Key won't turn off

Needed to move the 74 Hornet hatchback out of the way to stain the fence this morning.

Had not been started for about a month. (2) things immediately went wrong.

Always have to pump the gas a bunch of times after it has been setting. I apparently jammed the gas pedal down to hard, it started up and stuck at full throttle, but here's the kicker, the key in the ignition would not turn off. I jumped out, removed the air cleaner and put my hand over the carb to kill the engine. I got the throttle linkage to return to the normal position.

The key will not return to the off position, so I disconnected the battery to not burn the points. This column has the lever that you depress to turn the key off and remove the key, but nothing seems to work to get the key to turn to the off position.

Anyone have a solution before I pull the steering wheel off and get into the column?

Try moving the steering wheel, it probably is jamming the lock on the ignition switch.

That is exactly why it's a great idea to include a fuel pump kill switch as well as an ignition interrupt.

As the car ages and the ignition switch gets worn from multiple car starts if the steering wheel is turned in such a way that there is pressure applied to the locking mechanism, trying to relieve the pressure by moving the steering wheel one way or another depending on when it was last moved will allow the locking mechanism to unlock and let the key be removed.
In a moment of slight panic almost anything can happen. Specially when you are messing with what is probably a 40+ year old car. And if moving the steering wheel because it is bound up does not help? Then it was something else!

1970390amx wrote: Very seldom have I seen a ignition switch fail so it will not turn, more often the contacts are worn and cause an electrical problem. I often see the tumbler assembly have worn internal parts that break and jam it so it will not move. Unfortunately you need to remove the wheel and lock plate to get to the tumbler assy.

I agree.  I should have been more specific, the lock asembly is typically the culprit, not the switch itself.