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DESPERATELY Need Help: '73 Satellite Key Cylinder Removal

jmshawii

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Aug 26, 2020
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Location
Escanaba, MI
Lost key. Storage building sold. Mother entering Dementia and need to get cars moved out of storage and back to handle some family care ASAP. Thought I had prepped well. Watched several videos about this process and read several forum threads on it. Of course, mine is not working like all the rest. I did read somewhere that 73 charger satellite columns are unique to themselves and one year only.. And perhaps that's why none of the advice I've read or watched online has helped. This is on a 1973 Satellite, AT, column shift and column key. I removed the steering wheel. I've gotten the turn signal switch removed from the column and out of the way. I cannot get the next outer collar to come off of the column so that I can access the next piece of collar that has the actual key switch in it. Every video I've seen shows things coming off rather easily. One guy with a 73 charger did show that there was a c clip holding that collar on. I did remove the rubber seal that blocks the c clip and get the c-clip off. But the bearing that was being held in place behind the c-clip simply will not budge. Does anyone have a schematic, any experience, instructions, or a video showing how to remove this. The car had a very nice original interior and I already did Chip part of the column trying to use pry bars and screwdrivers to nudge that piece of collar off. It simply will not come. Any advice is desperately wanted, begged for, prayed for, and hoped for. Thank you very much. Not sure if this will come through, but I'd gladly give someone my personal phone or email if they could help out. Thanks again!

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Chiming in until someone else can, its been 10+ yrs since I messed with mine, so you are warned. I don't remember going further than where you're at now. I remember taking a paper clip and pushing in on the spring that holds the key assembly in place. It's NOT a 'one year only' deal. I *think* its that hole to the right between the two screw holes.
 
Hit the shaft lightly with a brass drift or plastic hammer. The shaft will go down some. Do not hit it to hard as you could bottom it in the coupler and shear the shaft collision plastic pins.
 
I think there is a pin that has to be pushed in. It’s been a long time since I removed mine.
 
Also try any other vintage Mopar keys you may have.

I've personally known 5 instances of random keys working in other vehicles, as recently as last year when I lost the trunk key to my 66 Coronet. The trunk key to an 86 5th Ave parts car worked when wiggled a bit.
Saved me from crawling through the trunk.
 
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Here is what the lock cylinder looks like. There is a pin that needs to be pressed in to release it. It has a strong spring, a paper clip won't cut it. Use a good scribe.

On your pic there is a hole on the top right circled, put the coller back in its original positional and use a scribe to push the pin in and pull the cylinder out.

temp1.jpg
temp.jpg
 
I actually have a service manual for the car, but it talks about cylinder removal as part
lock.jpg
of breaking down the entire column (which is NOT necessary) so I'll only show this pic.....

EDIT: better example shown by T2R9
 
Here is what the lock cylinder looks like. There is a pin that needs to be pressed in to release it. It has a strong spring, a paper clip won't cut it. Use a good scribe.

On your pic there is a hole on the top right circled, put the coller back in its original positional and use a scribe to push the pin in and pull the cylinder out.

View attachment 1316982View attachment 1316983
That is not the hole. The upper housing needs to come off. That hole is for a screw that holds the upper to the lower.
 
Here is what the lock cylinder looks like. There is a pin that needs to be pressed in to release it. It has a strong spring, a paper clip won't cut it. Use a good scribe.

On your pic there is a hole on the top right circled, put the coller back in its original positional and use a scribe to push the pin in and pull the cylinder out.

View attachment 1316982View attachment 1316983
Hey !! Is that a wheat back penny ? Lol
7D723FCF-D6AE-461B-A3C4-17F9CEC2C6A4.jpeg
 
Chiming in until someone else can, its been 10+ yrs since I messed with mine, so you are warned. I don't remember going further than where you're at now. I remember taking a paper clip and pushing in on the spring that holds the key assembly in place. It's NOT a 'one year only' deal. I *think* its that hole to the right between the two screw holes.
But you have to REMOVE that current piece of column collar to GET to the next step where you actually CAN push the little button and remove the key cylinder. I know how to remove the cylinder itself. I need help getting to that point! And I've read several places that say they should all be the same from '71-'74 or whatever, then watched the videos, and mine is NOT THE SAME. So when I read one place that this IS an oddball set up and year, it is EASY to believe. The question is, HOW DO I REMOVE THAT BEARING IN THE CENTER OF MY PICTURES THAT WILL NOT (LOGICALLY) BUDGE? As I said, the metal column collar has already cracked/broken as opposed to that bearing moving. But thanks for writing. Just clarifying my problem.
 
But you have to REMOVE that current piece of column collar to GET to the next step where you actually CAN push the little button and remove the key cylinder. I know how to remove the cylinder itself. I need help getting to that point! And I've read several places that say they should all be the same from '71-'74 or whatever, then watched the videos, and mine is NOT THE SAME. So when I read one place that this IS an oddball set up and year, it is EASY to believe. The question is, HOW DO I REMOVE THAT BEARING IN THE CENTER OF MY PICTURES THAT WILL NOT (LOGICALLY) BUDGE? As I said, the metal column collar has already cracked/broken as opposed to that bearing moving. But thanks for writing. Just clarifying my problem.
Post 3 told you what to do.
 
As I said a couple taps and its off. If you go buy the book you need to buy special tools as illustrated in the post above figure 9. All I can tell you is I would of had it apart quicker than you typed your post. Get it done. You have nothing special.
 
Another idea, do you have a REAL locksmith where you live? A door lock assembly is easier to remove, and a key can be made off that.
That was the FIRST thing I did. We supposedly have a real locksmith in town, but they ARE very busy. At first they told me they could NOT cut a key to match a cylinder. Then started asking for year make and model, but there was no number on the cylinder so they still couldn't do it. I insisted that I'd had locksmiths do this before for other cars and it wasn't even a big deal. Finally, after they talked to the 4th person in the shop that they asked, he said he could do it and had time to get to it NEXT TUESDAY. As I mentioned, time is currently of the essence, so I decided to just try to remove the key cylinder for now and start and move it that way. Not only do I need it moved, but it's parked in such a way to block in two other vehicles I need to move. Can't put it in neutral and push it without a key. Can't turn string wheel without a key. (Foreboding music plays lightly in the background)... And here we are. I stopped into locksmith again early today and offered $25 extra if someone found time to do it before the weekend. They joked about still not having time, etc, but unfortunately I guess that wasn't enough. At this point I'd pay the couple hundred extra if someone would just come out and make me a damn key!
 
Hit the shaft lightly with a brass drift or plastic hammer. The shaft will go down some. Do not hit it to hard as you could bottom it in the coupler and shear the shaft collision plastic pins.
Tried that. Bearing still holding everything together!
 
Also try any other vintage Mopar keys you may have.

I've personally known 5 instances of random keys working in other vehicles, as recently as last year when I lost the trunk key to my 66 Coronet. The trunk key to an 86 5th Ave parts car worked when wiggled a bit.
Saved me from crawling through the trunk.
Also have done that. I have several vintage Dodge based RV's. I've probably tried 8 keys. None worked. Thanks!
 
Here is what the lock cylinder looks like. There is a pin that needs to be pressed in to release it. It has a strong spring, a paper clip won't cut it. Use a good scribe.

On your pic there is a hole on the top right circled, put the coller back in its original positional and use a scribe to push the pin in and pull the cylinder out.

View attachment 1316982View attachment 1316983
This is the most promising thing I've read yet, and was not mentioned ANYWHERE in any of the multitude of threads I've read nor in the videos I've watched. I'll try it in the morning. Fingers crossed and thanks for the input even if I can't get it that way!
 
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