by Squelchtone » 2 Mar 2010 4:52
So you have some Ruko locks that get stuck when you pick them and turn the plug 180 degrees? There is a simple answer for this.
Normally when you insert a key into a lock and turn it, it can turn 360. But now, you pick it CW or CCW and it only turns 180 and stops. The reason this is happening and I'm surprised your lock isnt stuck in this position, is that the springs inside the body of the lock are pushing out onto the driver pins, and the second your plug rotates so that the keyway is right over/under the pin stacks where the springs and driver pins are, the spings push the pins out of the cylinder housing and into the keyway. But why you ask? Well, normally, if a key was there this would not happen because the key fills up the entire area of the keyway, but when picking, suddenly you have this new air space, a void in the metal that other parts can go into and get things stuck.
There is an easy way to get past this stopping point. When you pick the lock and turn it 180 degrees or half way as you say, and the lock gets stuck, take the back of your hook pick, or a straight tension wrench handle, insert into the keyway and push all the driver pins back into the housing, while using another wrench to try to rotate the plug past the half way point.
good luck and let us know if it worked for you,
Squelchtone
and I just realized the reply was to a post from 2007, so J.E.L., you may find this information more useful than the original poster.
