Removal of Defender Ignition Switch

[Cluaran]

Hello Gents,

I'm stripping my 1999 TD5 110 hardtop working from back to front.  I want a completely bare bulkhead to cut out and repair serious rust and am currently about to remove the steering column. I believe I have to remove the ignition switch unit - which I'd like to reuse - before doing so, in order to pull it through the bulkhead. Does anyone have any tips for how to do so e.g removing the sheared security bolts which clamp it to the column, using a stud extractor, drilling out, angle grinder...?  What works without ruining the switch? Thanks.

[Peaklander]

I’ve only done it once, on an 88”. I drilled the heads off very carefully and then unscrewed the rest after splitting and removing the two split barrel pieces.

[Retroanaconda]

They’re not usually tight so I’ve managed in the past to drill a hole in the top of the bolt and either use an easy-out type thing or knock in a suitably sized torx bit which can then be used to undo it.

[Bowie69]

Sharp chisel, jam it on the side of the head, knock it a few times to make a gouge, and then a few good whacks to get the thread to 'crack', and it should just wind out afterwards.

[soutie]

I used a thin pointed punch and hammered it in off center on the shear heads to create a dimple. I then used the punch and hammer to unscrew it using the dimple that I had created. Took some time but worked. 

[Cluaran]

Thanks all! I'd never done this before and didn't want to knacker the switch (after having had to use lots of bad words and violence getting the steering column free from the UJ splines). I tried the punch/chisel method but my chisel wasn't pointy or thin or hard enough to make much impression. In the end I drilled starter holes on the top of the shear bolts using centre drill bits, then used a 3mm then 4mm left-handed drill bit. One of the bolts 'caught' whilst drilling and spun out no problem at all. For the other, I drilled a bit deeper and then tapped in a bolt extractor (the type that look like blunt drills and are turned with an adjustable wrench); this worked a complete treat (I don't always have much success with these). So, thanks for your help. Job done!