Hello guys, I have 1979 automatic. A few days ago I was driving the car around. When I got out of the store, I had a hard time starting the car, it was obvious to me that it was an ignition problem. I turned the key and nothing, no crank or nothing, just the radio went on. After a few tries it turned on, no problem. It did this to me a couple of more times after turning it off and trying to start it back up.

Well today, I tried turning the car on and again it did not turn on, but this time the key got stuck in the on position, now I cannot get the key out and of course the car wont start. I know its not the battery because its new and the radio comes on. I have read a few threads on here about installing a new lock cylinder, also a cable from the transmission to the column, which I have not been able to find a lever that some speak about (any pics?) .

Well I have a few questions regarding what I should do?

Does mine have that cable and lever that some speak about? ANy help how to find it? What to do ?

Do I have to replace the cylinder? Is it easy to do it myself? Can a locksmith do it? Estimate price?

I appreciate the help in advance, any help is appreciated.Thanks

 

Adding these pictures, perhaps someone could point me where I need to look, maybe they are helpful in some way.







Just in case the pictures dont show, here is the direct photobucket link :

http://i1256.photobucket.com/albums/...a28/photo1.jpg

 

I had to take the cylinder out of my '79. It was pretty straight forward but there are a couple things you should be aware of. First, I have a telescoping steering wheel, and the standard steering wheel spring compressor doesn't work with that. I don't know if there is a special tool to compress the spring, but I ended up having to get a friend to come over and press down on the plate while I slipped the retainer into the slots. Find someone fairly strong...

Second, once you remove the signal and dimmer switches, if you drop any hardware it will fall further down the steering column, turning a simple job into a nightmare. I just took some shop towels and jammed them around the central shaft.

The cylinder was very straight forward to remove. There was one screw holding it in. Once I removed that, it slid out easily. There is a simple slot in the end that fits over a tab. I suspect you will need a new cylinder. I hope this helps.

 

Replacing the cylinder is pretty easy, as long as you have a steering wheel puller an are systematic about it.

Your car does not have the cable in question.

Have you tried rocking the steering wheel while jiggling the cylinder?

A standard steering wheel spring compressor will work. You need to put a bolt into the center shaft to keep the column from collapsing. In other words, telescope the hub all the way out, then stick the stud into the shaft to prevent the wheel from turning. It's 5/16-18 or 5/16-24 IIRC. There's info on Willcox's site to help with this. Also check out Jim Shea's website at corvettefaq.com

I see you're nearby. I may be able to help if you need it.

 

First. Thanks to both that have answered.

The more I read, I am starting to realize that it probably is the cylinder that is going to be replaced. Just want to see if there are any other things I could try so I wont get into something I dont need to do.

@majd, I also have the telescoping wheel also. You dont think I can get a compressor from, say, Autozone, that will actually work for it? I know there is a thread where someone wrote detailed instructions on how to do this job, if and when I decide this is what I need to do, I plan to follow those. Hopefully turns out well. Thanks for your tips on the shop towels, ill keep that in mind

@sharkracer Thanks for clearing up the cable situation, I was looking for it all over and could not find it, I was thinking I was looking in the wrong place. I have definitely tried jiggling the steering wheel to no avail.

 

Update:

I took the cylinder out and now I am looking into putting in a new one. But before I put everything back together, I was wondering if there is a way to check if it is indeed my cylinder that is bad. I have the cylinder and the key still stuck in it.

What do I have to do in order to check if its the cylinder. Any ideas?

Thank you

 

Can you twist the key out of the cylinder now that it's out of the car?

 

Nope I cant take it out. Does that mean the cylinder is bad? Or is there a way I can get it out?

 

If it wont come out now, it never will. Go to your local parts store and get the new cylinder and key set.

 

Use a screw driver or pliers to turn the ignition in the column. If it doesn't turn grab the colum near the dash and turn counter clockwise as if where an auto colum shifter being placed in park.

 

So I went ahead and replaced the old cylinder with a new one and everything seems to be fine, I am putting everything back together slowly and carefully, trying not to miss anything.

I am waiting on the plastic retainer (that broke) until I can finish putting everything back together completely. Buuuuuut, I did make one mistake so far which I hope you guys can help with. When I pulled the turn signal/cruise control lever out (pulled the wire all the way out as well) I forgot to attach any string or anything to the end of the wire. So noooow. I am having the worst time trying to fish the cable through the column and out through under the dash.

Any ideas of how I can fish that wire????

I actually gave up and put the locking plate on, I was thinking on just leaving the cable and running it through the outside, bubba I know . I hope yall can help with any ideas. Thank you

 

At this point you really should disconnect the column and pull it out of the car to make life easier on yourself, but I did manage to do exactly this with the column in the car. I tried to use the old wires to run wiring for a new switch (taped them together) but the old wires ended up pulling out of the tape.

Instead, I taped them to a piece of coat hanger wire and fished them through that way. It was very difficult, probably took me at least half an hour, I think I may have cried, but I got it done. You have to stagger the wire because the area it goes through in the column is only thick enough to support just a little more than the hanger. you'll also have to fish from the top and guide it at another point under the column because there's a bend that has to be made.


*edit #1*
Whoops - I read that you were doing the turn signal wire. It's the cruise wire. That should be a bit easier but same principle. Let me go look at mine and see how it's routed.

*edit#2*

Same principle should apply... just go down the left side rather than the right.

 

Thanks, Im going to give it a try with a wire hanger, I tried doing it with some wire but the wire was way to thin so it was impossible. I hope the wire hanger works, I mean theres not much space to guide the wire on the left side but ill give it a try. Ill update when I get to it.

 

Try tapping the key further into the cylinder.

Had this happen to me once, and this is how I got it out.

Used a small hammer and taped it harder and harder until it freed it's self up.

Once free the key and cylinder worked for years.
I did lube it with a lubricant made for locks.

Ralph

 

Alrighty, I got an update, some good and some bad news. I still need your help guys.

First, I was able to feed the cruise control cable back through the steering column, I fished it with a wire hanger, thanks for the help on that.

But there are still a couple details to be done so I can finish the job.

When I was putting everything back together, I did not align it right because the steering wheel is not in the same position when the tires are straight ahead. I am guessing when I tightened something ( nut on the shaft?) I tightened it and the shaft lock or the shaft moved a bit to the right. I am not sure if thats what happened. Perhaps you can help me figure out how to align it right. (do i need the wheel pulling kit again?)

I dont mind the fact that the steering wheel is not aligned as it used to be but it would be nice to have it as it was before.

Now problem #2, I tried to test the honking before putting everything else back, by touching metal against the little rod thats inside a spring and I was successful, so I figured, the horn worked just fine. But when I started putting the rest back, I realized when pressing on the horn contact, the little L metal piece was not able to reach the rod in order to be able to honk. So right there I was stomped, I have no idea if I did something wrong or what happened. Any help here?

Finally, I figured I would put everything back and I would figure the horn situation later. Aaaaand, when I tried putting the horn cover on, I pushed too hard and broke the one of the little plastic rivets in the horn contact. I can buy these little rivets and put the horn contact back together right?

Well sorry for such a long story, I hope you can help me here, it would be really appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

The shaft is splined, once you have the hub on it will not shift. So odds are you put it on slightly off.
the order is spring, rod, plastic shim. The shim goes over the rod and you push the rod and shim down on the spring and align the notch of the shim with the notch on the recess in the hub.

Yes. Willcox and other vendors sell them. You need to buy the plastic rivets, metal will ground the circuit and the horn will constantly blow.

http://willcoxcorvette.com/product_i...oducts_id=8145

 

1. Yes, I think you are right, I put it on slightly off, I guess I would need to take it all apart again (use wheel pulling kit), including the plastic reducer that always breaks, which is what I am afraid off the most, having to wait for another one to be delivered. I guess ill have to think about this one.

2. I am pretty sure I got the order right. I put the plastic shim into the rod and then pushed that in the recess in the hub which already had the spring in there. So if i got that right, what else could it have been? Any ideas?

3. thank you for the link, I will probably buy the rivets and put the horn contact back together with them, since when they broke, it all came apart.

Thanks for the info, really appreciated.

 

1. The plastic thing that always breaks is below the wheel hub, not above it. Nothing to worry about there.

2. The rod goes in with the wide brim (nail head) part towards the spring. Did you put it away from the spring? The thing will want to shoot out when you try to set the shim.

 

The plastic c-clip retainer (and insulator) only breaks when it is several years (or decades) old. If it is a replacement part, you shouldn't have to worry about it breaking into pieces.

I note that this thread was started a week ago. I just got back from vacation so I wasn't aware of the original question.
Jim

 

Hmmmm, now I am starting to think that I do have the order wrong when it comes to the spring, rod and plastic shim.

Maybe these questions will clear things up, if not Ill have to take pictures to see things better. How far out of the recess in the hub should the rod stick out? Jim Shea said the horn contact leg should always be in touch with the rod, so I am guessing it should be out quite a bit. (one clue that I have the order wrong) and shark racer is saying the head of the rod should be towards the spring? Does that mean the head should be closest to the dashboard and the other end should be closets to me If I am sitting on the drivers seat?