Abloy Protec Cylinder Compatibility

[BikeFreak]

Hi, do you know if I can replace the cylinder in the Pewag Viro "Euromonolith" 7/16" Security Chain Padlock http://www.viro.it/EN/1.PADLOCKS_AND_ACCESSORIES/26.EUROMONOLITH/EUROMONOLITH.asp with the Abloy Protec cylinder http://www.abloy.ca/index.php?module=AxialBoutique&type=user&func=view_products&cat=84&nav=83_84 ??

If not, how/where do I find out?

Do you feel there is much quality difference between the two cylinders used?

Thank you in advance.

BF

[greengrowlocks]

It doesn't look like that Viro lock has a replaceable core but I'm not 100% sure. If it had an interchangeable core it would probably say something in the description.

There is definitely a huge difference in quality between the two in terms of picking. Looking at the Viro lock it appears to be a 6 pin dimple lock which would take a competent picker maybe a minute to open. The Protec on the other hand is something that can't really be picked, at least not without very specific tools and or decoders which wouldn't be accessible to crooks. Much of the difference in quality is because the Protec is a disc-detainer lock which are notoriously difficult to pick open, and the Viro is just a standard pin-tumbler type lock.

GGL

[gumptrick]

I am not an expert on those Viro locks, but I have one that is similar (if not identical) in my collection and at least on mine the cylinder is NOT replaceable. The lock is assembled at the factory and there is no way to take it apart without destroying the lock in the process.

There is a massive difference between the Abloy Protec core and the one in that Viro. The Protec is pretty much unpickable. The Viro is a good quality lock, but fundamentally it's just a 6 pin pin-tumbler lock. There is a world of difference between those two. Also the protec core alone costs more than the whole Viro lock!

If you're looking for a very high security shutter-style lock I can think of a few to check out. One is the Mul-T-Lock CS35SB; that has the MT5+ core. The other two are European and so may not be so easy to find if you are in North America. One is made by HEKA and has an Assa Ruko Garant+ core. Both that and the MT5+ are extremely high pick resistance. The other is made by Lockit and takes a standard "Scandi Oval" cylinder. You could fit that with any number of high security cores like the Protec, DOM, Assa Twin, and many others.

[Squelchtone]

Hi, do you know if I can replace the cylinder in the Pewag Viro "Euromonolith" 7/16" Security Chain Padlock http://www.viro.it/EN/1.PADLOCKS_AND_ACCESSORIES/26.EUROMONOLITH/EUROMONOLITH.asp with the Abloy Protec cylinder http://www.abloy.ca/index.php?module=AxialBoutique&type=user&func=view_products&cat=84&nav=83_84 ??

If not, how/where do I find out?

Do you feel there is much quality difference between the two cylinders used?

Thank you in advance.

BF

BikeFreak,
Your're asking your questions as if you walked into your local locksmith shop and asked a locksmith who carries all these things and can just open a catalog and tell you. Most of us here are hobby lock pickers, some of us are lock collectors, and half a dozen are actual working locksmiths from several countries. Nobody off hand knows if a certain Abloy Protec cylinder will fit into a certain Viro padlock or chain you found, this would require some research and our time.

You said you had an expensive bike, like what a $1000 bike or like a $5000 carbon fiber frame? And what are you protecting from? Bad guys on streets of NYC or SF while your bike is outside for 4 hours or do you just want to lock it up in front of a coffee shop on Sunday morning in your affluent suburbs? Those details will help us or anyone you go to, offer you the correct level of security.

Please also search the forum for past bike lock threads, you may find some good recommendations there. When I pull off the bike path to stop at a store for 15 mins I use an Abus 10mm 6 foot long cable and a Medeco shrouded padlock, probably wouldnt leave it overnight with that cable but better than nothing if just running in somewhere.

Squelchtone