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OT: drilling out an ignition lock

Ignition is not removable unless you can turn it over.

There is a pin (hardened beyond belief) riding on a cam inside the cylinder that protrudes into the column body, only way to retract that pin is to turn the cylinder over to run and push the pin back into its pocket.

When the cylinder is turned to the off position the cam is jammed against the pin preventing any possibility of removal.

The pin has a collar and will not pull out of the lock cylinder either.

Drill it, gut it, retract the pin and pull the cylinder body out.

To install the new lock you just push the lock into the column in the run position and turn to the off position to extend the pin.

But the newer xj with the immobilizer key had some cut backs in physical security and the pin is a square pin that is not even hardened a bit, more like pot metal.

It drills like butter.

But beware if your drilling opens up the hole in the column any your lock will not sit flush in the column and will trigger the key reminder “bell” and even cause the immobilizer to trip out.

so just to make sure, the hardened pin stuff doesnt apply to my 1999, right? in the second pict. on the right in post #3 there is this square pin. thats the one you say is soft, right? it just seems so easy to drill this one out. should i not?

everybody sais to drill axially, i asked on "just answer" and thats what he said to do as well. will do it today, probably.

btw, iv been driving xj cherokees for over 30 jears now, we have the fourth and fifth now. great vehicles, dependable and no "service" needed. everybody thinks im crazy, but they virtually cost nothing. the first one (dont remember the year) was modded for offroad, air controlled shock, procomp light, big roo-bar, winch etc. but then the front bars became illegal, which took most fun out of it. they usually last 500'000 km and then go to africa because of rust.
 
btw, iv been driving xj cherokees for over 30 jears now, we have the fourth and fifth now. great vehicles, dependable and no "service" needed. everybody thinks im crazy, but they virtually cost nothing. the first one (dont remember the year) was modded for offroad, air controlled shock, procomp light, big roo-bar, winch etc. but then the front bars became illegal, which took most fun out of it. they usually last 500'000 km and then go to africa because of rust.

The original AMC engine designs were hard to kill, usually rust eats the body first. My YJ has no rust (yet) but the engine is getting old with 404,000 km on it. Mine is the 4-cylinder. Same design as the 6, less 2 cylinders... your lawn mower has more balls, but the YJ engine just keeps going and going, very slowly.
 
thanks, the cylinder is not a proble, i get them from rock auto. the issue is the key has no chip.

a little tidbid: i called the general jeep importer. their only solution is to sell me a cylinder for $500 with one key, configured as the old one (by chassis number). it has no chip.
 
if you have a chip key then you can usually program the car to accept the new chip key if you have at least one original key. I had the cursed Ford Focus ignition barrel lock up problem. Got a new key cut, bought a new ignition lock and changed the wafers to match the key, then did some weird sequence of ignition on/ doors locked/ windows up and down to get the new key accepted. Every model is different, you just have to look it up online to find the specific sequence of things you need to do.
 
as far as i know that can only be done with the software the authorized dealer has. but apparently not in this country.
 
so its out. i got rid of the cromed cap with a die grinder and drilled in three steps to 12m. the big drill almost broke my arm, it was catching real bad. i was able to turn the remainder of the cylinder to the position where i could push up the latch from below,but it didnt come out. then i managed to turn it to the position where the inner part would come out and after some help from the inside the outer cylinder finally came out after being hung up half way for a while. it took me about two hours, including turning a centering addapter for the first drill. the biggest problem was grabbing the cylinder from inside, with a right tool the procedure might have been easier (my spreading pliers were too big). i also covered everything up carefully, so there is not much mess.

what had happened is that i put in a new cylinder (doorman) and it jamed as soon as it was in. my suspition is that some debris in the housing might have caused the whole thing to bind, but i dont really know.

edit: oh, and you cant drill much beyond the platelets, because there seems to some hardened obstruction further in.
 
so its out. i got rid of the cromed cap with a die grinder and drilled in three steps to 12m. the big drill almost broke my arm, it was catching real bad. i was able to turn the remainder of the cylinder to the position where i could push up the latch from below,but it didnt come out. then i managed to turn it to the position where the inner part would come out and after some help from the inside the outer cylinder finally came out after being hung up half way for a while. it took me about two hours, including turning a centering addapter for the first drill. the biggest problem was grabbing the cylinder from inside, with a right tool the procedure might have been easier (my spreading pliers were too big). i also covered everything up carefully, so there is not much mess.

what had happened is that i put in a new cylinder (doorman) and it jamed as soon as it was in. my suspition is that some debris in the housing might have caused the whole thing to bind, but i dont really know.

edit: oh, and you cant drill much beyond the platelets, because there seems to some hardened obstruction further in.

Good work.

Now, is there any way to test the next cylinder before committing to install it? Could you wrap a thin shim of metal around the locking plunger, install the cylinder and use it for a while to confirm proper operation, then remove shim and permanently install?
 
Good work.

Now, is there any way to test the next cylinder before committing to install it? Could you wrap a thin shim of metal around the locking plunger, install the cylinder and use it for a while to confirm proper operation, then remove shim and permanently install?

The pin is on a cam, you can’t hold it in.

You can test the lock outside the car, just turn the lock back to run and push the pin back in before install, the pin does not “lock”
 
so just to make sure, the hardened pin stuff doesnt apply to my 1999, right? in the second pict. on the right in post #3 there is this square pin. thats the one you say is soft, right? it just seems so easy to drill this one out. should i not?

everybody sais to drill axially, i asked on "just answer" and thats what he said to do as well. will do it today, probably.

btw, iv been driving xj cherokees for over 30 jears now, we have the fourth and fifth now. great vehicles, dependable and no "service" needed. everybody thinks im crazy, but they virtually cost nothing. the first one (dont remember the year) was modded for offroad, air controlled shock, procomp light, big roo-bar, winch etc. but then the front bars became illegal, which took most fun out of it. they usually last 500'000 km and then go to africa because of rust.

The older Jeep’s had a silver round pin that was very very hard

Sorry I was late to respond to this! Yes the square pin is soft and easy to drill, it’s like that because the immobilizer is what’s preventing vehicle theft.

Chrysler chose to save money on the lock and invest in the immobilizer
 
Good work.

Now, is there any way to test the next cylinder before committing to install it? Could you wrap a thin shim of metal around the locking plunger, install the cylinder and use it for a while to confirm proper operation, then remove shim and permanently install?

its too tight, thats why i think some debris there might have led to the whole thing jamming, although it doesnt really make sence: there are 3 cylinders, outside in column, middle with "plunger latch" and inner with longish "locking latch". if the outer and middle is jammed, it shoud not affect the inner one.

well, waiting for new cylinder from rockauto.
 
thanks, the cylinder is not a proble, i get them from rock auto. the issue is the key has no chip.

a little tidbid: i called the general jeep importer. their only solution is to sell me a cylinder for $500 with one key, configured as the old one (by chassis number). it has no chip.

That is outrageous, because the same item here in the US is $80 from a dealer which is already over priced. However, They strongly discourage keeping parts for more than 5 or 10 yrs old, so a US dealer may or may not have them. Rock Auto is indeed the best way.
 
i just received the dorman "wonder lock" (924-784). its a cylinder in a tube. you stick in the old key, turn it clockwise, extract and done. the platelets have been cut for the old transponder key. it works. jeep is running again ($37).
 

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interesting. but as i read it, i would have to change the lock in 50 seconds. also there seems to be no warning lamp on my car, maybe its broken, no idea.
 
not sure about the lock, but the sensor for the key chip is usually separate from the ignition barrel. Either way, I'd rather spend a few hours scratching my head with this than paying a dealer $500 :)
 








 
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