bureau13

So I had the dreaded-yet-inevitable broken driver's side door handle. Got the hinge from Roger and I'm halfway through the job...basically, I have removed the old one. My question...while it's out, is there any advantage to doing my door lock? I really don't know what to do with it. My key won't turn the lock. The motor won't turn it. The **** inside the door won't turn it. I don't know if something is binding or if it's just so gunked up inside it won't turn. At one point I suspected the motor, so it's disconnected both electrically and mechanically from the lock, but it made no difference. This seems like a good opportunity to address it, but I have no idea where to start.

Majestic Moose

It is pretty straightforward to remove and repair, the manual covers it, take photos as you go. The doors will not lock if open (something I had to learn).

mkriete

See the post linked below. Cleaning the lock cylinder should be the same procedure. I suspect the cylinder is gummed up. Open it up and clean it thoroughly. Lubricate it with graphite.

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...-strutt-2.html

Wisconsin Joe

First off, if the **** won't lock or unlock the door, it may not be the cylinder. That doesn't have to move for the **** (or electricals) to do their stuff.

However, if the key won't turn, then the cylinder likely needs to be addressed (no matter what else is wrong).

Wayne's write up is one I've used and suggested.

It shows how to get the lock cylinders apart and back together quite nicely. Bill Ball also has a nice one. It was linked in a recent thread.

It may be that the cylinder is 'gunged up', or it may be that one (or more) of the tumbler blades is worn or broken.

(The following will make a lot more sense if you look at the pics in the suggested thread)

I did both my hatch lock & passenger door cylinders. Neither would turn with the key when I got the car.

I had a mixture of tumbler blades that were worn to the point that the key wouldn't put them flush, and a couple of broken ones (they broke at the very narrow part in the middle). The worn ones wouldn't go flush, and the broken ones would leave the broken part sticking up completely.

I filed down the worn ones and simply left out the broken ones. I now have an alarm section that only has one pair of tumbler blades, not two. I'm not terribly worried about it. If someone can pick the lock, a missing pair of blades won't make it that much easier.

It's a 'fiddly' job. Small, detailed work with little bitty parts and tiny springs that want to go flying off in all directions. I've done a fair amount of scale modelling and some gunsmithing, so that sort of thing isn't 'scary' to me.

bureau13

I fiddled around with the lock, but ultimately I needed the car before I could get it completely done. I did notice that, with the cylinder pulled out from the door until the back part caught on the edge, I could turn it with the key pretty easily. Just not when it was in the door. However, I'm not sure I actually proved that it can turn either way. After I put it all back together I was reading through some old threads, and saw one where it was mentioned that you can't use the **** to lock/unlock the door with the door open. Oh really? Sure enough, I can do that just fine with the **** and the door closed. I could have sworn before I couldn't, but maybe I was always trying with the door open? The interesting thing is I can lock the door with the key (at least now) but I can't UNlock it. It only turns one direction. So maybe it is gummed up, or the linkage is binding but only from the key in one direction? That seems a little unlikely.

More once I get time to mess with it again...