Ignition key won't turn 1947 New Yorker

[Harvie]

Well, we have had six solid months of winter this year and I finally got my 1947 Crysler New Yorker out on the Road. Drove it to the office three times this week and it was running great. I went down to the parkade to go home and I put the key into the ignition but it would not rotate - it seems stuck fast and will not turn though the key can move in and out of the keyhole.

Before I call the locksmith - can anyone please offer me some advice? In order to get it out of our buildings parkade and back home is there a safe way to Hotwire or bypass the ignition switch until I can get the keyhole replaced or repaired?

[dpollo]

Take a clip lead and go directly from the battery's negative terminal to the ignition coil's power terminal... not the points side.

You may have to operate the starter this way too if the button won't work.

 

It also may be possible to access the back of the switch.  If it is the same as the Plymouth, there is a cardboard cover to prevent  hot wiring.  It is easily removed, then  hook a clip lead from the center terminal to one of the others which will energize the ignition.

 

There is a small set screw which holds the entire lock assembly in place.  Remove that and the switch can be pulled out and down to make things easier to get at.

 

   Without meaning to sound like a smart alec, is it possible that the trunk key , which may have the same key way was used instead of the ignition switch key ?  They were different shaped heads originally ....... but sometimes one would slide into the other lock. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

Yep as mentioned above... are you sure you have inserted the correct key you always have in the ignition switch?

[Harvie]

Thanks very much gentlemen - I am heading down to the office now to see what I can do with this. I am very certain that I am using the right key- initially I thought I had mixed them up. 

 

 I get the switch assembly loose by backing off the set screw - and see if it is the same as the Plymouth that'd pollock described.

 

Thanks!

[ebruns1]

I ordered 4 new key blanks to make copies of my only set of original keys.  When I took them to our building maintenance office to make copies (we have a key machine here in our office) the cutter must not have been set properly and all the new keys must be inserted and then pulled back out slightly in order to turn.  Maybe you just need to try jiggling your key if it is a copy of the original master.  Sometimes my ignition takes quite a bit of monkeying around with the new copies to get to turn.  Good luck.

[Plymouthy Adams]

car I recently acquired was most difficult to turn key...I dipped the key in oil about 4 time to be sure I got plenty of lube in place...freed up and is working very nicely...long ago I had one cylinder lock get distorted by the key to the point that the tumbler hole edges was distorted...had to disassemble to clean the bore holes with drill bit of proper size...

[dpollo]

Maybe ( in a perfect world ) there are a dozen New Yorkers in the parking garage and you just got into the wrong one !

[Harvie]

Dpollo you made me laugh right out loud at that line! But if there is one place left in the world where there could be six black '47 New Yorkers in the same parkade it would have to be Winnipeg.

 

Called in the locksmith and he fixed me up - said the aluminum key was so worn down at one of the cuttings that it couldn't properly engage the tumbler- he doctored it up and gave me a new key! Thanks to one and all and especially Dpollo!

[dpollo]

My Pleasure.  over 50 years ago I had a gray 50 Dodge ( D36).  they were still quite a common sight.  I tried to unlock someone else's  twin to mine.  It was nearly dark and some beer was involved.  But here is a "true" story.  A fellow approached his pale blue 52 Chev . The muffler was hanging down so he got down and wiggled it.  The whole works fell off at the manifold and in disgust he pulled the pieces off and threw the whole rusty mess into a ditch. He then got in and put the key in the ignition.  Some of you will remember that Chevrolets used a novel sort of switch that had to be turned to lock and the key removed. Otherwise, if left unlocked, you did not need the key at all.  This one was locked and as he tried to get it unlocked he realized that he was not in his own car !  He got out promptly, located his own car nearby , got in and drove away.   Imagine the surprise the owner of the first car got when he climbed in, turned the key, pressed the button and the unmuffled engine started with a roar......... Given the nature of GM locks of that era ,  the guy was lucky his key did not fit the first car.

[Don Coatney]

Only place I have seen that many old Mopars in one spot is in the garage of forum member Dodgeb4ya

 

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/DonCoatney/library/Billy Austin/day 15?sort=3&page=1