madmanmechanic

i have two issues that's driving me crazy right now

first issue, critical: when I put my key into the ignition it turns further now than usual to engage the starter, then it stays there, up till yesterday i was fine with this, now the cylinder gets stuck in the engage (start) position being most of my mechanical time was with military vehicles i have little knowledge in keyed systems, so i'm not sure if it's the cylinder or the starter switch itself (i'm deducing it's a return spring that finally broke) and that's all I need is to buy the wrong part for a mission critical piece of equipment

so as any old school former army mechanic I'm reaching out to see if anyone has had this issue as well, helps me narrow it down

second issue, more of a PITA than anything drivers side door lock is binding somehow and the door lock will not release all the way (gets to the point of releasing the lock and just stays there) does this both with the key, the automatic lock and the manual (pull the lock button up) only unlocks when you physically open the door from the inside. again since my mechanical expertise was on us military equipment which a door locking system is a whole other animal i'm stumped here as well

thanks for any and all advice

edwinsmith

If you have a non-tilt wheel the ignition switch is mounted on top of the steering column. That is where the return spring for the start is. If you have the tilt wheel there is a sticky thread that details replacing that type of switch.

The door lock has a linkage with plastic clips that also act as bushings which can wear out. I think you can get these in the help section of O'Reilly's.

madmanmechanic

it's a tilt wheel, I'm just not sure if it's the switch or the cylinder, i'm slightly leaning on replacing both but right now funding both is an issue, so i't one of those one or the other situations

EDIT: seen the replacement article, looks pretty straight forward, just have to determine which part to replace for this situation would it be the cylinder or the switch itself?

I would've never thought of that, like i said initially, civilian locks are not like combat locks in any form of imagination

edwinsmith

I have the non-tilt wheel so I can't say anything about the tilt style lock/switch. Somebody else will chime in I'm sure.

thrashingcows

What year is your truck....that effects things greatly.

madmanmechanic

1992 dodge d250

thrashingcows

Edwins suggestions were for the 89/90 style coulmn I believe. The 91-93 was all electric, no rods running anywhere. I think then it will probably be the whole ignition assembly that needs replacing. It is just a bolt on unit, you need the security torx head to remove it though.

madmanmechanic

when you're saying assembly, both the cylinder and the unit?

thrashingcows

The ignition tumbler and assembly it is part of, I'm guessing that one or both are faulty.

madmanmechanic

well, good news and bad news

the good is it was the key cylinder, it was broken inside (the cheaper of the two)

bad news it took me two 6 mile walks (3 up, three down) to finally figure that out
(yeah I bought the switch first)

madmanmechanic

thought I'd throw a funny addendum to my woes

so, starter switch installed put it back on the truck give it a couple of twist tests...all is good, ok off to the bank and off to deal with an overdraft before the bank takes out money...because i have less than no money (never understood that)

as the song goes, I put the nail in the slot and fired it...waitwhat?

no turnover, what?

ok new cylinder let me just jiggle it a... ah there we go!

get to the bank fix my issue ok to the store

three twists later the starter engages

what the..?

get to the store, get my groceries still figuring ok maybe it's just something...nope bendix still wont catch, don't tell me I burned out the starter!

then the voices of my old army drill sergeants and the echo of my old shop boss, a crust old warrant officer who probably enlisted in the civil war run through my head "the easy way isn't always the best!"

in frustration i turn the key a little harder, you know what we always do if we don't get a switch to engage, fires right up...ok wait... turn it off, repeat the same thing, do it a few more times well crap! the forum was right replace both parts (so was my drills and that ancient warrant) ok i have the money now I'll get the switch (my wallet groans, even at $40)

the next day I have the switch delivered FedEx and it's off to repair it...again did this before so no issue, i read the cylinder replacement thread should be easy-peasy

ok put the key in and with a screwdriver push in the pin in

push... the... pin...

PUSH

THE

PIN



%@#$!! it's frozen! after 30 minutes of trying various twits, jiggles and all manners of NOT being an army mechanic i finally gave in, grabbed a punch and tapped it (which is a first, usually about this time a tap is a homer rage ima gonna crush this puppy full swing puny god hit) pin dropped, cylinder out all bacck together in 5 minutes onto the column it goes!

but wait! there's more!

as i'm putting this back on i remembered the previous owner who **** near thrashed this truck had a low IQ mechanic replace the starter switch (oh it's all coming together now) because as i try to tighten the screws i realize there is VERY little resistance, then it comes to me, what do you NOT use to put back on screws into ALUMINUM? yup buckethead mechanic (whom i used to use in the beginning until he wrecked my pads putting on balljoints) had probably used a pneumatic tool to get the bolts back on for whatever reason and I just may have stripped them putting these screws back on (thank goodness for my stash of helicoils and self tapping bolts that ironically fit!)

so so far, so good, it starts on the first twist every time!

moral to the story: if it's a two part repair and even if the one part is the obvious broken one, just replace both!

thrashingcows

Nice story....and glad you got things repaired and the truck is back up and running, and starting, reliably!