Technical How does the column lock work?

hey guys,

I’m sure it’s the same from 32-48 but I’m lookong at a 38 ford pickup colum/ column drop/support and I’m trying to figure out how exactly the lock works.

The on and off switch I figure is turning the car on, the push button starts the car, and the key locks the column. That’s what I’ve alwaus thought anyhow.

When doing searches I find people in locking now the colum by drilling out the set pin that holds the key/lock cylinder in place and sliding the cylinder out, but I’m not seeing any photos of how it actualy works.

I want to see the inside bits.

Anyone have photos or an explanation?

This is as close as I can get and it’s doesnt actually show what I’m looking for
Thanks in advance

 

Well I hit some magical combination of search terms that you can only figure out after making a new thread and found this.

http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/restoration/locked-loaded-restoring-ignition-lock

It seems the switch is actualy a lever on this bit of rods and little arms and it’s not an electric switch at all? Go figure lol

Still a little lost but it’s getting clearer

 

The key cylinder pin is offset and the slide has a hole in it. The column has a hole and the slide has a pin on the end....turn the key and everything slides. The switch arm goes around the slide and out the housing into the electric part of the ignition switch, that way when the slide is at one end the switch won’t work.

That's how my '47 car is setup.

 

The lock has a pawl or pin that catches in the grooves of the collar shown as 3592 Turning the key pushes the pin out or pulls it back. I should have read the link you posted before posting LOL.

 

http://www.goldengatev8.org/tips/RestoringIgnition35-36/RestoringIgnition.htm

I'm sure the trucks work different because the toggle and lock aren't in line with each other.

 

I just had one of these apart and back together yesterday. I've got another one that I'll happily take apart and take pics of though if you want to see more than that article. It's not really the column that gets locked, it's the electrical contacts.

Mike

 

Both the column and switch get locked. The steering will lock and you cannot turn the ignition on.

 

This thread has a coupe of pictures and some resources that might help with this.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/40-ford-column-drop-lock-what-am-i-missing.866112/

 

Thats it exactly 39 guy! Was about to post pics - but yours were clearer.

Dave

 

Really? I must have missed the spot on the shaft that gets locked out then. From what I assumed, it didn't look like there was enough travel in the lock mechanism to reach the shaft itself to lock it. I'll have to go look at it again.

 

Thanks guys I’ll go threw those links when I get a minute. This won’t turn at all and the switch won’t move either.

I wanted to actually I’d erstand what was going on before I started dicking with it and broke something trying to free it up.

Any and all photos and links are appreciated

 

Just owner's manual type stuff: Key moves the shaft. With key off, steering either is locked or will lock when you turn the steering wheel...when wheel goes to straight or to positions on either side of straight the locking pin drops into notched sleeve on steering and car is inop. Same shaft blocks/unblocks the on-off switch lever. Key cannot be removed unless switch is off and key turned to locked position. There are a LOT of versions of this '32-48, with plenty of truck variants along with passenger, and they all work about the same no matter how the bits are arrayed. There are even some with remote cable in Lincolns. Cleaning, de-rusting, and oiling are most of the job usually.
'32-35 or 6 use a small pin, about 1/8, '36 up a considerably bigger one. Lock cylinders (original) are getting scarce, but most likely yours can be cleaned up and fitted with a new key by a decent locksmith.

 

@Bruce Lancaster thank you! All the photos and diagrams the internet could offer me didn’t give me the information you just gave me.

I knew what I was asking was super specific and would need to be answered in a pretty specific way for me to understand it. You hit the nail on the head. Thank you

Follow up question. When people say they have un locked the column by removing/ drilling out the set pin/screw and pulling the lock cylinder out, does the shaft come with or do they manually manipulate the shaft to rotate out of the slots?

Thanks again, happy to see you posting again

 

On my '47 (and '36), the pin gets pulled out, the key cylinder comes out, but everything else stays inside the housing.....you just manually move the slide with a pocket screwdriver.