wrenchmonster

Hey everyone. Went to the junkyard today and scored a bunch of little things, one of which was a lock/latch assembly for the glove box. Unless you're super lucky, the chances are the lock won't turn with your key. Of course, you could go down to the locksmith and pay to have it re-keyed, but there is another way. Here's how I re-keyed my lock without a locksmith.

Here's the gem (pic 1):
https://www.yotatech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=107092&stc=1&d=1484450 536

The backside. (pic 2) The green arrows point to the tabs that hold the plastic cover on. Carefully pry these, being careful not to break the cover. Next, insert the key making sure it's fully bottomed. If you forget to insert the key you can loose the tiny pieces inside the tumbler. On that note, I highly suggest working over a box just in case any pieces fall out. Anyway... Once the plastic cover is off, take a small screwdriver or pick and press the brass piece up in the direction of the red arrow as shown. This will release the tumbler itself from the housing.
https://www.yotatech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=107093&stc=1&d=1484450 536

Here's a picture with the tumbler out and on the key. (pic 3) Again, having the key in place retains the tiny pieces that want to fall out. The only one the key doesn't hold is the retaining tab we just used the screwdriver/pick to release. Again, working over a box is a good idea, especially if this is your first lock rodeo.
https://www.yotatech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=107094&stc=1&d=1484450 536

Here's the top of the tumbler. (pics 4&5) The piece that fell out is the retaining tab that hold the tumbler in the housing. The red arrow points to the teeny tiny spring under the retaining tab. Don't loose this spring. It will fall out if the tumbler is turned over. Also note that there are three tabs (I'm sure this isn't the correct term, it's just want I call them) with springs also underneath in the same spots. On the opposite side of the tumbler are two tabs. Besides the retaining tab, all the rest of these can change positions. Now, the theory here is that in order for the tumbler to rotate in the lock housing, when the key is inserted these tabs have to be flush or below the outside of the tumbler. Because these are sticking out with the key inserted, the tumbler can't rotate in the housing. The next step is to modify the tabs so they sit flush. If you want you can carefully remove the key and move the tabs around. Sometimes you can get lucky and get them all to sit flush. In fact, I did move these around a bit to get it to this point in the photo. But this is as low as I could get them. What I do next is to take this whole assembly (with the key inserted and retaining tab/spring removed) and take it over to the grinder. I carefully grind away the tops of the brass tabs until they are flush with the tumbler. Because they are spring loaded, you have to support the bottom of each tab with your fingernail or other means. You can also do this with a file pretty quickly, but I've done this a few times so I'm confident I can do it at the grinding wheel. Do be careful not to run the chrome face against the wheel though, duh.
https://www.yotatech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=107095&stc=1&d=1484451 860
https://www.yotatech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=107096&stc=1&d=1484450 536

Here I'm done with the grinding. (pic 6) I've ground down all of the protruding brass tabs until they are flush with the tumbler. Using the grinding wheel leaves burrs though, which I'll address in the next step.
https://www.yotatech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=107097&stc=1&d=1484452 054

Now that the majority of the work is done, everything needs to be cleaned up. (pic 7) I very carefully disassemble the tumbler with all of the tabs. You have to keep track of the order of the tabs and keep them in the exact same position. Also be careful not to loose any springs. I then take an ignition file and remove any burrs on any of the brass tabs and also the housing. Once the burrs are gone, I like to rub the tabs flat against a green brillo pad to remove any old waxy grease and give it a little polish. The overall goal here is that when the tab is reinserted into the tumbler it freely bounces up on the spring. I re-lube using a silicone grease, but really any light grease will do. Just a very thin layer here, no need to go crazy on the lube.
https://www.yotatech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=107098&stc=1&d=1484452 054

Once you're happy that all the brass tabs are moving freely, insert the key back into the tumbler and add the retaining tab. (pic 8) Lightly lube the outside of the tumbler. Now the tumbler assembly can be reinserted back into the housing. The retaining tab will snap back into place once it's fully seated. Turn the key a few times and take it in and out in both the locked and unlocked positions. Once you're satisfied it's working like it should, snap the plastic cover back over the top and you're done. Congratulations, you've re-keyed your glove box lock!
https://www.yotatech.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=107099&stc=1&d=1484452 054