Re-keying Odyssey, The third circle of Hell... Options

[Rob-O]

One thing leads to another...

I started this project by trying to figure out why my drivers door wouldn't open from the INSIDE. I had new door actuator mechanisms so I installed those. Still no door operation from the inside. I finally figured out that my door panels were warped just enough to allow the door panel to keep the rod from actuating the mechanism. When I had the door panel off, the inner door pull worked like a charm. So I figure I’m in there, I might as well replace some things. I replace all the door rubber and fuzzies, the end cap, and pull the outer door handle. For the outer door handle I get new nylon/plastic actuators and McMark’s metal seal for the key cylinder.

Here’s where the problems start. I pull the key cylinder for the door and clean it up. I re-lube and re-assemble. Before putting the cylinder back in, I check it with the key installed in the cylinder. Half of the ‘wafers’ are sticking up. Great, whoever replaced the outer door handle didn’t re-key it, no wonder the key wouldn’t lock and unlock the doors (not to mention the 39 year old grease, which is why I was cleaning and re-lubing to begin with). So I think, I can remedy this, let me pull the ignition cylinder and figure out what the wafer sequence is. So I do that and write all that down. Now I realize, I don’t have enough of the correct wafers from the driver’s door to re-key it. No problem, I got this. I’ll pull the passenger outer door handle and pull some of the wafers from it. So I pull the passenger outer door handle and cylinder. What’s in there??? NO wafers at all!! So now I’m just pissed at the previous owner (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) for doing something so stupid. But wait, I can get to the trunk cylinder pretty easily, I’ll pull that one. What’s in there??? NO wafers again!! WTF?? So I figure, I’ll pull the glove box door lock. I do that and grab the wafers and install on the driver’s door, everything works perfectly now. Except that now I need wafers for THREE lock sets (the passenger door handle, the trunk and the glove box).

I also notice that when I pull the passenger door handle, that the end piece of the lock cylinder and the spring underneath it are missing. Instead of the spring and end piece, there is no spring and a metal screw JB Welded onto a washer that was screwed into the lock cylinder (with the wrong screw of course).

Now that I’m done venting, I’m off to the classifieds to post for some lock cylinder parts. Not to mention looking for some straight door panels…

If I didn’t love these care this much, this wouldn’t be fun! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

Are you sure about the rod being the original problem? I managed to render my interior door handle inoperative simply by putting a screw into the cover behind the handle that was slightly too long. I swapped the window crank screw and the handle backing screw. Drove me crazy for several weeks until I figured it out.

--DD