Help 1939 Column Drop Disassembly

[Mr. Will]

I need some help with the disassembly of a 39 column drop. You can see in the pictures that the key is broke off in the cylinder and the pin removed and where I have tried to push it out from the back in the unlocked position but can't get it to budge. Does the key need to be turned to the lock position to remove the cylinder? Also don't know how to remove the lock bolt mechanism. Any help would be appreciated.



Thanks Dan

[TJ]

The lock cylinder may be stuck due to some rust or crud around the cylinder. It also appears that the pin was drilled off center and it may be hanging up on a piece of the pin. As a general rule once the pin is removed the cylinder should come out whether it's locked or not. Use some PB Blaster or Lock-ease around the cylinder and check to be sure all the metal is out where the pin was located. Tapping gently on the cylinder will help get the PB Blaster to seep around the edge.

[Mr. Will]

Originally Posted by TJ

The lock cylinder may be stuck due to some rust or crud around the cylinder. It also appears that the pin was drilled off center and it may be hanging up on a piece of the pin. As a general rule once the pin is removed the cylinder should come out whether it's locked or not. Use some PB Blaster or Lock-ease around the cylinder and check to be sure all the metal is out where the pin was located. Tapping gently on the cylinder will help get the PB Blaster to seep around the edge.

I have been soaking it with Kroil for the past six months. The pin came out in one piece, drilled and tapped and pulled it out. I did try to clean out the bottom of the pin hole in case there was a bur. Will keep working on it. Thanks for your input.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by Mr. Will

I have been soaking it with Kroil for the past six months. The pin came out in one piece, drilled and tapped and pulled it out. I did try to clean out the bottom of the pin hole in case there was a bur. Will keep working on it. Thanks for your input.

You may have to drill out the lock cylinder to get it out. New or NOS cylinders are available.

[Mr. Will]

Originally Posted by TJ

You may have to drill out the lock cylinder to get it out. New or NOS cylinders are available.

I got it out.

[Terry,OH]

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You should be able to push the broken key out of the cylinder from the rear. Keep the broken piece until you get a new key that works.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Will

I got it out.

Mr. Will, can you give us some details on what you finally had to do to get the lock cylinder out?
Did you wind up destroying the cylinder to get it out?
What did you find that was actually holding the cylinder in place?

[Dak Rat]

I would like to know how he got it out as well. I have one in the same condition--pin out won't budge.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by Mr. Will

I got it out.

Great. Let us know how it happened.

[Mr. Will]

Originally Posted by Terry,OH

You should be able to push the broken key out of the cylinder from the rear. Keep the broken piece until you get a new key that works.

I tried to push it out from the back but I don't have anything narrow enough to reach far enough back to push it. Will take it to my local locksmith in the morning to see if he can get it out.

[Mr. Will]

Originally Posted by JM 35 Sedan

Mr. Will, can you give us some details on what you finally had to do to get the lock cylinder out?
Did you wind up destroying the cylinder to get it out?
What did you find that was actually holding the cylinder in place?

Originally Posted by Dak Rat

I would like to know how he got it out as well. I have one in the same condition--pin out won't budge.

Originally Posted by TJ

Great. Let us know how it happened.

Okay here is the lowdown. I'm sure everyone here knows how to get the pinch break bolt out but I will go over that as well just in case it will help others that have not read earlier threads. For those that don't know the pinch bolt on the bottom of the drop is designed for the head of the bolt to break off once it reaches a specific torque. In order to get it out there are a couple different ways to achieve it.

1. Grind a slot and use a screwdriver to remove the bolt and then reuse the bolt.

2. Drill a hole and use a easyout. I prefer the square type as opposed to the screw in.

3. Weld a nut to the end of the bolt and use a wrench to remove it.


I first tried the grinder and screwdriver method becase I wanted to save the bolt if possible but, that wasn't the case here the bolt was to secured into the casting.
Plan two was to drill a hole and use a easy out and that did the trick and the pinch bolt was removed.


Next was to remove the lock cylinder. I center punched the cylinder pin and drilled a 5/32" hole being very careful not to hit brass, then tapped it to 10-32 installed a 10-32 allen head screw into my slide hammer and pulled the pin.
At this point I thought this is going to be a breeze. Not the case, the lock cylinder would still not come out. It was at this point I started this thread.
I worked on it trying to push the cylinder out from the back but it would only move about 1/64"

At this point I decided to drill through the pin hole using a 7/32" bit to try and clean out the bottom of the hole in case there was a bur holding up the cylinder being careful not to damage the cylinder but drilling into the brass just enough to clean things up. Still this did not work so I went up to the next size drill bit 15/64"
This is where I had success. The larger drill bit cut into the side of the pin hole bore and loosened a shell from a previous repair.


Apparently someone had been into this before and when they drilled out the cylinder pin they were close to center, pulled the pin and upon replacement put the drilled pin back in and made a new smaller pin to drive into the center of the original so when I pulled the pin I thought I had the whole thing but that was not the case. It was deceiving because the drop still had what looked like original paint and the lock cylinder appears to be original Ford so I guess it could have even been a factory repair.


To remove the column lock shaft once the cylinder lock is removed use a drift to drive the shaft down off the splined collar then remove the pins holding the On/Off switch plate and then the switch lever itself.


That pretty much wraps it up. Hope this helps other members here.

[TJ]

Thanks for the followup.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Mr. Will, Thanks for getting back to us on this.....