Seems like everytime I try and give this truck any love or attention she gets all crazy on me. We make up eventually and it can get wild, but sometimes she loses her stuff. Oh wait, we're talking about trucks?

 

So I was trying to continue to work on it, performing the center steering adjustment, when the key would no longer turn, in the ignition!

 

I feel like I've tried everything to get the dang thing to turn but it just doesn't seem to want to happen. I took the ignition switch assembly off the column and tried to work on it that way. Still, to no avail, I cant get the key to turn.

 

With a little more research, I tried to get the lock cylinder out. But it appears the only way to do that is to get the key to turn! Mainly, im trying to accomplish getting the lock cylinder out of the ignition switch so I can maybe preserve the ignition switch. I put both, the ignition switch and lock cylinder on order from rock auto, since I have no idea if I'll ever get the two separated.

 

Anyone have any tricks on how to maybe get the cylinder to turn or separated from the ignition switch? I put the key in a vice and tried turning it that way and was worried i was going to break it in the cylinder. Ive tried using various sprays and beating the key into the cylinder with a hammer. Ive tried an article on wiki to get a little more abstract. Im not a locksmith by any means so im probably missing something...

I’m sure you’ve already tried fiddling with shift lever

 

I had the reverse problem. Could start the truck just fine and then could pull the key out of the switch while the truck was running. Wore the key out after 17 years. 

 I put a new switch in mine about year ago but dont remeber how I did it. I dont remember any issues while swapping the cylinder from one to the other. I'll keep thinking.

6 hours ago, hex0rz said:

Seems like everytime I try and give this truck any love or attention she gets all crazy on me. We make up eventually and it can get wild, but sometimes she loses her stuff. Oh wait, we're talking about trucks?

That's how I feel a lot of times too....

 

Not sure about the ignition, never had to work on it yet. Not that I said it 

6 hours ago, hex0rz said:

Seems like everytime I try and give this truck any love or attention she gets all crazy on me. We make up eventually and it can get wild, but sometimes she loses her stuff. Oh wait, we're talking about trucks?

Fixed haed gasket and what happens 40 minutes ago? Trucks gotma choppy idle and is surging abit with a 236 code. Ride over to the store for ice and the temp gauge pegs and throws another code. 118 IIRC? Over volt on the ect gauge. As soon as the gauge dropped back. Smooth idle and no surging. Damn electrical gremlins.

A new ignition switch and lock cylinder was the fix. What a night and day difference it made. Keys are sharp!