Ignition lock assembly

[dmjlambert]

This switch is interesting. Here are my observations.

There are limits of travel of the cylinder that make it stop traveling past locked/off position and past start position, and pressing the pin allows you to move past the locked/off position enough to disengage the cylinder keeper or retainer.

The switch has 4 detent positions and they are different from what I'm used to in my 1969 truck. The positions are "off and locked", "off and unlocked", "Ignition and accessory on", and "Start with accessory off".

Because the side bar is not held inward in any of detent positions, and the side bar is only blocked between the first and second detent positions, the key can come out in any position. And if turned to the "off and unlocked" position, the key could be removed or partially removed, and the cylinder will switch to on or start and back to off using something other than the key or without the key fully inserted. This appears to be by design.

If I wanted the key to be retained in the cylinder in every position other than "off and locked" I could fabricate a key keeper accessory out of metal or plastic of sufficient thickness and insert it into the switch at the position shown in my second picture to keep the side bar pressed in and disallow key removal.