Ignition switch frozen

old

Well-known Member
So I went out to start my Ford 841S but I cannot turn the ignition switch on. It is below freezing out so I guess with all the rain and snow etc. we have been getting the ignition switch if frozen. Not sure if I would dare use my small torch on it to free it up or not. I know it will spin over because I did use the hot wire I have set up to see if it would at least spin the engine over. Guess once it gets warm enough to thaw the switch out I'll have to spray it with WD40 since that is what WD40 is made for. Have any of you ever had this type of problem before??
 
Yep....Old Massey Harris tractors had a dash sloped that moisture would run down and find it's way into the tumblers. Hot water is a quick and dirty fix....it would freeze as you used the tractor, and then you could not turn it off! A covered switch eliminates much of the problem.

Ben
 
rich, heat the key with a cig lighter and try to turn it. repeat as necessary, or, get a hair blow dryer and heat it that way.
 
Yes, heat it. But don't over do it cause a lot of switches have plastic parts in them. You could stop at Harbor Freight and pickup a dual level heat gun. They work very nicely. They are on special for only $10.oo right now.
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What glennster said. Put the key in the lock. Heat the head of the key with a cigarette lighter. I used to have to do this a lot on an old GMC Vandura.
 
To use one of those I would have to run 100 plus of extension cord out to where the tractor sit by the hay barn. Temps tomorrow are suppose to be in the 50s so that will do it
 
Key is also frozen into the switch. Tomorrow the weather guessers say we will be in the upper 40s or low 50s so that will do it
 
I have a harbor freight inverter that i plug into my pickup it will run the lower wattage heat setting
 
Pretty hard to warrant spending the $$ on something like that, since it would not be likely to be used but once in a blue moon
 
yep, menthol hydrate, I remember the neighbour used to carry a gallon with him in his 51 pickup. throw it on the windshield so he could see. that was before windshield washers.
 
My heat gun will strip paint. I think the hair dryer may be a safer course of action if necessary. Electrical components are not often fond of extreme heat.
 
We would get locked out of our cars at 20 below because the key wouldn't turn in the door lock. A can of hairspray and a match would take care of that in short order.
 
I once received a call from NASA saying astronauts were locked out of the space shuttle. They thought they would have to scrub the launch but I went over there and fixed it.
 
DA .... yeah, I remember reading about that repair and wondered who did it. Some farmer showed up in a pair of bib coveralls and rubber boots with a pair of pliers, a slot head screwdriver and some hay wire and fixed the door lock. Did they ever award you the Congressional Medal of Honor? I would think that's the least they could have done. Good job DA .....
 
One bitter cold night at JFK we went out to our cars in the employee parking lot and one of our stewardesses couldn't get in her car. Lock was frozen. After trying several things my fellow pilot walked over to his 7 cylinder Cadillac (that's another story) and got a bottle of Wild Turkey out of the glove box, came back and blew some Wild Turkey into the lock hole. Presto! Key went in and turned like summertime. Maybe it should be called "Wild Turnkey". (;>))
 

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