the little piece in the attached photo goes? I believe that it fell from the neutral safety switch when I removed it. I put the switch back and everything works but I haven't put the steering wheel back yet and I'd love to put this in where it goes.
It is a plastic tube, open on one end, closed on the other end and about 1/8" outside diameter
It is a plastic tube, open on one end, closed on the other end and about 1/8" outside diameter
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L\Bronco
Well-known member
Yes, That is correct, If you slide the key in with the lock cyl out, you will notice that the contact closes.
Hope that helps
Cheers
L\Bronco
Well-known member
Sorry, drawing a blank on that one
Thanks, I looked and that is as you say. Now can you tell me where the heck is that noise maker for the inserted key? Mine is sounding very faintly and I can't find it!
L/Bronco
I figured out where that little Teflon piece goes!
It is a stopper for the turn signal lever when you push it away from you to release the tilt wheel mechanism. There is a hole in the casting that it fit into perfectly and it gives a nice firm but soft stop to the lever when tilting the wheel.
EDIT - That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Time to put the beast back together but I'm still waiting to hear from Motech, he seems to know this steering column inside and out.
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Update
I found the enclosed image and learned that that small plastic tube should have a spring in it to retract the wire bale for the tilt wheel release/turn signal lever. I must have lost the spring or someone got there before me and lost it.
It called the release spring and cap in the photo below.
I found the enclosed image and learned that that small plastic tube should have a spring in it to retract the wire bale for the tilt wheel release/turn signal lever. I must have lost the spring or someone got there before me and lost it.
It called the release spring and cap in the photo below.
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Every time I try to move forward I have another question.
I am having a hard time even knowing how to word this question. There are two spring loaded pins that I think are electrical connectors that are located in a circle very close to the steering column and they are both on the same diameter/circumference and they spin freely and separate from the turn signal switch. One is copper colored and one is steel colored.
There is also a key-way on the backside of the steering wheel that aligns on the same circumference as these pins. It appears to me that when I install the steering wheel that one of these pins is going to fall into the key-way the first time the steering wheel is rotated.
Am I supposed to align this in any particular way when I install the steering wheel so that one or the other pin is in the key-way??
I think that this may be the connections for the cruise control?
I am having a hard time even knowing how to word this question. There are two spring loaded pins that I think are electrical connectors that are located in a circle very close to the steering column and they are both on the same diameter/circumference and they spin freely and separate from the turn signal switch. One is copper colored and one is steel colored.
There is also a key-way on the backside of the steering wheel that aligns on the same circumference as these pins. It appears to me that when I install the steering wheel that one of these pins is going to fall into the key-way the first time the steering wheel is rotated.
Am I supposed to align this in any particular way when I install the steering wheel so that one or the other pin is in the key-way??
I think that this may be the connections for the cruise control?
