84 Sportswagon ignition barrel - help needed removing

cooloothin · Post by **cooloothin** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 1:17 pm

Hi all, been a while since i've been round these parts - great to see it's still a thriving community

This request is a bit more mechanical than electrical.. feel free to move if appropriate. I searched the forum, the wiki manual (and of course my gregory's manual is no help).... I can't get my damn ignition barrel off.

Q1. I'm trying to get my 84 sportswagon (stock everything) registered in WA and they're very thorough. The dude doesn't like that the key can be taken out of the barrel while the car's running. I was always under the impression that was just a 'subaru thing' (esp with older models, eg 79 - 84) and it was just 'like that'. But I've no idea where I got that impression

He tells me that the barrel springs that hold the key inside have lost their spring and need to be resprung and that a locksmith can do this.

Does that sound right or is he having me on?

Q2. Assuming he's right (and at the moment I just figure that he holds my rego papers so he has to be right even if he's not right) I am guessing that the locksmith can't work on the barrel in the car, so i have to remove it.

How?

I've removed just enough plastic bits to be able to get at the screws that bolt the barrel to the steering column, but finally even having removed those bolts, it still doesn't come off.

There's 4 bolt holes, two top, two bottom. Each pair appears to have one actual brass nut (phillips, which i've removed) and one smooth featureless brass bolt. Not sure how to get these out short of using a hammer and metal punch. Not sure if they're supposed to come out. I put a few shots here http://20knots.net/barrel/ as i figure each model could be different.

I'm stumped. Any ideas greatly appreciated. Google was quite unhelpful, but then i've just spent 2 hours in a hot garage.

Cheers,

Dave

BaronVonChickenPants · Post by **BaronVonChickenPants** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:08 pm

Yeah those smooth ones have to come out, pin punch and hammer or cutting a slot and using a screw driver is the usual way.

Jordan.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:52 pm

if each of those four bolts have mushroom head with a rough tit in the centre on the opposite side from the key side , they were break off type security bolts. you saying you have removed all four ? if you have , try jiggle steering wheel or tap it gently with a hammer. if you have removed the four bolts from the clamp that should be it ???

sometimes locksmiths say just new key needs to be cut to stop key coming out !!

cooloothin · Post by **cooloothin** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:16 am

As i feared.. jono, you must be right, they certainly look like what you're describing as break off security bolts.. and no they're still in there

(as seen in the pics). As for new keys, she was like that when I got her with one original and I had 3 new keys cut immediately, all can still come out smooth as a hot bread knife in butter.

Cheers Jordan, i'll try the slot-cutting method. Getting a mini hacksaw in there is not gonna be fun.. t'was hard enough getting the screw driver in place

Ah well. I call the rust-repair bloke tomorrow.. one hurdle at a time i think.
Night all.

cruzingbrumby · Post by **cruzingbrumby** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:37 am

for my liberty there is a small button on the steering wheel side, it sits below flush so it is hard to see, you just have to get a bent nail or something like that, push the button in, put the key to ACC and it slides straight out, not sure if the same or not for earlier model, took me a while to work it out as well.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:33 pm

pointy centre punch and push the head around until undone is my faitful method. make a punch mark close to the outside egde then dig in , change your angle as if you are using the sides of your new punch mark to push against with same punch - if you get my drift

cooloothin · Post by **cooloothin** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:00 pm

Thanks to all who replied. Just thought I'd include for reference if anybody is searching the forums for ignition barrel or key capture or key stuck or something

that they should go talk to a locksmith first !

would have saved me a lot of back pain pulling the dash apart in my vain attempt to get at the barrel.

It was the keys that were the problem! I got an old dodgy key when i bought the car 8 years ago, and I got new ones cut from it at the time, and they looked shiny and sharp edged, so i thought it was all good.

The friendly local locksmith I called last week insisted that 90% of the time (especially with an old car with old keys) if you get a new key cut to the factory specification it will solve your problems and stick in the ignition.

So I took him up on his word, brought home a spanking new key this arvo, and sure enough you can compare it with the original I have and the keys I got cut long ago, and they look like they're for different cars!

Needless to say, the new key (cut "to code".. the guy had a database with an 1800 Subaru DL Sportswagon entry.. which makes me wonder how many other cars this key would open....) sticks in my ignition like glue.

In the meantime I've had 1500 bucks of rust repaired, and with the key problem solved I feel ok about the time i'll now spend putting the foam and vinyl interior back together after the rust job.

I'm but a trifling immobiliser (bloody W.A.) away from a roadworthy car!!

Time for a beer.

Cheers all.

Dave

Cynical · Post by **Cynical** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:06 am

Just a quick note on this subject aswell.
i subaru dismantlers in melbourne (subibits i think) has new ignitions in stock.
i had this same problem when i first purchased my 82 wagon, new key didn't fix the problem, i think i paid $80 for the new ign and i just cut the security bolts off with a hacksaw blade (not in the hacksaw to make it easier to get in there.)

i believe the ign is aftermarket so it doesn't sit perfect. its about 5-10mm higher, so a slight mod to some plastic to make it look better. but all round a pretty goood outcome.

Cynical.

p.s new key did allow me to open the tailgate though.

sublime · Post by **sublime** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:12 am

Thought I would add the following which I originally posted to a question in the Wanted section.

There is a company that sells new ignition switches (that is everthing - the lock, keys and switch. I do not think they sell the switch on its own for Subarus) called NICE Products. REPCO sells their gear. I brought the complete ignition from REPCO and it cost $130, which is not too bad. I once had a lock company replace only the lock barrel and they charged $240!?! From now on I will replace them myself and get brand new keys as well. You can even order door locks as well so the keys match, however the price is then over $210.

One problem I have found however is that NICE Products own product catalogue lists the wrong part numbers. EG I needed the ignition for a 1974 GL coupe and according to the product catalogue that meant I needed to order an NIC1600 when in reality I needed the NIC1601 which is listed as suitable for later model subies. It is important you make sure it suits before ordering one. You can look at the NICE product catalogue in PDF format online it has photos of the ignition switches which should help with identification. Just look NICE products up with GOOGLE or something similar.