Swapped The Core, Now The Key Won't Come out.

[AngryHatter]

Using the old core works fine - the issue is the tail pin won't stay under the cap - the hole for it is too far towards the inside so the pin pops out.

Okay, I changed the core, rekeyed and now the key will not come out.
I have tightened the cap fully and then loosened it a turn at a time and yet the key never came loose?

Two things I noticed:
1) The key was jutting out about 10 mils from the face of the lock - more than any other I have, I ended up smoothing out the head of the key so it now sits more flush to the core. (So were the pins that far off because of the key?)
2) The groove on the bottom (chamfer) was very sharp so I filed that down as well.

Help?

[demux]

Knowing exactly what kind of cylinder you're talking about (ideally seeing a pic) would help, but from your description I'm visualizing one with the screw on cap for the tailpiece that's held in place by a spring loaded pin protruding from the rear of the plug, which engages with a series of notches machined into the cap.

If I'm correct in this, I'll note from your description that you said you tightened it all the way and then loosened one turn at a time. If you're talking about a full turn (e.g. 360 degree rotation) of that cap as you loosen, that will be way too loose, and what will actually happen is that as you try to pull out the key, you'll actually be pulling the plug out (like you were going to rekey it) so much that the pin chambers will be out of alignment and the bottom pins will not be able to move up into the bible to let the cuts on the key pass. End result is that the key seems stuck, but if you push on the face of the plug as you try to pull the key out, it'll work.

Of course, if you're actually loosening the cap one notch (instead of a full turn) at a time, then you can ignore all of the above and it's probably something else. Again a pic would help in that case.

[AngryHatter]

Knowing exactly what kind of cylinder you're talking about (ideally seeing a pic) would help, but from your description I'm visualizing one with the screw on cap for the tailpiece that's held in place by a spring loaded pin protruding from the rear of the plug, which engages with a series of notches machined into the cap.

If I'm correct in this, I'll note from your description that you said you tightened it all the way and then loosened one turn at a time. If you're talking about a full turn (e.g. 360 degree rotation) of that cap as you loosen, that will be way too loose, and what will actually happen is that as you try to pull out the key, you'll actually be pulling the plug out (like you were going to rekey it) so much that the pin chambers will be out of alignment and the bottom pins will not be able to move up into the bible to let the cuts on the key pass. End result is that the key seems stuck, but if you push on the face of the plug as you try to pull the key out, it'll work.

Of course, if you're actually loosening the cap one notch (instead of a full turn) at a time, then you can ignore all of the above and it's probably something else. Again a pic would help in that case.

You are correct in your appraisal.
I'll try a notch at a time, now.
Thanks.

[GWiens2001]

With this condition, you can usually press the plug in with your thumb while you pull out on the key bow.

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

With this condition, you can usually press the plug in with your thumb while you pull out on the key bow.

Gordon

If you practice you can press in the plug & pull out the key with one hand,
I love to do this to clients who tell me their key is stuck in the lock--They always freak out
because they have been pulling on it for awhile (sometimes days) and it won't come out

[GWiens2001]

With this condition, you can usually press the plug in with your thumb while you pull out on the key bow.

Gordon

If you practice you can press in the plug & pull out the key with one hand,
I love to do this to clients who tell me their key is stuck in the lock--They always freak out
because they have been pulling on it for awhile (sometimes days) and it won't come out

Exactly what I was referring to. Their expressions are great.

Gordon

[cledry]

With this condition, you can usually press the plug in with your thumb while you pull out on the key bow.

Gordon

If you practice you can press in the plug & pull out the key with one hand,
I love to do this to clients who tell me their key is stuck in the lock--They always freak out
because they have been pulling on it for awhile (sometimes days) and it won't come out

It is one of the small joys in our business.

[AngryHatter]

The "handle" of the key is a knurled knob that matches the size of the core exactly.

Otherwise, yes I would have tried that.

I even put a wrench between the key and core applied pressure to the core to keep it in the lock and yet still could not move the key at all.

[GWiens2001]

The "handle" of the key is a knurled knob that matches the size of the core exactly.

Otherwise, yes I would have tried that.

I even put a wrench between the key and core applied pressure to the core to keep it in the lock and yet still could not move the key at all.

Is this a rental locker?

Gordon

[jwrm22]

With this condition, you can usually press the plug in with your thumb while you pull out on the key bow.

Gordon

If you practice you can press in the plug & pull out the key with one hand,
I love to do this to clients who tell me their key is stuck in the lock--They always freak out
because they have been pulling on it for awhile (sometimes days) and it won't come out

I love these little locksmithing stories.

I can imagine you to say something like: "Cash or card?"
"What? I'm not paying for that."
*Sticks the key back in the lock.*

[GWiens2001]

I love these little locksmithing stories.

I can imagine you to say something like: "Cash or card?"
"What? I'm not paying for that."
*Sticks the key back in the lock.*

Same thing on automotive lockouts. Won’t pay, toss the keys onto the driver’s seat, lock the doors and close it up.

Gordon

[jwrm22]

I love these little locksmithing stories.

I can imagine you to say something like: "Cash or card?"
"What? I'm not paying for that."
*Sticks the key back in the lock.*

Same thing on automotive lockouts. Won’t pay, toss the keys onto the driver’s seat, lock the doors and close it up.

Gordon

The common stories here are when people are locked out and call 3 to 5 different locksmiths.
They'll pay the first one that opens the door.

What happens is some of the proper locksmiths charge €85,- and open the door without any problems.
When it's not locked it can be opened non destructive entirely.
While the other "locksmiths" charge €350,- and give you a crappy lock for another €150,-.
Looking at a standard 5pin yale: "We have to drill it, it's a high security lock".

The locksmith did not argue with the customer, opened the door in seconds.
Shut the door again and walked away... Leaving the other locksmiths behind.
It's quite likely they drilled the lock and overcharged anyway.

Back on topic:
I never work on locks that go back in use and let a locksmith handle it.
For locksport the worst thing I can do is ruin a lock and that's no big problem for me.