I have a 73 Dart. I'm trying to replace the Steering Wheel Lock & Key Starting assembly. When I try to start it, It will not turn off the starter. I have replaced everything also. Starter Soloid. So have taken the wheel off. But can't find a way to get the Lock out of the shield under it. or Housing. Have New Complete assembly, Can't find the secret. All of my 73 Body, chassis, all factory Manuals to NO Good. Has anyone replaced their Key assembly inside the steering wheel Housing . I'm Lost. Ron or 909-350-2827 HOME or 909-437-8671 Cell..

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Ron E. Burger
Now trying my Hand at restoring a 73 Dart Swinger Barn Find. No Rust, Factory Paint and only 1 dent. Kool

I've taken apart and rebuilt a number of columns for our TMC giveaway cars - they're all pretty much the same with lots of interchangability. The factory manual gives very good instructions with photos.

The **proper way** to get the key assembly (lock) out is to disconnect the battery, remove the wheel, remove horn mechanism, remove turn signal arm, remove turn signal switch (just hang it out of the way - you need not pull all the wiring out), then the big piece under that pulls off after you remove the 3? screws.

Then you see the black lock plate - it is best to get the special tool to hold it down while you get the little retaining wire out of the groove - that's the hardest step of the whole job by far.

Eventually you see a little ~1/8" hole - with the key in the lock and turned to the RUN position, the whole lock just slides out when you push down on a bit at the bottom of the hole using a punch. It doesn't take much force.

I've simplified it a bit, but except for the lock plate compressor and steering wheel puller all you need are standard tools.

If the lock's broken and/or can't turn to RUN, then you can drill down that little hole to destroy the pin. I'm told you can just punch it very hard too, but I've never tried that.

The **improper** way to do this is the old Detroit method - a 3lb or larger slide hammer is screwed into the keyhole and the whole thing brutally yanked out. It took lots of force, and while I was lucky the one time I tried it, I imagine you could easily break something you don't want to.

As a trick to save labor, when I've put in a *temporary* lock, I filed down the pin on it into a cone - then, when I went to put in the final lock, I just needed to turn the temporary lock to RUN and pull firmly to pop it out, then popped in the new one.

"Will not turn off the starter" This sounds like a problem in the ELECTRICAL DEP'T. Not the key part. The spring loded part that returns it from start to run is actually in that not the part that the key goes into.
But the procedure is the same as mentioned but you gotta go just a bit farther to get at it. Also, I am not so sure that he would have that "black lock plate" to deal with if his is not a tilt column. (I won't say that they never made one, but I have never seen a tilt column for an A body.)

I'm pretty sure anti-theft lock plate was in all the columns with the key on the column - if they're left out, there are no problems other than loosing the locking feature, so in older cars they're sometimes missing. After all, that was the reason for moving the key to the tree.

Volaredon is quite right that it may be a switch problem - if the key returns to RUN but the starter continues, I'd check the starter relay and starter solenoid *before* I took the column apart! I'd assumed that the lock was sticking, but may not be the case.

The test is to see if there's power to the starter relay when there shouldn't be.

....or that the starter relay is not sticking.

Absolutely right - if there isn't power to the relay when there shouldn't be, the problem is from the relay on - if there is, it's up in the ignition switch area.

It's my experience that the solenoids in the starters fail *much* more often than the starter relay. I've never actually had a Mopar starter relay fail.

I Have replaced the Starter solenoid=New One, New Starter, New ECU Box, New Voltage Reg. When I turn the Key the Starter still Runs. If someone is under the Hood and Pulls the Green Wire Off Than put it back on No Problem. I have the wheel Off. The Little Lock Ring with 2 small Holes 1 in each end. I can't get the Part with the steering Wheel Bearing in it off. I have 3 MoPar Factory Books. Not a word about steering Wheel Removal or Lock assembly. What a waste they were. Any more Help Keep it coming... Thanks Ron

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Ron E. Burger
Now trying my Hand at restoring a 73 Dart Swinger Barn Find. No Rust, Factory Paint and only 1 dent. Kool

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I've got some (non-factory) 1973 Dart schematics in front of me. I'll look at my 1973 FSM tonight if I get a chance. May I suggest some things to try?

First, let me define the starter relay as the little metal box on the firewall or inner fender, and the starter solenoid as the big cylindrical thing that's part of the starter. The relay has a big stud that has a big cable running straight ot the battery+ terminal and the fusible link connects to the same point.

Look closely for any short between the wires at the starter relay - a short there could feed back power from the starter relay output to the input and lock in the ON state.

On this model, the schematics don't show an output from the starter relay to bypass the ballast resistor - a mistake in that wiring could allow power from the normal ignition flow back through the resistor to the relay and keep it energized. You can unplug the ballast temporarially to eliminate that possiblity.
If you've got an aftermarket ignition, disconnect it for now.

Also, the schematics show a rather unusual "horn regulator buzzer" on the way from the ignition switch START to the starter relay - it may be a New York thing only, but I'd check for one that may be giving problems before I pulled the ignition switch.

For these tests, a 12V test light will work much better than a multimeter.

1) temporarially disconnect the BROWN wire running from the starter relay to the starter at the relay - leave the big RED battery-to-starter solenoid cable on the big stud in place

2) hook a test light to that connection at the starter relay - put it where you can see it when you turn the key to START

Observe closely the time delay between releasing the key and the light going off - if should be nearly instantaneous. Try it a few dozen times to be sure.

If the light doesn't stay on longer than it should, the problem has to be at the starter end or a short between that relay-to-starter wire and the START write from the ignition switch.

If it does stay on longer, move the test light to the START input of the relay (DARK GREEN-RED tracer); leave that wire connected and the BROWN disconnected. Try it a few dozen times again.

If the light still stays on too long, the problem is back with the ignition switch or ; if not, it has to be inside the relay. Relays can break, and if installed improperly under stress can flex and give problems.

If the problem doesn't appear, reconnect everything but the ignition system and try again - it should behave normally. Reconnect the ignition - if the problem reappears, it's messed up ignition wiring.

Let's say you narrowed it down to the ignition switch; we can test that w/o taking the column apart.

There's are 2 wide, flat conectors under the dash connecting the column to the wiring harness. One has some noticably larger wires in it - that's to the ignition switch. Unplug it, and using a continuity checker on the switch side measure for a connection from the big RED and (what my schematics shows as) a smaller RED wire - it should show good continuity only with the key in START.

Here you may have to check for continuity between the big RED and each of the other wires one at a time - one should only come on in START and then go off instantly when the key snaps back to RUN.

If the switch really *is* bad, then go back to taking the column apart.

The circle clip with 2 little holes is a snap ring - snap ring pliers remove it. They are not expensive - $2 this week at Harbor Frieght and are considered a standard tool. They have 2 little tips that go in those holes and pull open the clip open enough to slide it off. With that off and the 3? screws removed, the housing with the bearing in it just slides up and off the shaft. You need not take the bearing out of the housing unless it needs to be replaced.

Then you'll probably see the lock plate - the right tool makes it easier to remove, but a buddy pressing it down to compress the spring under it will serve in a pinch. It has a little wire clip that must be pried off and is tricky.

After that, then you can remove the lock and then the switch - don't forget to unplug it's connector up under the dash, and tying a string to the old connector before you pull it up and out may help you feed the new one's wire down though the column.

The key-in buzzer is very fragile - if you must remove it, beware that it is easy to break.

Good Luck

Well, again I have replaced with NEW Parts. Starter, Starter relay, Voltage Reg. ECU Box, distribuator Rotor, Battery, Have New Plugs & Rotor Cover, And again. When I start it, If someone Pulls of the Green Wire off of the Starter Relay, Than quick put it back on. No Problem. The Key assembly doesen't return to Run Position. I also got a new Wiring for the Key assembly. I Hope this works. I have removed the 2 hole clip. Moved turn single switch out of the way. I can't get the Bearing off of the shaft. No way. The Manual, ( Found it ) says just pull it off. I'm Not a Big gorilla. It sounds easy. Anybody got any tricks getting that Upper Shaft Bearing assembly Off. Than maybe God will help me like you Great Fellows are trying to help. I'm and Old Painter. Not a mechanic.. Used to paint for Mr. John kosmosky when he had his small shop back in Mpls. Minnesota. Years ago. Now He has his House of Color Business or Vaspars. Dam, Wish I had His Money. SSI sucks. Thanks for the Help. The last 2 days out California winds have been up to 58mph. Feels like Home. Minnesota. Cold, which I left for Cali. Crap. Keep Helping me. Thanks Ron.

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Ron E. Burger
Now trying my Hand at restoring a 73 Dart Swinger Barn Find. No Rust, Factory Paint and only 1 dent. Kool

I still think he will be pulling the column apart for a switch replacement....NOT the key lock part but the actual ignition switch.... that is the reason it won't return to "RUN" from "START"

I consulted my 1973 Dodge Chassis Service Manual. Its schematics show the START wire to be YELLOW at both the relay (18Y) and the switch (12Y), not DARK-GREEN/RED as the other did.

Also, the factory schematic show that the switch isolates the START to ignition and START to the relay, so ignition problems can't very easily feed back to cause cranking problems. The FSM schematics show nothing unusual between the switch and relay. Generally it's best to trust the factory schematics - factory deviations from them are very, very rare.

The relevant schematic pages are 8-154 (B4) and 8-156 (B9 & B10) in the FSM.

The instructions with good photos on how to get the switch and key out are on pages 19-38 to 19-43, with the most important being 19-42. While you don't need to take the lock out to get the switch, it's 98% the same.

Looking at the steps, I see they specify a special tool to drive the pin out of the lockplate; I just use a pin punch and small ball peen hammer and *gently* tap the pin out.

Again, if you've got the new switch handy, you can see if it cures the problem by just unplugging the old switch under the dash and plugging in the new one w/o installing it - if doesn't cure the problem, you'll have to look elsewhere, if it does, you've found the problem.

Good Luck.

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Ron E. Burger
Now trying my Hand at restoring a 73 Dart Swinger Barn Find. No Rust, Factory Paint and only 1 dent. Kool

Hmm - with the turn signal switch moved out of the way and any clips removed, the only thing I can suggest is a little WD40 on the shaft where it meets the bearing (try not to get WD40 into the bearing), and then gently pull using the screwholes.

You take a puller and use either very long screws or threaded rod into the screwholes in the housing and *gently* pull the bearing housing up & off the shaft. I've not had one stick hard in about a dozen shafts, so please doublecheck that you've not overlooked something before putting much force at all. If you force it and you did overlook something, you'll break something. In that case, parts are easy to find - there's huge interchange between columns.

You might find it easier at this point to remove the whole column from the car. In that case, inspect the coupling at the box end - I've seen many broken ones - and plan on buying an aftermarket silicone rubber cap to close it up - the factory cap is a real bear to get back on correctly.