QuestionFirst my '98 ford f 150 Lariet 4 wheel drive was draged about twenty feet by another truck while the wheels were turned hard to the right,in gear, ignition off, doors locked(long story I wasn't home what a nice surprise ay).the truck previously had no problems. The problem I have is two fold (or more) #1 the ignition key will not turn. #2 The paul bolt broke while on the phone with a locksmith telling me to pull hard on the steering wheel and turning the ignition( it snaped and the wheels can be turned but no movement on the key,I suspect that the paul pin or bolt was partialy sheared it didn't seem to take alot of effort to break it). I have a lot of expeirence with older vehicles and took the plunge and disassembled the steering as far as I feel comfortable. I am now uncomfortable but need to "git er dun", she's my work truck
Answer
Ford Housing
Hello Geir:
We're going to have to clarify some things here. I'm not sure what you are referring to when you speak of a "paul pin". I am familiar with a "Parking Pawl" inside of a transmission, but I know of nothing in the column referred to as a "paul pin or bolt".
But let's get to the lock cylinder first.
If the lock cylinder will not turn because of the wheels being turned too far, the easiest way to release the pressure is to simply jack up the front wheels, and then gently rotate the steering wheel while trying to turn the key. If that doesn't work, then we will have to force and break the lock out without damaging the housing. Once this is done you will need a new lock cylinder & keys to install because we are going to break the old lock into 2 pieces.
This takes a lot of effort but can be done. Once you remove the lower cover from the steering column, you will be able to see the small 3/16 hole on the bottom side of the lock cylinder housing. Inside that hole is the release pin for the lock cylinder. The problem is that the release pin will only go in once the key is in the "on" position. You will have to take a 1/8 punch and drive that pin into the lock cylinder, breaking both the lock cylinder and a locking tab deeper inside the lock (one you can't see yet).
When you do this correctly and successfully, the head of the lock will fly off first and then the lock itself will actually pop out about 1/2-3/4 inch. You can then slide the rest of it all the way out (sometimes you need to help pry it out).
Now, looking inside the hole you will see the tip of the lock cylinder still stuck inside the gear. Once again, this little piece and the ignition have to be turned to the "on" position before it will come out. You can accomplish this by pushing the ignition rack gear itself with an angle probe towards the dashboard until the dash & ignition lights up. If you push it too far, the truck may actually start, so be careful. I have enclosed a picture showing you where to push and giving you an idea of what you will be looking at.
Once the pieces are out, install the new lock cylinder (in the "on" position), reassemble the cover and you should be all set.
If the locking steering is still something you want to conquer, we may get into a much deeper overhaul. As I'm writing this, I remember there is a "Locking Pawl" on the top of the column preventing the steering form turning, but that takes much more dis-assembly to get to.
