It's jammed. It is impossible to turn and I've broken three keys in it now. What's going on? Is there a simple way to fix this like WD-40 or something? There are wires going into it so I'm assuming there is something electrical in it that could be buggering up?
I would like to avoid replacing it... I just want it to work and not break anymore keys.

 

The steering wheel lock may be binding the switch. Insert the key turn gently and move the wheel back and forth, the wheel may take some effort. One should never force a switch or lock cylinder. Keys twist before they snap, causing all sorts of problems.

 

Well I tried rocking the wheel and it just won't move...

 

Therein lies your problem. Jack up the front end of the car to take the pressure off the steering wheel.

 

i had a problem with my key getting stuck in the ignition and couldnt pull it out or evan when it was fully in it wouldnt turn


PB BLASTER........
fixed it

 

The wheel moves... it's the key that won't move.

 

Will the switch go to acc? And I have to ask the stupid question, do you have the right key? If you had new keys made, they may not match the wear pattern in the switch.

Another thing to check, is the key going in all the way?

 

Mine's tightened up over this past month, however when it started doing that, I put some WD-40 on the key to help lubricate it up. My ignition lock cylinder is still tight, and requires some pushing to get it and some jiggling to get it out, but I've lived with it. If your's is getting THAT bad, you'll have to replace the entire thing, which is a lengthy process, due to the fact that the lock cylinder has a wiring harness to go with it.

 

^
i did it under 30-40min
that includes undoing those thief screws

 

^
Really? Hmm, guess I'll buy a replacement then. Figured it would take me almost 2 hours.

 

Hard part is the anti-theft screws, the rest is easy.

 

Would those be the rivets that attach the wires to the cylinder?

 

There is a clamp over the top side of the column that mates with the ignition cylinder. What looks like rivets are are anti-theft screws. When the screws are installed and torqued, the head snaps off. You will need to notch the blind heads and unscrew them. The FSM shows dropping the column down and hammering a straight screwdriver into the top of the heads.

I use either a sharp wood chisel or a die gringer with a cutoff wheel to notch them.

 

I got a Dremel tool with a flexible shaft, maybe that'll work.

 

Even better than what I have. The wires cannot be connected wrong, all the plugs are different, so don't worry about that. Be careful removing the ign cover, they break easy, and break easier overtightening the screws during reinstall. There are 2 12 mm bolts holding the column up.

 

Will I need to get a rivet tool to stick the cylinder back in/on/together with the rest of the wires?

 

No rivets to remove or replace the entire unit. Just reuse the screws. If you buy a new one, it may come with the security screws, I don't know.

 

i used the wood chisel method and hit the sides
the stearing colum you may have to wedge somthin in there after removing the 12mm bolts so itl give you more room to work on it. its a tight space defintlry take the stearing wheel off
pb plaster to help unlock those theif nuts helps aswell

 

If you still have doubts, dl the 85 FSM in the FAQs, there is a section on the R&R.

 

I just pulled the panel under the left side of the wheel where the choke is located and unscrewed the electrical doohickey(can't think of its name right now, I'm hot and tired) and boom I can turn it on with a screwdriver... The steering lock was still engaged so I popped the plate out of it and took the lock mechanism out entirely. Everything works fine.

By my choke handle there is a capped off hole for a switch. I'm going to mount the switch behind that so the slot is facing out. Then I am going to us a **** to start it. I am going to put a deleter wire in the whole system in a location that is easy enough to get to if you know where it is. I think I can accomplish this in a fairly professional manner.