Has anyone re-coded an existing key lock cylinder to match an existing cut key? The process is relatively simple, but I don't know where to buy the tumbler sets to set the code. I believe they came in a pack of ten? I ask because my new '87 GT came with matching door locks but a mis-matched hatch cylinder. I'm anal and want all 3 locks to operate with the same key, and it seems that the cheapest, least labor-intensive method would be to re-code the trunk to match the existing door lock keys. I know a locksmith will have the parts, but I could probably save a solid $20 by buying these small bits myself.
Do you valet parking etc? Having miss mach keys are a good thing. I disabled power deck lock too in some places by remove the relay.
take key and lock to a locksmith will solve this very quick. Just call around for best price. Is easy but finding tumblers for one off job takes time and money.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Gm sold lock cylinder kits for this purpose, in replacing damaged locks where the original key was to be reused. The tumblers included were in a mini manila envelope with only 10 tumblers included. My guess is that these 10 pieces were enough to create any factory combination with the 6 slots in any individual lock cylinder for at least our style of key and most of the 80's GM cars including vats equipped chip keys. I do see the advantage of disabling the power hatch release, but my Fieros both get parked under camera surveillance every night and I never give anyone access to my keys, valet or otherwise. Knocking on wood, now. Sound advice, but I still prefer two keys to a single car. If nothing else, the current hatch key is worn so badly that I soon expect it to fail, should it snap or simply no longer engage all tumblers.
Originally posted by viperine: Gm sold lock cylinder kits for this purpose, in replacing damaged locks where the original key was to be reused. The tumblers included were in a mini manila envelope with only 10 tumblers included. My guess is that these 10 pieces were enough to create any factory combination with the 6 slots in any individual lock cylinder for at least our style of key and most of the 80's GM cars including vats equipped chip keys. I do see the advantage of disabling the power hatch release, but my Fieros both get parked under camera surveillance every night and I never give anyone access to my keys, valet or otherwise. Knocking on wood, now. Sound advice, but I still prefer two keys to a single car. If nothing else, the current hatch key is worn so badly that I soon expect it to fail, should it snap or simply no longer engage all tumblers.
Yes, "Gm sold" but finding them for old cars is time and money too. Just dealing w/ GM Dealer parts counter cost too.
Many cars... Including many GM cars... One opens front doors and ignition. Other opens glove box and trunk. You give Valets only 1 key. Most put power trunk switch inside the glove box too. For some reason GM switch them on many cars in the '80.
Locksmith is the easiest, quickest and least painful way for sure, but if you have an old set of locks laying around, and who doesn't just take the cap off the side of the lock cylinder that hold those pins in and dump them, in order out of the cylinder and set them to the side and in the order they came out.
I think we did a thread in OT about doing this a while back, see if I can find it, the locks for the cars of that era were all the same, well design wise anyway. The way they are set up anyway, they all use the same pins and spring set up across the line, any GM vehicle made back then would work, Pontiac, Buick, Chevy. The internals are all the same.
I should say all the internals are the same per style lock pins, some are pins, some are wafers.
Yep, GM anyway used the same lock cylinders for 40 years. I used to buy tumbler sets at the dealer. One dealer here even set them for me if I asked and done it while I waited. The only difference was the actual hardware that connected the lock to the latch, and one was either chrome or black. You could paint a chrome one though, or strip the painted one...they were still the same. I used to keep a whole box of junk locks just to have them to replace damaged or lost ones for free.
Originally posted by theogre: Yes, "Gm sold" but finding them for old cars is time and money too.
You can buy lock cylinder rebuild kits for pretty much any GM car, on eBay. I bought a rebuild kit for a Fiero trunk lock cylinder a couple months ago, to have a spare to mess around with trying to get it set up to work with the newer single key system from a newer Pontiac, that I'm putting into my Fiero along with a new steering column.
That cylinder repair kit on eBay is what I had been contemplating, however, I figured it would cost me mere pennies to simply locate the tumblers themselves. I purchased a complete 5 lock kit with matching keys for my '85 trans am on the cheap, I paid $40 for the set and they were GM originals. This covered two doors, the hatch, the cargo luggage shelf, and the cargo glove box. Definitely worth the money in that case. But Fiero door locks are also more difficult to change out than others, so recoding the trunk lock is a better option in this particular case. Hoping to give it a simple try first, anyway.
Has anyone re-coded an existing key lock cylinder to match an existing cut key? The process is relatively simple, but I don't know where to buy the tumbler sets to set the code. I believe they came in a pack of ten? I ask because my new '87 GT came with matching door locks but a mis-matched hatch cylinder. I'm anal and want all 3 locks to operate with the same key, and it seems that the cheapest, least labor-intensive method would be to re-code the trunk to match the existing door lock keys. I know a locksmith will have the parts, but I could probably save a solid $20 by buying these small bits myself.
I just went through exactly that with a new trunk lock:
Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! Now if only the website had details on what each kit covers, seeing how there are a good 20 different GM sets. Haha.
Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! Now if only the website had details on what each kit covers, seeing how there are a good 20 different GM sets. Haha.
I didn't say it was going to be easy, but there has got to be someone here with a couple of extra locks laying around, if that's really what you want to do, if its just the trunk lock you need to rekey just bring it to a locksmith, I forgot what the charge was and it was a decade ago.
