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  #1  
Old 12-27-2014, 08:59 PM
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w116 steering lock removal

Well I'm trying to get this steering lock out but it is jammed up so I cannot get the key into position 1. Therefore I can't push in the retaining pin on the steering lock to get it off of the steering column. Is there any way to get this out without drilling the pin out with a dremel? I can't get the column to lower at all because the steering lock and cylinder assembly won't move past the hole in the dash (where you put the key in) . I don't think removing the entire dash would be fun. If the steering column could slide back 5 inches that might work. Is that even possible? Has anybody else ever done this? What a bugger!

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  #2  
Old 12-27-2014, 10:25 PM
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You could try spraying brake cleaner into the lock, and reinserting the key over and over until the tumblers release... Also, some have succeeded by using a sander without paper to vibrate the tumblers while turning the key...
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Old 12-27-2014, 10:58 PM
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If you let it get worse and worse until you arrived at the current state, it isn't likely that it will turn again. But it is possible. (By the way, I am not preaching, I've been in that situation myself.)

If it happened suddenly, over say a few days, then there is an excellent chance you can get it to turn that one more time. I managed to do this at my friend's shop, on his customer's car, by turning as I jiggled the steering wheel against the lock.

Apart from what Vstech suggested, you could also try going and getting a cheap pattern key made at a hardware store, then gently file down the all ridges of the key. This actually worked for me, once.

If you have no other way out, dremeling off the lock pin isn't as bad as it sounds. I lived with one car 'fixed' that way for several years. You get used to it pretty quickly.
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Old 12-27-2014, 11:33 PM
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Some People have had the inside of the Steering Colum Lock Break; meaning that the Lock Tumbler was actually OK but it was somthing inside of the Steering Colum Lock jaming it.

I don't know if there is a definitive way to tell which one is the issue.
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Last edited by Diesel911; 12-30-2014 at 12:24 AM.
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  #5  
Old 12-28-2014, 01:47 PM
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Thanks guys, I tried all the methods for hours trying to get that lock cylinder to turn. In the end I even busted it in half with a screwdriver to get the front face to turn so I could insert a small allen key into the hole and push the detent, but it wouldn't unscrew even with vice grips.

I'm going to buy a dremel and grind the pin out so I can remove the steering lock. I'll order a new lock and a new matching cylinder from the dealership. Sucks, but there's no other option. Hah the dealer here in Canada wants $500 for the steering lock alone. Bahahah
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  #6  
Old 12-28-2014, 01:49 PM
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And yeah it can be the steering lock that was stuck as well. No way to tell and I don't want this happening again so I'll spend the money and get a new steering lock from Pelican.
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  #7  
Old 12-28-2014, 07:46 PM
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Alright, I got the pin ground out with a Dremel 3000 and a diamond tip. That dremel barely could fit in there. Very hard to see what I was doing with a mirror wand with a flashlight duct taped to it. I wanted to buy the 8400 rechargable dremel but it would have never fit in that space at all. As it was I could not fit the Dremel 3000 with a 1/8 drill bit in there.

Now, I cannot get the steering lock to pull all the way out of the tube. I took the two bolts holding the steering column out and it will only lower about 2 inches before the dash is in the way. I loosened the collar at the firewall and it looks like the steering column tube should be able to slide into the firewall a few inches to give me the clearance I need to get the steering lock assembly out. But the steering column will not slide down. I assume because the steering shaft is in there tight. Now if I take out 1 of the 2 snap rings that are under the steering wheel holding the steering shaft in place, then maybe I could move the steering column towards the firewall? I guess I will have to try it and see.
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  #8  
Old 12-29-2014, 10:46 AM
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I don't recall ever seeing a post from someone doing this job on a w116.

On the w123, you have to gently pull the lower part of the dash outward in order to drop the column enough to work on getting the steering lock assembly out.

This has to be done very carefully and with the dash warm (I see you are also located in Canada).

Make sure the pin is actually ground all the way off. If even a small burr is still present, it won't come out.

Because it is so hard to see under there, I fought with mine for quite a while before giving up and attacking it again with the dremel, even though it looked to me like I had got rid of the pin. Sure enough, I had left a little lip in one spot and that was sufficient to hold the lock ass'y in place.

It should come off easily once the pin is eliminated.
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  #9  
Old 12-29-2014, 12:13 PM
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Hmm the w123 looks a little different. My lock cylinder protruded a good inch through the dash and the dash curves quite a bit underneath it. I'd really have to wreck it to bend the dash out of the way.

So what I did was remove the large snap ring holding the steering shaft bearing in place (remove the steering wheel, take the horn cover off by peeling off the rubber pad from the metal frame it is attached to, 27mm socket to remove the steering wheel). Once the snap ring is off you have to loosen the collar at the firewall down under the brake pedal. Then you can slide the column down through the firewall 2 or 3 inches. It's really tight though. I had to sit in the seat and push the column with my heels and even gently kick it a few times to get it going. You could try with a rubber mallet as well. Once the column is pushed back enough you can rotate the steering lock 90 degrees (once the retaining pin is ground out) and wiggle it out. It's a very tight fit because there is a metal brace right behind the steering lock as well, but it will come out.

Once out I removed the cylinder cover with a dremel and a fibreglass reinforced cutting wheel. Only used one wheel to cut the front of the cover off. The lock cylinder still won't come out though. I'm going to make two more cuts with the dremel to cut out the detent being careful not to cut into the steering lock housing.

Well my dealer is telling me what VIN encoded keys are no longer available for the w116. So I can either go with generic keys or I can scrap the whole thing and wire in my own security key and maybe a start button.
Not sure what I want to do with it. Seems silly to spend $400 on a new steering lock and generic keyed cylinder. I can always use a "club" to lock the steering. At least those are easy to drill out when they jam!
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  #10  
Old 12-29-2014, 03:29 PM
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Phoned a second dealership. No VIN encoded lock cylinders are available now. The new generic cylinder is part number: 000-462-93-30
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  #11  
Old 12-29-2014, 03:38 PM
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A few more notes regarding this job. To put the steering column back into place you have to take the inner snap ring out that holds the steering shaft bearing in place. Then you can remove the bearing. This bearing is very tight in the column so you won't be able to get the column back into place with that bearing on the shaft.

Once the bearing is free, you can slide the steering column up into place and bolt it in. Then I used a large socket the same diameter as the steering shaft bearing to put it back on the shaft using a rubber mallet. Be sure not to hammer on the black middle part where the bearings are! Make sure you have something the same diameter as the outside shiny metal housing. Once you have it seated all the way, then the inner snap ring goes back into place. You can use a small flat screwdriver and the mallet to tap it into position. It's all a very tight fit. Then you can put the large snap ring back on. The steering wheel bolt is torqued to 80NM or 59 ft-lbs (This is for the 18mm shaft, with the 27mm nut).

Make sure the rubber grommet on the steering shaft is in position on the firewall in the engine compartment. Snug up the steering column collar at the firewall in the footwell.

While I'm waiting for a new lock I just put ignition switch on the outside of the hole where the key normally goes. The socket on the inside of the dash and the switch on the outside. It fits in there great. Now all I need is a trusty butter knife to start it.

I have a steering wheel "club" to keep it somewhat secure.
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  #12  
Old 12-29-2014, 03:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zacharias View Post
I don't recall ever seeing a post from someone doing this job on a w116.

On the w123, you have to gently pull the lower part of the dash outward in order to drop the column enough to work on getting the steering lock assembly out.

This has to be done very carefully and with the dash warm (I see you are also located in Canada).

Make sure the pin is actually ground all the way off. If even a small burr is still present, it won't come out.

Because it is so hard to see under there, I fought with mine for quite a while before giving up and attacking it again with the dremel, even though it looked to me like I had got rid of the pin. Sure enough, I had left a little lip in one spot and that was sufficient to hold the lock ass'y in place.

It should come off easily once the pin is eliminated.
Yeah that pin is a real pain. A diamond point on the dremel really ate into it though. It chewed it out in about 20 minutes after about 5 or 6 goes at it. It's handly to have a good quality mirror with a light taped to it so you can see where the dremel tip is at. It just takes patience, it's not fun but it's not the worst job I've ever had to do on a vehicle. Certainly not going to pay the stealership $500+ labour to do it!
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  #13  
Old 12-29-2014, 03:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel911 View Post
Some People have had the inside of the Steering Colum Lock Break; meaning that the Lock Tumbler was actuall OK but it was somthing inside of the Steering Colum Lock jaming it.

I don't know if there is a definitive way to tell which one is the issue.
Just have to take it out and cut the lock cylinder off and see if the steering lock is ok. I have a hunch that the steering lock is seldom the problem, but that the mechanics do not want to bother trying to get the faulty lock cylinder off the steering lock. Not when you can get a new one from the US for $125 USD. It's just not worth it for most people.
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  #14  
Old 12-30-2014, 12:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rob300SD View Post
Just have to take it out and cut the lock cylinder off and see if the steering lock is ok. I have a hunch that the steering lock is seldom the problem, but that the mechanics do not want to bother trying to get the faulty lock cylinder off the steering lock. Not when you can get a new one from the US for $125 USD. It's just not worth it for most people.
With the exception of installing Tires no Mechanic has ever worked on any of My Vehicles so I don't know what they do.
But, 30+ years is a long tome for a potmetal/aluminum(?) parts to hold up especially when part of it is under a lot of Spring Tension (on the W123 anyway). I wanted a new Ignition switch the Vaccuum Switch was a bonus. So pricewise it was a good deal to get all together as an assembly.

When I had the issue with Mine I bought the whole Steering Lock Assembly because it came with a new Ignition Switch and Vacuum Switch.

I did not know it was the Steering Colum Lock that was broken till I took it apart.
With the Ignition Switch off it was easy to see that the Alumium Shaft that turned the Ignition Switch had snapped. You can see that without removing the Lock Tumbler.
Later I found that the casting around on of the Spring Detents was cracked but to see that the Lock Tumbler had to be removed.

I thought that People split the Sleeve that holds the Tumbler in once the Steering Wheel Lock was out of the Vehicle in order to get the Tumbler out. But, that is on a W123.
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  #15  
Old 01-01-2015, 07:54 PM
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Yeah it makes sense if you want all the new parts. I just don't want to spend $400 CAD for a lock and tumbler (with shipping and fees, etc). All it does is turn the car on. I can get a 3 way key lock switch for $10 and a $10 start button from Digi key that does the same thing. The only issue is that darn vacuum switch. I could rig up a choke cable to pull the engine stop lever under the hood. I think it would attach easily to the bracket where the cruise control cable attaches. Or I can get some kind of a ramp switch that pushes in on the vacuum switch from the steering lock. My steering lock and switches are all fine. Car only has 80K miles on it. Sure the lock could break sometime soon, but now it comes out easily enough. I can't really just go replacing everything on this car. It would put us out on the street! haha

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