Posted by Clint Dixon [172.70.130.173] on Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 10:19:48 :
In Reply to: Re: door lock posted by Todd Miller [172.69.33.180] on Friday, November 18, 2022 at 21:23:23 :
My screw was a phillips head (internal) with a hex head also (external). I have no reason to believe it had ever been replaced as everything was still coated with original paint.
I could find no socket or other hex tool that would fit into the small access hole. I did not want to drill it out and destroy the original paint. So I first tried a phillips screwdriver after soaking the screw with penetrating oil for a couple of weeks. It quickly became apparent that the screwdriver was not going to work. I next tried a hand held manual impact driver with a Phillips bit. On first hit with the hammer on the impact, the phillips slots stripped out.
I then drilled the stripped out slots as large and as deeply as I dared in order to fit an easy-out of the proper size into the hole. The easy-out snapped off flush with the head of the screw upon the first application of force to turn it.
There is no way to get any kind of box or open ended wrench of any kind on the hex to turn it so I resorted to trying to drill out the broken easy out. I quickly destroyed a Snap-On cobalt drill bit.
This whole adventure came about because the locksmith told me if he had the lock in hand, he could create me a key to fit it. After finding out that the lock could not be removed (at this point I would have to break off both the screw with an embedded hardened easy-out inside of it) the locksmith told me I could bring the whole door into him and he could make a key for the lock. I asked if he could do it while I wait by leaving the door on the truck. The answer was, "no".
So here I am. 30 years later with a truck that I still cannot secure with a lock and key. Some say that some years the ignition key was the same as the door key. My ignition had been changed at one time so that was of no help.
A few years later, I bought another Power Wagon and was thrilled that it came with a key that fit the door lock (still not the same as the ignition though). This worked for a couple of years until the insides of the lock fell apart and the key will just spin in the cylinder without any effect. Fortunately, this happened while the door was "unlocked" otherwise I would have had to destroy something to get a working passenger door again.
I finally decided it is not worth the effort.
Junior
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