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Hi all - I have a Major Door for a floor safe (TL-15?) that needs to be thoroughly cleaned out and re-lubricated. All the mechanical seems fine but very hard to manipulate. Upon opening, I found the insides to be seriously gummy from old lube that has turned to varnish. Should not be too bad to clean up, but I want to get under the bolt cam plate and make sure it is thoroughly cleaned up. Of course, the bolts needs to be removed first. Any advice as to how to remove the 3 groove pins that hold the bolts? As expected, they are in nice and tight and there is no way to pound them out from the backside. Also, lubricant recommendations for the wheelpack and the bolts would be appreciated as well. Preferably something that does not turn to varnish.
So without pics I can only assume you have what I am about to show you in this old video I made in 2012.
Had the same issue, vitrified grease on all the bolts, had to scrape it off, use brake kleen and other rags and methods of getting as much gunk off as possible from the plate as well as the bolts going in and out of their tunnels. Those pins are pressed in, I doubt you'll be able to get them yanked out unless someone here knows a trick I don't. Just do your best to clean it up and make it functional. Back then when I was just learning (and I'm still learning safes) I used what I had on hand, I'm sure it was not the factory spec lubricant so I'm insterested in what other replies will suggest.
Thanks! Yep, I have exactly the same vintage safe door with exactly the same backplate, too. The vitrified lubricant made it extremely difficult to turn. I tried PB Blaster to loosen up the groove pins and it magically loosened up the varnish around the pins. Current thought on the pin removal is a slide hammer attached to vice grips. Typically, groove pins are knocked out from the narrow side, but that is not going to happen with these. If I cannot get the pins out, I will likely use more PB Blaster to loosen it up on the inside, followed by brake cleaner and then lube. There looks to be a lot of gunk under the plate like it was stored upside down for a very long time.
BlueLock wrote:Thanks! Yep, I have exactly the same vintage safe door with exactly the same backplate, too. The vitrified lubricant made it extremely difficult to turn. I tried PB Blaster to loosen up the groove pins and it magically loosened up the varnish around the pins. Current thought on the pin removal is a slide hammer attached to vice grips. Typically, groove pins are knocked out from the narrow side, but that is not going to happen with these. If I cannot get the pins out, I will likely use more PB Blaster to loosen it up on the inside, followed by brake cleaner and then lube. There looks to be a lot of gunk under the plate like it was stored upside down for a very long time.
Thanks again, Blue
Have you considered a small butane torch to heat up the metal and make the old grease you cant easily get to drip or run down and out to a place where you can scrape or wipe it away?
Thanks. I had not thought about that. If I cannot flush it out with the PB and brake cleaner, I'll try that approach. The PB Blaster was like magic on the gunk on the bolt plate, and I imagine that the force of brake cleaner will likely move it out from behind the plate. I'll let you know what happens, but it may be a few days before I get to it. Zero hurry on this, except the desire to get it done.
billdeserthills wrote:If you have a large enough container you could put the safe head into it and pour in a few bottles of rubbing alcohol & let it soak
Good idea, especially to remove residue from the other chemicals. But to conderve alcohol, I may plug the center hole (dial removed), tape something over the bolt holes and fill the inner cavity to let it soak...
BlueLock wrote:... Also, I contacted Amsec regarding the correct/proper/recommended lubrication. The definitive answer is: White lithium grease.
Thanks to all for your input and help!
Nice job! Just curious about lubing the wheel pack? For a regular 6730 type of lock you aren't supposed to lube the wheels or the flys because that can/will cause faulty operation. The white lithium is just for the bolt work?
GWiens2001 wrote:Any opinions on silicone paste grease? Have used it on vehicle brakes and 10 years later, saw the vehicle again, and no vitrification had occurred.
Gordon
I stopped looking after I started using Super Lube Teflon Grease, I have seen latches that I lubed many years ago that still work like new I still like moly grease for my auto needs, can't speak about the silicone paste
