Ignition Key Gremlin, finally found the lil' bastard Options

[76-914]

For the past year I've had to nurse my ignition key to keep it from binding. I could do this just by pushing in on the key when turning it to start. This past week it began require an extra amount of massaging. I was afraid to remove the key from the switch this morning because it was definately on it's last leg. I knew exactly what it was, too! I had already ordered a new switch weeks earlier just in case. But when I looked closely I realized that the switch wasn't the cause for the binding in the switch. Damn! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) Well, it was the tumbler then. I scurried around for MarkB's thread on rekeying and with that in hand began removal. (BTW Mark, the 75-76 comes apart the same way as your model. You had mentioned in your thread you weren't sure about those years.) Just follow Marks thread; it's all pretty straight forward.
So I get the housing off the column and the *%#$@^&% key begins to turn as smooth as silk. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) No matter. That tumbler is coming out and it's off to the locksmith for some new inners. That's got to be it. It started driving me nuts. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif) I knew it was binding badly before. What happened?
When I removed the tumbler from the housing it became apparant. Look at the pics and you'll see the that one of the ears has broken away from the bezel and is in it's grove inside the housing. That piece had to rotate in it's grove and was binding as the tumbler tried to rotate. You can see the remaining ear at the 4 o'clock position.
So in the end I remind myself that I didn't have the slightest idea what was wrong, didn't know what I was doing and just stumbled (IMG:style_emoticons/default/monkeydance.gif) upon it. I need another bezel if anyone has one. 75-76.