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The door lock on my 51 chevy 1/2 ton no longer works. I think the tumblers inside the lock are worn out. I ordered a reproduction from jim carter. I can't seem to get the shaft on the lock to insert into the mechanism inside the door. The guts of the door work fine, I can insert a screwdriver and get it to work. The shaft on the lock almost seems too short compared to the original. Any pointers from someone who has done this before?

You gotta make sure that new shaft fits into the mechanism. It took me several tries to get it to work and fit. Also Make sure you have the locking part figured out before you install it too. I installed it and the door wouldn't lock or unlock with the key. Then I had to do it again to get it working. that gasket also seems to add depth which makes the shaftseem even shorter. Good luck!

Ok, I got the new cylinder in, but it seems the the shaft is not positioned correctly (removing the gasket helped a ton). The flat part of the tab on the old cylinder is positioned horizontally, while the new one is vertical. I can't figure out any way to adjust the new one. This means that I can lock the door (but not unlock it) and vice versa. I think I got a defective lock from Jim Carter. Has anyone gotten better locks somewhere else? Thanks for any input, it's very helpful at this point.
-cale

i got all new locks for my 54 and i have to wiggle and wiggle the key to get it to lock or unlock and then sometimes it just works the first time. also having trouble with the aftermarket latches, they come undone half way and the door rattles and one day the whole latch fell apart and the door came open. scares me to drive it. sorry i was much help. ron

Well it won't be too long before I'll be buying door hardware including locks and I see here a couple of suggestions but no one has given testimony of where they bought theirs and are pleased or p#%*@%.

I do not remember where I purchaesed it but I'm happy with it and it works...

Well, that's half of what I need.

Well, I got my lock replaced but not in the way I was thinking. The replacement cylinder I got from Jim Carter was too big for the retainer spring and did not work nearly as smoothly...crazy since one part is brand new and the other is 57 years old. The cover plate on the new piece didn't snap back in place very well and the shaft was oriented 90 degrees off which made it hard to engage the blade of the shaft into the lock mechanism. If you have working locks but have lost the keys I have some advice --> I went to a local lock smith who quoted me a price of $35 to re-key my cylinder. When I got there I brought the cylinder to him (rather than leaving it in the door of the truck) and he charged me $15 for the rekeying and two keys...gave me a nice discount because it was 35 outside and he was happier working inside the shop compared to outside on the truck. If you can have the old locks fixed it's much better because I was very unimpressed with quality of the reproduction cylinders.

SOMEBODY cough it up!
I know someone on this forum has bought door hardware and was pleased with his/her purchase. No? That's bad really bad. I guess as we make the buy we need to evaluate the product here on the bolt for other guys. I think I'll start out at American Classic Truck Parts and if they don't fit send them back and keep sending them back from each vendor that doesn't stock the correct part.

I'm finding myself in the same boat. Got a replacement from Arrowhead which at first glance looks like a decent quality piece. Until you try to install. Same issue: with seal in place, arm not long enough to get the paddle to engage. A side by side comparison confirmed the original is about 4mm longer. Something else I noticed. Using the new key in the old lock, you can definitely feel a difference. The key slides in like you are putting two parts together that were made for each other. In the replacement, not the case. Every pin is a fight to get the key in and the cylinder will turn with the key not fully inserted?!?!?! The quality just isn't there. I'm calling the locksmith tomorrow.

From my past experiences with old door and ignition locks,the keys are usually lost or worn smooth. And the locks themselves are just dirty. I have a string of over 100 G.M. keys(abt 130)
and what i usually do is clean the lock as best as possible,,then go thru my keys till i find one to fit. I then have a copy made at ACE Hardware,,,,,back in business.
Ive been the route with the repro. waste of money junk,,NO MORE.

24 hours later and there may be a better approach. My trip last night to a local locksmith (yeah, a real local guy) unveiled the lock series number under a layer of corrosion and accumulation on the nose of paddle end of the housing. Less than 30 seconds in a database that he had and a key was being cut. Another 2 minutes and I had 4 keys for $20 and was on my way.

Right on for you,Bionic51!!!!!
I wish a lotta other people would take the time like you did,,then they wouldnt have to deal with the ill-fitting repro junk and save themselves a lot of grief.

I've got 3 locks that are going to the "local" guy before the week is out. I'll not only spend my money locally but have good locks when he's done!!

To finish this chapter of my saga, I recently had to pay arrowhead a visit to return the wrong window seal and pick up a fuel sender. Somehow the cheaproduction lock replacement wound up back in the bag. :-) It prompted about 5 minutes of discussion including what was wrong with it and why I wasn't looking for a refund since I damaged it in the process of trying to get it to work. Perhaps if a manufacturer's vendor stops carrying a product, maybe the manufacturers will put more effort/quality into their clones.

For anyone in the Phoenix Metro looking for a locksmith on the west side, contact me directly @ [email protected] I've got no affiliation with the guy I'll refer you to except experience in dealing with him.

IMHO, I would not buy repo door locks or latch mechanisms, in my experience they just don't work or fit. Find good used or NOS if you can find it, anything else is just a headache and wasted funds.

I thought mine was bad ALSO

BOY it it WORTH the time to pull out the 51's pass door lock mechanism.

i had sprayed inside w/ lithium and hoped that would free it all up. That Didn't really work SO, I pulled it out, it really isn't all that bad. remove the window rail and undo all the tapered screws. pull the lock out and put it on the vise. use the door handle inserted and a large screwdriver to activate the lock.
WATCH how it works.
Spray it well w/ your favorite lubricant
use a LOT. Clean w/ a wire brush what you can of crud.
lube again, maybe w/ grease and a Qtip.
WOW.
photos soon


My key lock seamed that it was to short also. i built up the end where it fit into the mechanism w/ braze and filed it to fit the mechanism hole better.

an hour later
MY springs are worn
WHO?? has springs for original door mechanisms??

''''''''''''''' I can't seem to get the shaft on the lock to insert into the mechanism inside the door. The guts of the door work fine, I can insert a screwdriver and get it to work. The shaft on the lock almost seems too short compared to the original. Any pointers from someone who has done this before? '''''''''''

I'm in that boat w/ you right now. i have been building up the key lock shaft at the end w/ braze and filed, where it inserts into the door mechanism. if you remove the mechanism and work it , lube it also (& i have done the screwdriver in the door hole mechanism hole and mine works a treat .... also) you will notice a LOT of slop. by building up the end of the key shaft it fits better into that mechanism. I have not gotten it all figured yet but we're getting closer. more later


https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=487752#Post487752

WHY does the key lock shaft slightly rotate in relationship to the actual key tumbler rotation??

for built in play to remove the key???

. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Waking up an older thread.
I have a ’47.2 with a busted door lock. The cast metal has broken where the shaft sits. It has always been hard to turn the key and recently the shaft that goes from the cylinder to the mechanism fell out. I might try to glue it with JBWeld and lube the mechanism real good. I have been looking at replacement options. The shaft is square, the end that meets the cylinder has a groove and is held on with a metal clip. The end that meets the mechanism looks like one corner of the square was ground off. The replacement single part I have found on several on-line sites show the shaft is a flat blade on that end. It looks like the kit has an image of the correct shaft. Has anyone used the flat blade type? Does it work? I’m guessing I can put my old shaft on a new key cylinder if the flat doesn’t work.

In the six years I spent building my truck I used 30 or more vendors. For door handles I used only two, LMCtruck.com and Classic Chevy Parts of America. Both are easy to deal with on line. I found LMC easier to order from. My experience with door handles, locks, and etc. is one of sheer aggravation. The reason - China.

I have a spare door latch mechanism and it has a bow tie slot for the key cylinder shaft, so I guess the flat part is correct. My key cylinder shaft does not have a flat part on the end, but it did work before the key cylinder broke. One side of the square socket broke off of the cylinder where the shaft engages, I don't think I'll be able to fix that. I'll locate a used key cylinder and have it keyed. I don't know if the shaft had a flat part on the end when new and it broke off, or not since it worked, that is still a mystery to me. I removed the door mechanism to compare it to my spare and it too has the bow tie slot for the key cylinder shaft. I can see the broken spring that lets my handle loose. One of these mechanisms will get a good cleaning and lube before re-installation.

The last one I worked on was like yours......did not have a flat end on the shaft!

I cleaned and lubed my spare door latch assembly and installed it. It looked like the handle spring is crimped in place and my original unit had some wear on the striking surfaces, It is a real pleasure to close the door without having to cock the inside handle, and it shuts smoother now. I removed the rear door lock cylinder to compare it and it too does not have the flat part. The rear door key cylinder shaft measures 1 3/4" while the passenger door key cylinder shaft measures 2". Picture attached, also a picture of the damage to the passenger cylinder. I removed the cylinder and it looks like that will need to be replaced. The 1929-1954 Chevrolet Master Parts and Accessories Catalog pg. 546 has a nice picture that shows the Cylinder as section 10.550 and that section lists it as GM part number 1394993 for 1941 to 1948. I'll guess they went to the flat blade shaft in '49? I did find one listing for that part but the cost is close to an aftermarket assembly. I also found a listing for a Briggs & Stratton part number 85319 door lock and keys for 1941 - 1947 sedan delivery that looks similar(probably different shaft) at triple the price. I haven't found a cross reference for Briggs & Stratton part numbers, does anyone know where I could find that? I contacted someone local about a used key cylinder, waiting to hear back. I also stopped by a locksmith, but that one couldn't help me. I may attempt to swap the cylinder guts myself if I can't find a locksmith for a reasonable rate.

I wish I could help Walter but frustration pushed me to the aftermarket. You probably should check with the guys lurking in the "General Truck Talk" forum.


[b][/b]

I bought a reproduction door lock for my 53 from Classic Parts. My “push rod” shaft was too short as well. I cut a piece of 5/16” stainless tubing , egged it slightly in my vise and then hammered down over the protruding end of the push rod. I made it about an 1/8” longer than push rod end. Works great now, but when buying things they really should just work.

Junk.

One of the largest and most costly problems we have with restoring these old vehicles, seems to be Chinese and Taiwan parts. Either they don't fit or they do fit but don't work or they fit and work but break within a short time. There are multiple manufacturers of these parts and it's like finding a four leaf clover to discover one. Also, their quality control is shot along with any concern for quality.
The only cure for this problem, if there is one, is to send the part back, explaining what was wrong and get a replacement. When the replaced part arrives and still doesn't fit send it back again, and again, and again. Finally try a different vendor, his source may be different. That has worked a few times for me.
Good Luck...

I took a drive in the country this weekend and met a guy with a pile of trucks. We looked through some doors and I found a lock, I’m guessing it was on a 1951 since it had the wind wing. This morning I swapped the wafer tumblers so my key works in the new to me lock. I may have damaged the cylinder where the keeper was pressed in so I wedged a bit of metal tape to keep the keeper down. The shaft has the spade end and I may use that since the door mechanism has the bowtie slot. I removed the Back door latch assembly and cleaned and lubed it, This is a Panel Truck. After I put it back in, the handle sagged, never did before when it was gummed up. I found that the 1934 to 1946 front door mechanism looks like the 1947.2 to ? Back door mechanism, but without the lock. My back door mechanism has the lock with square socket for the shaft that I have. I noticed a spring seems to be missing. I ordered an anti-sag spring for the 34-46 Right for my back door, and an anti-sag spring for 47-51 Left for my drivers door.

I am feeling some frustration, that's when I have to step away from the truck. When I was getting the used lock I made sure it was the right shape, had the correct form, connecting rod was attached. When I met the guy, he had a couple locks in hand that looked different. We found the right one in an old door. When I got home and started comparing to my old lock, I noticed that the cover on my old lick pivots down, the new lock cover pivots up. After about a day I accepted this, and I think my old lock may have been from a Left side car or truck '41 - '47? picture attached. I received the anti-sag springs yesterday, that was quick. I put the one in the back door, it helped, now it's "I can live with that". I may try to locate a stiffer spring later. At that point I was not happy about the front door key cylinder that I fixed. I was able to lock and unlock, but then the key jammed in the cylinder. The metal tape that I used to shim came out of place. This morning I took out the tumbler keeper, and bent the ends so I could press it in and it worked! picture attached. I have a better time when I approach a project on my truck with no expectation on completion, usually disassembly and seeing whats wrong and figuring out how things work. When I have an expectation to put it back together and be done with it, that's inevitably when something doesn't go as planned.