Lock overhaul

I think it's a pretty simple thing to do. Take off the door panel, unhook the locking rod from the tumbler unit, loosen the large nut holding the lock on and remove the lock by pushing it out. I've never done it but I'm considering swapping my passenger door lock with my passengers side quarter window lock. ONE IMPORTANT THING... I've been told that you need to have the key in the lock when you're doing this.

Hope this helps.

 

Take your door panel off and you'll see a lever that is preventing your key form locking the door.

To take the panel off, you'll need to remove the arm rest first, and then take the panel off. It's got several screws around the sides and bottom and then it just lifts off. The window switch has quite a bit of extra wire so that you can move the panel out of the way. Be careful because it's easy to pop (break) the bezel off the switch and then you'll be replacing the switch.

Once you get to the lock you'll see that when the door is locked and you open it with the inside door lever it moves a lever over to unlock the door. This lever gets gunky and doesn't swing back out of the way when it's not needed. I just did mine. I sprayed some WD40 on it, hit it with the air hose to blow out all the gunk and then relubed it with a LPS product. Then I wiped down the inside of the door.

What started this whole thing was not just the lock but the window was slow and squeaked. So I cleaned all the window pulleys and checked out the switches. During the process I popped the bezel off the switch. I tryed to glue the bezel back on the switch. I used super glue and thought I had it fixed. All the switches worked ok so I put it back together. A couple of days later after I had tuned the carbs I was taking it for a test drive and I tried to lower the window. It wouldn't go down so I reached over and tried the passenger switch and it turns out that I glued it into the neutral position. Since I now have to buy a new switch anyway I put some pressure on the switch and the bezel popped off and the window went down, although is went down slowly. When I tried to close the window I got the sqeal back. Arrrgh. So I'm guessing that I have to take the panel off and try it again. The lock is simple though.

Bob Wassam

 

Once the lock is removed from the car, take it and the key to the oldest locksmith in your area and ask him to 'rebuild' it. Chances are a spring on a pin has corroded and/or broken preventing the key from seating. Real locksmiths have all these parts in stock and can completely rebuild the lock. Another benefit is that I have seen cars that have different locks from side to side (replacement somewhere down the 25+ year life). A locksmith can easily key the two the same - and provide new keys too!

rick '79 308GTB

 

My key wouldn't unlock the door. then all of a sudden, it would just turn 'round n 'round. THere's a small pin holding the tumblers to the lever mechanism and in my case, it fell out & out the door (somewhere). Most new locksmiths wouldn't touch it. Esp. if they were told it was from a Ferrari. I tried several "old" locksmiths and that it was from a Fiat...at least I got a chuckle & the lock returned. They were all fascinated by it, didn't recognize it, and didn't have any piences that would fit it. So to date, I have a piece of house copper grounding wire stuffed in the pin hole until I can swap locks with the passenger door. BTW: the wire is working fine.

 

I recomment the next step be trying to find out what other cars that lock assembly might have been used on. Fiat? Alfa? Lancia? Those parts are MUCH easier to find.

 

Old thread but anyone know what cars the lock mechanism is from? I would like to just replace the whole lot, but I'm sure if the common parts are found it will be a lot cheaper than on a Ferrari.

 

The thing to do, as mentioned is pull everything from the doors and trundle off to a Lock and Safe Company........

There's nothing special about the cylinder and pin components and they will dismantle it....mine advised that the "deep cuts' on the key let the pin followers go too far out the spring bore, leading to excess wear.

They rectified that, cut new keys (Ilco and Taylor both replicate the Neiman shape, for $4.00 each) and sent me on my way..

"This must have come out of some foreign car, from the 60's....."

 

I'm assuming this is a straightforward operation, as previous posters have stated above... I'm just hoping I can get the cylinder out without the key. The PO never gave me a door key!

 

That won't matter....the cylinder and exterior door trim plate come out as a unit, then off you go!!

Putting it back is rather technical, as there are TWO helper springs, one up and one down, on the door lock plunger..

Takes some time but not impossible to get them complimentary....

I lost the whole SET of keys to one of mine, once.

The doors are a walk in the park next to the dash cylinder/locking rod assembly!

One out of five locksmiths was able to cut a working key "feeling" for the pins, but the Safe Company later said the rocking motion of this approach took years of life off the cylinder, so it's best avoided.