Ignition very VERY hard to turn over

[1500z71]

This in the '93 in my signature. For a good while now when I turn the truck off the key will not lock all the way back where it should. It'll stop about halfway between where it's supposed to sit when the truck is off and the point where it starts. Usually some jiggling will let it loose and it'll rest where it's meant to. Today it decided to be a real pain and wouldn't go, so with some frustrated juggling it came back with a abnormally loud "click". Came back to start it 30 min later and everything work but would get to the last point before it would start the engine and it wouldn't budge. After about an hour of swapping keys, mallet taps, and WD40, it finally turned over but I almost had to use two hands to move that little bit to get it to start. I've started it three times since then all ridiculously hard to turn. Everything else works like the gear shifter, steering wheel lock, electronics, etc. It turns smooth at all other points but the last one to start it. Did I break the tumbler?

 

[1500z71]

Update: literally as I got done with typing that message I walked back outside and everything started normal again. Easy to twist and start, then after a few tests it went back to being hard. I'm completely lost.

 

[Justin S]

probably just a stuck tumbler

 

[1500z71]

probably just a stuck tumbler

Is it worth breaking down and replacing?

 

[Justin S]

nah, ive had that happen before, it wouldn't even turn once, took it out and put it back in and it was fine. my suggestion would be to spray something in the lock cylinder lke wd40, and then put the key in the hole and pull it in and out fast a few times to make sure everything is loose.

 

[1500z71]

nah, ive had that happen before, it wouldn't even turn once, took it out and put it back in and it was fine. my suggestion would be to spray something in the lock cylinder lke wd40, and then put the key in the hole and pull it in and out fast a few times to make sure everything is loose.

Thanks man I'll give it a whirl

 

[someotherguy]

They do wear out. And they're pretty inexpensive to replace, as well as not hard to change out. You do have to use a couple of specialized tools - steering wheel puller and lock ring tool, but you can borrow/rent those from the auto parts store. The pictorial write-ups easily found on the net about fixing a loose GM tilt column have the same preliminary steps you would need to get to the tumbler - remove steering wheel, lock ring, pull the hazard button off and then turn signal cancelling assembly out of the way, slip the "key in ignition" contact set off and then one bolt lets you pull the tumbler out.

If it was mine I'd go ahead and replace it. Once they go bad, they have a nasty habit of screwing up at the worst possible time.

Richard

 

[1500z71]

They do wear out. And they're pretty inexpensive to replace, as well as not hard to change out. You do have to use a couple of specialized tools - steering wheel puller and lock ring tool, but you can borrow/rent those from the auto parts store. The pictorial write-ups easily found on the net about fixing a loose GM tilt column have the same preliminary steps you would need to get to the tumbler - remove steering wheel, lock ring, pull the hazard button off and then turn signal cancelling assembly out of the way, slip the "key in ignition" contact set off and then one bolt lets you pull the tumbler out.

If it was mine I'd go ahead and replace it. Once they go bad, they have a nasty habit of screwing up at the worst possible time.

Richard

Thank you. Sounds pretty straightforward. I will be asking around about those tools then. But yeah no kidding, this happened to me in middle of the field behind my house right at dark.

 

[Black Z71]

This in the '93 in my signature. For a good while now when I turn the truck off the key will not lock all the way back where it should. It'll stop about halfway between where it's supposed to sit when the truck is off and the point where it starts. Usually some jiggling will let it loose and it'll rest where it's meant to. Today it decided to be a real pain and wouldn't go, so with some frustrated juggling it came back with a abnormally loud "click". Came back to start it 30 min later and everything work but would get to the last point before it would start the engine and it wouldn't budge. After about an hour of swapping keys, mallet taps, and WD40, it finally turned over but I almost had to use two hands to move that little bit to get it to start. I've started it three times since then all ridiculously hard to turn. Everything else works like the gear shifter, steering wheel lock, electronics, etc. It turns smooth at all other points but the last one to start it. Did I break the tumbler?

When it doesn't come all the way back don't try to man handle it. When it's in park grab the gear selecting stick pull it towards you and push it a little past park and hold it and you can turn the key back no problem. My 88 does this all the time. I wouldn't replace it but if you forced it back to hard you might have broken the tumbler.

 

[Ironhead]

Just my opinion here, but if you want to depend on this truck, a new lock would be cheap. Imagine if it happened away from home on a crappy day. Could leave you stuck somewhere, with your truck in an inconvenient place.

Like someone else posted, they can wear out over time, and they are relatively cheap.