Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

HELP !

I can't remember how to remove the lock cylinder from the ignition switch! What should have been a 20 minute job has smashed right into a wall. That I've done it before is just maddening! That I can find no mention of the process in the FSM is frustrating. That I can remember how to do it on Ford products is not helpful. That I can't seem to find the right combination of words to do a successful site search is .......

Can any one please give me a clue how this is done? I know a pin goes in the small hole and that is supposed to free it up but it isn't and I'm not taking this very well.

Thanks in advance.

Been a while but believe it was key in cylinder turn to left to accessory position. Insert the pin into the hole and find the lock tab. Push the pin and lock tab in while you are turning the key more to left and start gently pulling out at the same time. If that's wrong please let us know. I will be attempting it soon myself.

jim,,

watch the ears on trim, they break... don't use the trim to hold switch to tighten nuts...(wires)

Thank you Howard for your usual prompt response. I remembered that with Ford it was left to accessory, pin and more left but I just couldn't find the tab to push. So on the off chance Packard followed old GM (60's at least) I tried the "run" possition one more time and finally caught a glimpse of the tab. I pushed that with my trusty ice pick and at last the cylinder came out. Once I could compare the two, the reason for hide and seek was clear. The hole in the pot metal body of the switch for the lock cylinder was visibly larger than the ond in the NOS switch and once I got the lock cylinder installed (just insert with key in cylinder into the switch body and turn) it was clear there was a lot of "slop" in the rebuilt I got from Max Merritt. I should have known it wasn't going to be that easy.

The lock cylinder I am using is, as far as I know original to the car. It does have what suppose is a key code stamped right at the top of the clyinder. If it is, it may come in very handy later. I don't know if it is supposed to be possible to remove the key from the lock in "run" and "acc" as well as "off" but I was able to with the old switch. About a week ago I misplaced the new key(s) I had cut when the rebuilt from MM came and had been using an old worn key. It worked in the ignition switch and driver's door but not the passenger door. With the now spec switch I was able to get the key to turn to "acc" and back to "off" and remove the key in "off" but it would not turn to "run" and of course not to "start" either.

So I'm going to be key hunting for the rest of the weekend (there are two sets that think they're Howard Hughes) and if I can't find them by Monday, I'll take the ignition switch, passenger door lock and maybe the driver's door lock for good measure, to Atlasta Locks here in Portland that has done tremendous things for me in the past 20-30 years.

I guess I was just not supposed to be part of this year's National Collector Car Day either.

So in summation, to remove the ignition lock cylinder I
unscrew and move the glove box down and to the side, firmly grab the ignition switch through the glove box opening (after disconnecting the battery, of course), firmly hold the chrome "lock" against the dash while turning the switch and carefully remove the switch to what was the glove box area then use a 3/8 box wrench to gently remove the nuts from the 4 terminals at the back of the switch.

Worked for me.....

When I sure I won't have to remove it all again I'll reassemble in the reverse of the above.

Some 20 minute chore.

Riki, thank you for reminding me to be carefull. The last thing I want to do is break off any of those ears.

I also want to especially thank Craig for suggesting I start with the switch instead of the ring gear and/or starter.

I also want to thank The Flackmaster for having Santa bring me Christmas in July. After comparing the slop in the old/rebuilt switch with the lack thereof in the new switch I'm sure I've got the stalling, screeching and other symptoms cleared by this NOS switch. And BigKev's advice and counsel is, as always very helpful as well as Kevin.

And Howard, thanks again for your help in this as well as all the other things you've rescued me from over the past 3 years.

I know I'm forgetting someone in this post and it's predecessor, so please forgive me and know that it was not intentional - I'm just real tired right now.

More when I find a working key. But now....

The NOS Ignition switch for the '55 came and I installed it on Monday. Of course it wasn't as easy as all that. First, naturally, the new switch was more worn than the old so one when the key cylinder was transplanted the key wouldn't work. One trip to Atlasta and $8.50 later they re-cut the key so that it would work. Next was putting everything back together so that the very fragile "ears" on the "Start" bezel wouldn't break. That was accomplished, or so I thought, but when I turned the key to test everything out, there was a "snap" and the ignition switch disappeared into the dash leaving the bezel dangling on my ignition key.

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION !

I refused to be stymied by this. I noticed that the bezel had sharp pointed little hooks left where the tangs once were. Once again removing the glove box to gain access to the ignition switch I took note of the two knobs on the switch that hooked into the bezel. I went a grabbed a "heater hose sized" hose clamp of the kind that has "ladders" it's whole length. Sticking the bezel back into position in the dash I got the ignition switch to stay in position while I tightened the clamp. I was extremely happy that the pieces held in place! The turning of the key didn't cause the switch to move because the screw portion of the hose clamp was right up against the ignition light bracket. I tested it a few more times and it looked as though it's will hold - at least and until I can find a reasonable "new" bezel.

And, oh yeah - the new switch. I'm more convinced than ever that the old switch was the cause of my stalling and "no-start" problems. The action of the new switch really underscored the sloppiness of the old one as each detente in the new one is firm and positive.

Most importantly, I can now drive my '55!

Jim,

I'm glad you found your starter problem pretty quickly and were able to solve it. Congratulations!

FYI, Howard (HH56) sells a little kit which will let you use your original "STARTER" bezel with ignition switch if the locking ears break off. That also happened to my 55 Pat and Howard's kit solved it.

Craig

Thank you Craig. Leave it to Howard to find a cure for this "ill". I'll be getting in touch with him as mine is pretty catch as catch can (literaly)

Late Flash!

Everything back to square one after an ignition switch Bar-B-Que.

More tomorrow.

OK Here's the scoop.
On Monday, I installed the NOS ignition switch. Started and ran the car for a good while and everything was fine. I turned my attention to other things and didn't get back to the car until yesterday afternoon. I started the car, sat and listened and watched for a while then got out to open up the gate to the alley in preparation to using the car for some errands. When I got back into the car, smoke was begining to come out from under the dash - engine still running. I shut off the ignition dashed into the house for a 9/16 wrench & fire extinguisher, disconnected the battery and got in and removed the glove box. Dash surface around ignition switch was hot. Once smoke cleared I found that the switch body was blackened and a glob of melted metal on the side with the accessory post. Wires attached to the post were the green radio feed to fuse block and black wire leading to the power antenna. The green radio wire was a little singed but OK, black antenna wire had insulation burned/melted off for the first inch and a quarter. Battery post had the double ganged red wires leading to major splice and cigarette lighter - both undamaged and red wire leading to power window relay which SHOULD have gone to the accessory post but I believe would only enable the windows to be raised/lowered without ignition switch. Ignition post had yellow ignition wire and was fine.

I removed the switch and did continuity check with ohm meter and it actually checked out as OK but I don't trust it for now. Black (and crisp) pwr antenna wire checks out as OK.

When I installed the switch I didn't know what that thin black wire was for so I tried to find out where it led as the FSM Wire Chart list the antenna wire as red. There are a lot of very sharp edges behind the dash and especially behind the heater/vent controls and I've got the cut up hands to prove it. I may have accidently scraped some insulation off the black wire on the sharp pieces when I was trying to figure out where it led (I still have trouble believing that so thin a wire is used for the power antenna). Also the Wire Chart shows an inline fuse on the antenna wire. If there is one on my car it's doing a damn good job of hiding.

That's about it and I'm stumped. I'll post a picture of the switch in just a few minutes.

Fortunately, there was no damage to the car other than the horrible smell of bunrt wiring.

HELP !

OK Here's the pictures. The heater hose clamp is/was my immprovised "fix" for the ears coming off my Starter bezel.

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