Pre-war (up to 1942) 1941 Trunk Lock Cylinder Removal

[J. Russo]

I have researched previous posts with no clear answer 

I recently sent off my trunk handle to be rechromed. I included the key when i sent it off and the lock worked.

when i received the handle after chroming, the key won't turn.

I am trying to remove the lock cylinder and removed the small pin that holds the cylinder in place. However, the cylinder will only come out of the shaft about one eighth of an inch.  The cylinder is in the locked position. 

I discussed this with Marty Watkins also. He isn't sure if the lock position is keeping the cylinder from being removed.

If anyone has experience with this, your input is greatly appreciated 

[marty55cdv]

 Not too familiar with the lock cylinder itself, but on my 41 you can't remove the key unless the handle is in the closed postion.

[J. Russo]

Not too familiar with the lock cylinder itself, but on my 41 you can't remove the key unless the handle is in the closed postion.

That is correct. I have no problem taking the key out and putting it back in. It's the cylinder I'm having trouble getting out.

[Chopper1942]

The cyl has to be in the unlock position to remove the cyl from the handle. I had to soak one in PB Blaster for a couple of weeks before the tumblers freed up. 

Don't put anything in the key hole but the key. If you damage the tumblers with a paper clip, small screwdriver, etc., you may have to drill out the cyl.

After it soaks, run the key in and out multiple times to try and free the stuck tumblers. If you have a good touch, you can feel each tumbler move as you slowly insert the key. If I remember correctly, there are 5 tumblers in the cyl.

The other possibility is the retainer that holds the springs and tumblers in place has popped up. If this has happened, you will need to drill the cyl.

Good Luck. I have a spare tire cover lock that has been in the PB Blaster for a couple of months and 1 tumbler is still stuck so we can't pick the lock to open it up and get the key code from the cyl.

[J. Russo]

The cyl has to be in the unlock position to remove the cyl from the handle.

Thank you.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I wonder if they chrome plated the handle with the lock still within it?

Bruce.

[J. Russo]

I wonder if they chrome plated the handle with the lock still within it?

Bruce.

They did not remove the lock cylinder. They chromed the handle with the key in the lock. It is possible that some of the material they used made its way into the cylinder.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

OMG.   No wonder you are having strife.

The internals of the locking cylinder will be trash.   The small springs will be toast, the plungers will be stuck, not to mention the garbage and grit that will have been built up inside the lock.

Any good Chrome Plating shop would refuse to do it, unless it was totally stripped.

Bruce.

[J. Russo]

OMG.   No wonder you are having strife.

Bruce.

I blame myself for not doing the proper research. If I can't find a replacement cylinder, I'll just have to install the handle without being able to lock the trunk.

[Abe Lugo]

If you take the trunk handle off.  At about the middle of the shaft there is a pin that runs through it holding the lock tumbler in place.  I dont think the key position matter at this point.  Just the fact that you know how to take the handle off is a good start.

Once you remove the tumbler.  The mechanism has a sort outer sheath that the actual lock pins push onto to make it lock.  To take that apart now you need the key to hold and turn it. 

If you want to rekey another tumbler with this same keep and pins you would take this all spare and put this pin set into another tumbler.

Note that there is a short and long tumbler. 
So you can't just buy the tumbler unit and drop it into you handle. 

It need ls to be from a coupe or Convertible coupe trunk

The sedan ones are common but too short. I took the pins from a short one and put them into a link one. That works.

I might have pics of all this.  I just recently fixed the little finger that creates the locking latch in the system a few weeks ago for mine and I finally have a locking trunk.

[Abe Lugo]

See pics
In the first one you can see a drill bit on the hole where the pin is. 
I used a drill blank and a tiny hammer to push it out.

[Abe Lugo]

After pushing the pin either put the key in or tap it out like smacking a pack or cigarettes and you will get the unit out.

Be mindful that the part that slides up and down to lock will fall out. So don't lose or.  Looks like a brass shaft with a slot in the center.

So you can see in the next pic the whole unit. If you have a working lock you hold the outer end and turn it and you will see the button for down, then you can take it further apart. 

After that have all this over a tray as this where the pins and springs might start popping out.

You can see the pin holes for the barrel holder in the last pics of the handles.

There are spare parts I happen to have. 

I made the lock barrel from a sedan work on my coupe. 

[Chopper1942]

Abe has some really good photos that should help you understand how the handle operates. In jpeg 3082 with the drill bit & 3087 with the two handles you can see a small hole in the housing. There is a small steel pin that holds the cylinder assembly in the handle. The pin is staked in place. For best luck removing the pin, either file off the stakes or use a slightly larger drill bit and drill off the stakes. Then use a pin punch (1/16 or 3/32 ?) to drive out the pin. Don't loose the pin. This allows the lock cylinder housing and lock to come out of the handle (jpeg 3084). Since your key will not turn the cylinder, this is as far as you can go. The cylinder has to rotate in the cylinder housing to allow you to push the retaining pin and remove the cyl. from the housing (jpeg 3086). jpeg 3083 is the lock cyl removed from the housing. The small rectangular bar in the cyl is what locks and unlocks the cyl in the housing. It protrudes slightly from the cylinder and slides in a groove in the lock cyl housing. When the correct key is installed, the key pushes the tumblers down, which allows the bar to retract from the groove in the lock cyl housing and rotate the lock cyl and shaft to lock and unlock the trunk. The piece in jpeg 3084 is what you need to soak in PB Blaster to try and free up the tumblers. If you can't get the key to work and rotate the cyl, you will have to get another cylinder, because you will need to remove the chrome cap and drill out the tumblers, which ruins the cyl. You can get lock kits with new springs and tumblers. The kits work from the 30's to 1965. The key code is stamped on the shaft and the new cyl can be keyed the same as your old one. Any locksmith with an old key code book can install the correct tumblers to key the cylinder to work with your key.

On the 1940 75 I have been working on, the trunk and door keys are keyed the same. Only 1 door could be locked and unlocked with the key. I had to soak the other door cylinders, trunk, and side-mount cylinders. So far have been able to get every cylinder working and rekeyed with new springs and tumblers except 1 side-mount cylinder. It is still in the PB Blaster.

Again, Good Luck. With patience and time, you may get it to come free and not have to drill the lock.

[J. Russo]

Where can I get the lock kits you mentioned. I've already removed the pin holding the cylinder in. The cylinder will only come out about an eighth of an inch.

[Abe Lugo]

Well there are a few eBay sellers that sell keyed lock barrels.  That probably the best route. You
Light be able to do a contact seller and see if they can refurbish your lock or rekey to your key.  If you want to keep that key working and is part of set with you car.  Otherwise get a new trunk barrel with key.

I'm always watching items from this seller

https://www.ebay.com/str/autolocksandkeys?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=fxIZYVzxS6G&sssrc=3418065&ssuid=hiNWqjBJRY2&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

John,
 What series is your car?
Bob

[J. Russo]

John,
 What series is your car?
Bob

1941 Series 63

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Hi John,
 I'll call you tomorrow.
 Bob

[J. Russo]

Update: Marty Watkins referred a locksmith to me in Pennsylvania. He was able to remove the lock cylinder and repair it without affecting the newly chromed handle. It works great.

Info is below if anyone is in need of a good locksmith:

Keith's Mobile Lock Shop
8 Indian Path Lane
Feasterville, PA 19053

The shop name can be Googled for a phone number.

[Abe Lugo]

Thanks for providing an update and a possible new source.  The old school locksmiths in the LA area are dried up.  There were pros at the swaps that would make you rekeys without the code in 20min. It's a lost art.