Re: [VAL] door knob assembly

["Colin Hyde" <chyde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dr. G,
The pin I was referring to is hidden behind the escutcheon (Bargman type) on
the other end of the door knob (not visible from the outside). The pin you
are referring to is visible on the outside of the lock (Chesler type). That
is the release pin for the cylinder. If you have the correct key, you just
turn it counterclockwise about an eighth of a turn & insert a small awl into
that pin hole & push slightly. There are many locks that work in this
fashion. The pin will depress slightly & the cylinder will pop out. You
can't remove the cylinder by getting at anything in behind. If you don't
have the original key you will need to go to a locksmith & have him pick it
for you & remove the cylinder. If you're going to change the cylinder
anyway, you may be able to drill out the pin enough to allow the cylinder to
be removed or you could possibly just drive the pin into the cylinder with a
small punch however you run the risk of destroying the handle as well. The
original Chesler key slides into the cylinder 7/8" so if your Ford key goes
in properly to this depth you may have found a functional blank source. The
Locksmith told me that there isn't any compatible blank available today.
Good luck with it,
Colin Hyde
GSM Vehicles Inc.
www.theVAP.com