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TR2/3/3A T handle trunk lock

sp53

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Has anyone ever rebuilt or re-keyed the T handle trunk lock on a TR3a. What actually moves to engage the locking part?
 
The tumblers line up to allow the pawl to turn. It is very simple to re-key. A bit harder if you don't have the original key to start with.

(Note I'm intentionally being vague...so I don't upset JP. He's a real bonded locksmith, so has scruples I don't!)
 
Thanks John I bought the original coded key from Pete Groh the British key guy and it worked fine on the ignition. The code is the same on the trunk shaft, but the lock only turns ÂĽ of the way, so I thought perhaps if I took it apart and cleaned it; I might be able to fix it.
 
Did you try to spray something like wd40 in it? Might free things up.

Cheers
Tush
 
Thanks John I bought the original coded key from Pete Groh the British key guy and it worked fine on the ignition. The code is the same on the trunk shaft, but the lock only turns ÂĽ of the way, so I thought perhaps if I took it apart and cleaned it; I might be able to fix it.
Mind you, it's been decades since I've had a TR3, so I don't remember how far the key is supposed to turn (I know all my Heralds, Spitfires and such went by half-turns). Thing is, if you can turn it at all, I suspect you're 90% of the way home, and a bit of lubricant and some patience will get that final 10%.
 
Has anyone ever rebuilt or re-keyed the T handle trunk lock on a TR3a. What actually moves to engage the locking part?
The inside end of the lock cylinder has an eccentric pin sticking out, which engages a slot in a square bolt. Takes a half turn of the cylinder to take the bolt from fully out to fully in. The bolt in turn engages a vertical slot in the base casting.
 
Thanks Randell I have had many over the years that the lock turns with the key-- but does nothing. I had a kid one time force turn the handle until it opened, so he must have just snapped that something. Then once I broke one trying to un-freeze it, so there must not be much in there. How would someone get the lock section out? Drill or drive out the pin on the shaft? I am going to have JP take a look at this one, but it is old and frozen like me.
 
It's mostly just pot metal, so not likely to be any good if it's that badly corroded. Also easy to break. The little lock bolt was the only steel piece I saw.

On the one I pulled out, there is a kind of bell-shaped cover that has to come off over the square output shaft first. The shaft is peened to retain the cover; I used the bench vise to hold the cover in a bit (against a spring) and the Dremel with a cutoff blade to grind away the peened area. With the cover off, there is a pin visible off to one side, which is what retains the lock cylinder. I tapped the pin out with a small punch (actually two of them, a very short one to start it moving and a longer one to finish) and pulled the cylinder out with the key.
 
Thanks again Randall-- I might try that with a couple of beaters I have just to see what I can come up with. The one in question is actually in nice shape. I called Pete the British key guy and asked what he thought before JP came into the picture and Pete though the trunks have different codes, but this code is the same and other tr3s I have had all have the same lock codes.

I am thinking about boiling one in oil or get some motor oil/ cooking oil up to say 500 degrees and let that see if it soaks or penetrates more. Does that sound dumb? will I hurt anything? What does pot metal melt at? I remember heating a door assembly handle with a small propane torch and that odd shaped piece in the handle latch assembly melted quickly.
 
500F is probably hotter than you want to use, especially since most oils will start to give off flammable vapors. "Pot metal" isn't a single alloy, the name refers to the practice of tossing scraps in the pot. But it's usually mostly zinc, which ISTR melts around 750F, so that might be OK (if you can keep from having a fire).

Still it seems unlikely to me that it would help much. Just dose it good with PB Blaster and let it sit for a few days.
 
Randall that was a excellent description of the lock mechanism

JP
The inside end of the lock cylinder has an eccentric pin sticking out, which engages a slot in a square bolt. Takes a half turn of the cylinder to take the bolt from fully out to fully in. The bolt in turn engages a vertical slot in the base casting.
 
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