Changing Door Locks

[Stig]

How straightforward is it to swap the locks over between driver and passenger side? My driver's door lock is getting a bit temperamental. Are they the same?

I figured that if I swap them over it'll be good for another 40 years!

[charlie_morris_minor]

depends where the actual problem is..

is it the lock barrel itself or is it the casting i.e the handle / catch mechanism itself.

changing the barrel itself is straight forward and yes they are same on both side of the car but the door handle / catch mechanism is handed so you can not do a swap.

[Stig]

It's the lock barrel that's the problem. I'm having to put the key in then wiggle it back out slightly to unlock it recently. I vaguely remember that they're held on to the door with a circlip and I'm guessing a screw or split pin for the linkage. Or can you get the inner barrel out without removing the whole thing?

To be honest I've not looked through the service manual yet, I guess it could be covered in there.

[charlie_morris_minor]

you have to take the whole mechanism out because the the barrel will come out of the "front" of the mechanism i.e. the bit against the outter door skin.

once you have the handle mechanism out, there is a pin that goes through the side of the mechanism and sits in a channel of the lock mechanism.. so push the pin out.. put your key the lock so all the plates are retracted and then pull the barrel out.. if i recollect correctly

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

The whole door top has to come off as well to get the locks out,

[simmitc]

The door can stay on the car, but you do have to remove the top window frame. As to how easy/difficult that is all depends on whether it's been done before, what tools you have, and much rust proofing has been used. On the trailing edge of the door are three rubber grommets (or holes, the the grommets are missing!). Beneath the grommets are bolts that need to be undone - usually easy, to release the rear part of the frame.

Also, remove the door trim to reveal a bolt (or 2, can't remember off hand) that holds the middle vertical section of the frame to the door. Sometimes easy, sometimes needs a really good dose of plusgas and/or heat (bit watch out for rubber, felt, and other combustible bits!

Lastly, below the quart light, are two vertical studs with nuts on them. (a) they'll be rusted from water dripping down and (b) they are devils to actually get to. You have to work through a small aperture in the door and really need a very deep socket or perhaps a box spanner to go over the stud, but short enough to allow you to use a ratchet in the hole - or the infamous mole grips half-a-turn-at-a-time.

You have to lift out the frame and the window, disengaging the winder mechanism. Once the lock is sorted, as the book says "replacement is a simple reversal of the above process".

[charlie_morris_minor]

if and this is a big if..

if you can undo the small screws where the top of the door frame meets the upright on the trailing edge ( by the b post ) you can then just remove the trailing edge of the door frame, the window and window winder.. i did this when i could not get the nuts removed on the quarter light screws inside the door.

[Declan_Burns]

I used a deep socket, 12mm 1/4" drive IIRC with a universal joint and an extension bar to remove the nut under the quarter light-worked fine. The box spanner I had was too long.

[RogerRust]

Isn't it annoying when washers and nuts drop down in side the door a disappear out of sight round the curve at the bottom!!!!!

[Stig]

Thanks for all the advice guys. As I'll be pulling apart both doors it sounds like a job for a fine spring weekend. I'll keep wiggling the key for now!

[Declan_Burns]

Roger, i couldn't agree more. Best to stuff some old towels or rags into the bottom of the door and have a magnet on a flexible cable at hand just in case.