1996 Other Ford Models Replacing the ignition cylinder on a

Tiny
SENIORBOB
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 FORD
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 180,000 MILES
I have a 1996 Ford Econoline and would like to replace the igniton cylinder. It has been damaged by a heavy key chain *oops*, so I figure it's the ignition cylinder.



The part that I purchased from my local car parts, "For Ford Products only the one piece non-tilt steering column requires wheel removal" and to disable horn wire/airbags etc etc.


I'm very inexperienced with cars and I can raise and lower the wheel with a lever. Is it safe to say that this precaution doesn't apply because what I have is a one piece tilt steering column, because it can be raised and lowered with the lever? Or am I missunderstanding what the one piece non-tilt steering column is?
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 AT 10:00 PM

6 Replies

Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
Do you have the key to the old ignition cylinder? Because you have to be able to turn the cylinder to the RUN position to remove it. If you can't do this (no key) then you will have to remove the steering wheel anyway.

However, if you do have the key then you do NOT have to remove the steering wheel to replace the lock cylinder.
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Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 AT 11:02 PM
Tiny
SENIORBOB
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Have the key and it turns. Some of the time. Just want to make sure I'm not eating air bag. I'm dumb, tired, and got to wake up in 7 hours so I'm going for it. I'll follow up how this goes.
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Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 AT 11:23 PM
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
Here are the correct replacement steps to help you on your way....


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Noname_1510.jpg



FIG. 1


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Graphic_288.jpg

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Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 AT 11:26 PM
Tiny
SENIORBOB
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
I succeeded! I followed the packages instructions, missed bluelightnin's response.

Here is what I did looks very similar. Disconnected the negative terminal. Turned key to the ON position as if it were running, took a thin long phillips screwdriver and poked the hole farthest from me (2 holes). Pulled on the black part of the ignition, not the keys and slid it right out. Slid the new mechanism on. The key didn't pull out so easy, so I took the ignition cylinder out and back in again, and that fixed it. Reconnected negative terminal and works fine now.

Took about 45 minutes, 30 minutes of which were going wal-mart to get a tool to remove a bolt on the negative terminal :).

My 2 complaints now are my door keys are different than my ignition, and the car keys look very generic, o well is going to steal a 96 ford with 180K miles :.

My original question was in regards to a tilt because there was a precaution in the instructions about "one piece non-tilt steering" I'm assuming because I can lift the wheel up and down with a lever for comfortability that it is not a non-tilt steering wheel. For the sake of basic knowledge at this point, is this correct?
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 AT 12:28 AM
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
That's correct. Since you can lift it up and down it is called a TILT COLUMN.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 AT 12:37 AM
Tiny
SENIORBOB
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
OK thanks. The non-tilt steering wheel directions looked like a big no fun project, it required disassembling the wheel and disabling stuff which means mechanic. If I was wiser I should have done this in a mechanics parking lot who was capable of punching out the old one if I fudged.
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 AT 12:44 AM

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