TheSamba.com :: View topic - Rekeying a lock

Tue May 27, 2014 2:51 am

Very cool! So I tried to do this to a customers bus that had them done by somebody allready but didnt work so well. The prob seems to be that the key sometimes goes crooked right at the very end of putting it all the way in. If you pull it out a little and straiten it out and pushbit back in it works fine. Half the time you get lucky and it just goes in strait , sometimes it doesnt. The long groove in the key...the one that goes long ways , doesnt allways line up with the little tab stcking out in the lock cyl. But I dont know what to do about it?

Sun Jul 06, 2014 9:37 pm

Hi, as a Vdub newby I must be missing something as the door lock barrels wont come out. Help a newby. Thanks.

Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:22 am

Rekeying ignition lock.

Estacaco wrote: Here's how it's done.

File down the two bronze pins. they've been mushroomed to keep the ignition/cylinder together. May also need to pry a bit with a screwdriver.

Removed.

Remove these shims. They keep the wafers from popping out. It's also been peened in. I filled the inner edges of the groove then tapped the under side of each wafer with a small flat head and hammer. Then pushed them backwards with the same flat head.

Once the shims have been removed you can change the wafers.

Reinstall reverse of diss-assembly. Pound the end back on put a dab of JB weld over each bronze pin.

Now my MK2 Golf and T2 Bus share the same key.

Wed May 18, 2016 6:31 am

Since there are some experienced people on this forum, I was wondering about the following. I want to put a locking engine lid lock on my '67 bus. I do have a three screw locking lid, but it is from a beetle and uses a K-code lock (see below).

Is it possible to fit an L-code cylinder into this lock? I already know rekeying is not an option as an L key will never fit a K barrel. But can I fit an L-code cylinder?
Another question, is this cylinder the same as the cabin door cylinder or different (because I have a set of L-code cabin cylinders extra that I could rekey)...
Maybe someone out there knows...before I take everything apart and find out nothing fits....

Wed May 18, 2016 9:35 am

Sterkman wrote: Since there are some experienced people on this forum, I was wondering about the following. I want to put a locking engine lid lock on my '67 bus. I do have a three screw locking lid, but it is from a beetle and uses a K-code lock (see below).
Is it possible to fit an L-code cylinder into this lock? I already know rekeying is not an option as an L key will never fit a K barrel. But can I fit an L-code cylinder?
Another question, is this cylinder the same as the cabin door cylinder or different (because I have a set of L-code cabin cylinders extra that I could rekey)...
Maybe someone out there knows...before I take everything apart and find out nothing fits....

I was told you cannot re-key them.
Tcash

Wed May 18, 2016 9:47 am

What about fitting a whole L - key lock cylinder in there (from a bay bus)? So are L en K key lock cylinders the same on the outside?

Wed May 18, 2016 10:07 am

You can absolutely re-key any L-code tumbler except the ignition housing. (Thanks for the matching decklid lock, Sunnydog!)

I do not know if the L and K cylinders interchange, but the profiles are remarkably similar, so they might just swap out.

Robbie

Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:38 pm

Help with rear hatch lock--

I've got a 78 bus, has the black plastic hatch lock. I was able to get the cylinder out (while damaging the spring collar :roll: ), but I can't figure out how to get the tumbler out? Any advice or tricks? I don't see any screws or pins or anything.

Does anyone know if the chrome plated (I believe early 70's model) rear hatch lock is easier to disassemble and/or if it would be compatible with my latch?

Thanks!

Fri Jan 20, 2017 7:27 am

I thought people reading this thread would be interested to read the below extract from one of VW's own workshop manuals.
Note that it mentions that there are in fact 4 different wafers but that only 3 are used on everything apart from the ignition lock. This explains why a wafer might appear to be missing if the "confidential" code lists the 4th wafer.
I have these confidential codes in the form of VW's own key code manual.
I also recently managed to source the mentioned repair kit 211 898 041 A, picture below.

Thu Feb 02, 2017 10:22 pm

Just finished rekeying the locks on my 73 Super after being sent to this thread over in the beetle forums. I had to remove the same 3 wafers in my door locks...strange. Thanks for the great tutorial

Fri Jun 02, 2017 1:05 am

I have a question on rekeying my SG tumbler.

Are the wafers frrm the different key profiles used on aircooled volkwagen interchangable?

Thanks a lot,
Chris

Fri Nov 24, 2017 9:30 am

Good information

Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:31 pm

Hello
I don't have a key for any of my lock on my 1971 bus
I want to rekey all the cylinders to work with my ignition key
I understand I should have spare lock cylinders so that I have extra spindles or interior slats to use. Can I buy any door handles to fit my bus and use the cylinders or do they need to be original German or nos?
Additionally I can't find just the lock cylinders to purchase
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks

Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:45 pm

Contact members Steelersbus or Gabvwkey, they can rework your locks or supply parts.

Fri Sep 28, 2018 4:35 am

Thanks you Busdaddy
I will reach out to them. As always thanks for the help?

Sat Nov 24, 2018 3:48 pm

honeybus wrote: Thanks, Karl.

The glove box lock is a SU profile, and the SU profile is compatible with ILCO/EZ U61VW.

My lock is key coded SU 29, so I gues that is the code to punch a SU blank.

As you said, my R profile key is too fat to fit.

(Not only would I NOT lock my glove box, I turn the latch 180 degrees so the passenger does not turn the knob, just pull on it. And if I had my druthers, I would use the ealy bay no knob glove box door I got from Chris Chubb)

Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:03 pm

busdaddy wrote: Contact members Steelersbus or Gabvwkey, they can rework your locks or supply parts.

I’m going to re-key a lock I got for my engine lid, I’ve pm’d steelerbus but just in case that doesn’t work out, does anyone have a source for more wafers? I would love a kit like was mentioned earlier if anyone knows of a source.

Slightly off topic, why is it on my 77 westy the rear locks/handles have black plastic bodies instead of chrome? Cost? It just seems weird since everything else is chrome.

Wed Jan 27, 2021 4:28 pm

So Steelerbus was a no go. Did other vw vehicles use the R type keys so I can possibly pull from other parts/vehicles?

Sun Jun 09, 2024 5:15 pm

I just bought a 68 Westy and the prior owner handed me two identical keys and as we walked around trying all the locks, the back hatch and engine door locks wouldn’t lock or unlock with the keys. Oh well, sez I, it’ll just be a minor inconvenience.
Then I found this thread…wow. Just wow. About 2 hours of work and now all my locks work off one key. Thanks for this thread.

Mon Sep 30, 2024 9:57 am

Marv [UK] wrote: rekeying a lock is relatively simple but as good bus door locks are getting harder and more expensive to find I hit upon a simple and cheap solution for those that don't have enough 'waferes' to key the lock correctly

Beetle handles are easy to find and are chock full of wafers. A little bit of work with a file and they fit. They are slightly longer and wider than bus lock wafers but they do work. Fit them so that one side of the wafer is flush with the barrel then file the other side down. One side is usually quite thin though. FIle this down too much and it will break and snag your lock. Try to always file down the 'fat' side of the wafer.

I've been searching for info on cross-type wafer (and/or lock cylinder) interchange compatibility, and came across your post Marv...
Any chance you could tell us what year your Bus handles and the donor Beetle handles were from?
(I'm curious if yours needed filing because of Beetle vs Bus, or if it was because they were from different "generations" of the lock assemblies?)