First pin not setting

[ReRun64]

Hey I'm not sure what kind of lock it is (mountian something) all is says on it is 40mm. My problem is The 1st pin will not set. I have no problem setting the other 3. I've only managed to pick it once. It still opens smoothly with the key. No matter how much tension I put on the 1st pin I can rarely feal any resistance on it ( rarely being 2-5 times in about 25-30 tries) Anyone have any ideas? Lock damaged maybe or do I just suck! I have read the MIT guide along with several posts by the way. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Dragunov-21]

My first thought would be security pin(s). If a security pin is false set then the first pin won't bind until you fix it.

Use a feeler pick to bounce the tips of the pins you think you've already set, if they give slightly then they're good, if not then you'll need to push it down further.

Good Luck

[ReRun64]

I have tried that. They do give slightly.There shouldnt be any security pins on it. Its a cheapo, and I couldnt see any grooves in the pins like on the first one I accidentally bought that is anti pick, nor can I feel any double setting.

[Trip Doctor]

Are you sure you SET the other pins. You might have either overset or underset them, in which case, the next pin will not bind. Try going over the other pins and push them up a little, see if any of them set. If the 1st pin isn't binding, that just means some other pin is, and that's the pin you need to set.

[Marco]

I agree with Trip Doctor, it sounds like you haven't set the other three pins properly. When you have found the binding pin, you need to make sure that the binding pin is the only pin you are pushing up, and are not disturbing any of the others. Otherwise, you will get what is known as an overset, where the bottom pin gets wedged into the shearline.

Also, don't rule out security pins just because it's a cheap lock. Many cheap locks bought from $2 shops can contain securiy pins.

[Wrenchman]

No matter how much tension I put on the 1st pin I can rarely feal any resistance on it.

You know why, because at least one pin is false set, could easily be spools on a 40mm, does the plug show any sign of turning during the process?

Btw, you've got it all wrong about the tension, like the rest of the newbies!

It's not how much tension you are able to apply, it's how little tension you are able to apply!



Wrenchman

[Trip Doctor]

No matter how much tension I put on the 1st pin I can rarely feal any resistance on it

I believe that rules out that spools are his problem, well, at the moment at least. The lock might have spools he'll run, or already has run into, but the fact that he feels no resistance on the 1st pin means the others are not set. Even if he falsly set a spool he'd feel resistance on the next pin.

Correct ?

[criminalhate]

I know this won't help you out all to much but compare the key to how the pins feel to be setting. If one seems lower then where the keys says it should be you've solved your problem.

I had a kik cylinder that gives me h*!@ all the time because the 4th pin is the 1st binding pin and the 5th pin is the 2nd binding pin. The problem was that the 4th pin was in a deep cut and the 5th was a very shallow one (wrong terms but I can't think of the right ones) making it really difficult to set the 5th pin with out over setting the 4th pin.