Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing ignition switch failure

Well my 1986 ignition switch turned for the last time
All the electrics and bits of copper / springs shot out.
has anybody changed theirs?
Any problems? Shear bolts!
New one ordered from uncle Melvin
but
currently out of stock

Thanks

Magwa

Sorry, I am being thick here, are you asking if there are shear bolts or saying that there are and asking advice on how to remove them? (there is a dodge that helps!)

The unit is attached with shear bolts
my car is parked in a lock up garage so it's no power tools to remove it.
Looks a bu**er of a job with a junior hacksaw!
Plus a battery powered drill

We had a spate of Marina steering column lock failures and this might help. As you say without power its a bit of an issue but if you can get a rechargeable drill in there with a 1/8" or smaller drill bit and try and drill a small hole as close to the edge of one of the shear bolt cone shapes as you can. I used to rest the drill side on the clamp with the recessed holes as it does not matter if its damaged a new one comes with the new lock assembly anyway.

When you have a small hole use as fine a centre punch as you have to try and tap the bolt anti clockwise, might sound daft but they do come undone as they shear at a very low torque. But before you try please read the killer dodge below ;-)

Get a pair of large mole grips and clamp both halves of the aluminium clamp together, you can just get onto the edge of the clamp halves one side at a time. This clamping takes most of the resistance off the threads and from under the shear bolt head and you might find if your lucky that the bolt is almost loose.....I have certainly had them where I could just push the shear bolt with the centre punch. I have even see (not much use to you without power unless you have a cordless one) a Dremmel used with a cutting disc to cut a slot into the shear bolt 'cone' obviously through the clamp half as well but as I say its scrap anyway and then a screwdriver hammered in to widen the slot (its very soft metal) and then they can be screwed out once the mole grip is on. Its normally only the first one that's tight. Good luck, its not as bad as it seems to do.

Colin's right as always, the ignition switch on 1986 cars was standard BLMC, when mine went I replaced it with one from an MGB as I could get one easily. If you don't want to wait for Uncle Melvyn you could probably get one from the MGOC.

I found no problem getting my old shear bolts out with a punch, when I fitted the new one I left the heads on the shear bolts, I couldn't really see any point in breaking them off.

Not sure how to attach image into this post so please see the general photo section for what I am suggesting, found something similar on the net that explains what I am suggesting.

You might find a difference in the plug connectors, they went from a more square to a rounded one (or the other way round, cant remember) not an insurmountable problem but they are not directly compatible, Tandy and others sell plugs sockets and pins to overcome this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-NEW-MGB-1974-ON-STEERING-LOCK-IGNITION-SWITCH-BHM-7144-y2b-/311310259804?hash=item487b89965c:m:m0TT1hvoZn6ClIqtN5gvdFQ

It's possible I suppose, but the MGB unit I fitted was directly plug compatible with my Morgan's wiring, the plug is exactly like this one on ebay MGB Ignition switch

That's just the switch of course, the steering lock assembly will also be needed.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Morgan-steering-ignition-lock-switch-1968-97-4-4-4-8-2-keys-/262308314884?hash=item3d12cb3f04:m:mW9t0RFeTfa9rJqBXfYm1oA

Just spotted this on ebay. Might be of interest?