Key will not turn at all. I assume not being able to remove the cylinder means I’ll have to grind off the locking pin. Is this correct, that’s the only reason I can see for removing the cylinder?

 

You grind off the locking pin because it won't retract when the key won't turn. Removal of the cylinder has nothing to do with it.

Robert McCubbin is writing an updated PDF about this - removal of the cylinder, as Chuk_138 has pointed out, is not needed anyway.

 

Thanks for the reply, might dive into it this weekend.

 

Just finished, a one beer job. No need to remove air vent or key cylinder. Added bonus, after loosing the clamp on the assembly I was able to turn the key and release the lock pin. Pretty ez fix, could not have done it without you guys, thanks to all of the contributors on the sticky key fix sticky!!

 

Now I have to look up how to disable the seat belt warning again.

 

So it works great, but car companies topically are not in the habit of including parts that are not needed.
what did I just remove?

 

Not 'extra" parts, they are parts used before a re-design in 2006.
You removed the parts that enable what is called "the redundant lock" function. (Stupid name for it, it's not redundant)

Picture this:
When you insert your key and turn it to "ON", the plunger is pulled out of the steering column that locks the wheel.
When you turn the key "OFF", nothing happens. When you REMOVE the key, the plunger extends, locking the wheel. (You can HEAR this happen, if you listen closely.)

They put those two parts in there so that the plunger can't be 'pushed in' when in the "Off/Lock" position. So now, your plunger CAN be pushed in.
Is this a problem? NO, as you can see, there is NO WAY for anyone to PUSH it in anyway. Hence, we think of those two parts as "extra". Even MB thought so, sometime in 2006, they stopped building the cars with those two parts. So you see, any late 06, and any 07-08 cars don't have those parts.