Master ProSeries 6842

by **Hardliner** » 7 Dec 2005 14:35

I just got one in the mail and have a question or two about it.

If anyone has one of these locks, is there supposed to be so much "play" in the shackle mechanism when it is locked? It's securely locked down, but it wiggles around quite a bit (far worse than any $3 China made POS locks I've seen). And also, when I open it I have to pull the shackle out manually rather than having it spring open with a satisfying action like every other padlock I have ever owned or handled. Is this normal behavior?

I ask because I also have a "Contractor Grade" Master No. 576 that seems like a much nicer lock to me despite it being less than half the price... The shackle barely moves around at all when it is locked, and snaps out smoothly when I open it.

Thanks in advance for any insights...

PM

by **ThE_MasteR** » 7 Dec 2005 16:02

The reason why the cylinder moves like that is because it's an IC (interchangeable core) which can be removed and replaced/repinned.

To anwser your other question, well, the shackle needs to be pushed up because it is not spring loaded, why you ask ? I don't know.

by **Hardliner** » 7 Dec 2005 18:31

No the cylinder is rock solid. Just the shackle seems to have a bit more slop than I expected. As for having to pull it open it just seems odd -- I'd expect that on a combination padlock but every keyed one I've handled has popped open under spring tension when unlocked with the key or picked.

Of course, none of this matters now since the lock is in pieces while I remove some pins from the cylinder. (And to top it all off I wasn't paying attention so the rest of the mechanism also fell out, ball bearings and all). Reassembly has NOT been successful so far so I may just be picking the cylinder for the time being while my supply of patience recharges...

Thanks,
PM

by **jjmerg** » 8 Dec 2005 0:32

the shackle on the master pro series have no springs. springs that corrode are the most common factor for a padlock failing. the ball bearings hold it securely. this is why they are labeled weather resistant. try taking the wHOLE lock apart. see how mad youll get putting it back together!

(EDIT) i see you exploded the padlock! just be patient.

a little grease on the bearings to seat them in place helps wonders!

by **ThE_MasteR** » 8 Dec 2005 9:52

jjmerg wrote:the shackle on the master pro series have no springs. springs that corrode are the most common factor for a padlock failing. the ball bearings hold it securely. this is why they are labeled weather resistant. try taking the wHOLE lock apart. see how mad youll get putting it back together!

(EDIT) i see you exploded the padlock! just be patient.

a little grease on the bearings to seat them in place helps wonders!

Very helpful post, thanks for that.

by **zeke79** » 8 Dec 2005 10:02

The spring loaded part that rotates to allow the bearings to fall inward and the shackle open can be retensioned easily using a vise and winding the spring by hand. Hard process to describe, but I can post pictures if needed.

Good tip on the use of grease to hold the ball bearings in place :wink:

.

by **ThE_MasteR** » 8 Dec 2005 10:04

zeke79 wrote:The spring loaded part that rotates to allow the bearings to fall inward and the shackle open can be retensioned easily using a vise and winding the spring by hand. Hard process to describe, but I can post pictures if needed.

Good tip on the use of grease to hold the ball bearings in place .

I think he was talking about the spring that is normaly found under the shackle to make it pop out.

by **zeke79** » 8 Dec 2005 10:11

Yes I agree with that, but if the ball bearings fell out that means that the part I am speaking of also came out. It has to be under spring tension and therefore needs to be rewound if it is no longer pre loaded. This is the part causes the cylinder to spin back to the locked position when the shackle is closed. :wink:

by **ThE_MasteR** » 8 Dec 2005 10:16

zeke79 wrote:Yes I agree with that, but if the ball bearings fell out that means that the part I am speaking of also came out. It has to be under spring tension and therefore needs to be rewound if it is no longer pre loaded. This is the part causes the cylinder to spin back to the locked position when the shackle is closed.

Ohh ok. But I exploded my Masterlock 6121 and the mechanism wasn't under tension, I just put it back and it work fine. Maybe this is the case with the bigger ones but I don't think so. I think the mechanism is never under tension in the lock, but only when you turn the cylinder. If it would be constantly under tension the spring would get used much faster, in my head, correct me if I am wrong :wink:

by **Hardliner** » 8 Dec 2005 12:37

Zeke,

I know exactly the piece you are talking about, and it indeed seems like it needs to be rewound. When it first came out the two parts of it were held together firmly with a coiled up spring, but it came unwound after I did something dumb with a precision screwdriver :oops:

. I'm going to have a go at rewinding it in my vise later since I can see exactly what I need to do. I was feeling pretty pessimistic after untensioning it last night (rough day all around) but all is not lost it seems. Thanks.

I bought the lock because it was fully "dismantlable" so that I could fully understand the inner workings so this kind of thing is of course part of the process. At least I know what not to do in the future...

PM

by **quickpicks** » 8 Dec 2005 18:31

The spools add to the 'sloppy' feeling too. If you are really having trouble picking it take out two of the pins. Make sure you take out the upper driver pins too or you will have a very difficult time opening the lock. Good luck!

by **Hardliner** » 8 Dec 2005 18:55

quickpicks,

I've had the cylinder apart yesterday to remove the back two pins and there were no spools, just normal upper pins. I've picked it a few times since doing that so it's just a matter of a little more practice before adding the other pins again. The keyway is very restrictive compared to the cheapo Masters, etc...

I also have a Garrison 50mm padlock that has spools so I've encountered them before (they indeed have a distinct feel, as described on these forums. I knew right away what I was dealing with when I pushed my pick up and felt the spool catch.)

by **quickpicks** » 9 Dec 2005 16:14

strange... i thought it might have spools. do you have any pics of the keyway?

by **Hardliner** » 13 Dec 2005 17:30

Sorry no pics ATM... (need to sign up for a photo host... too lazy right now)

I did get this lock from Varjeal's site and had the option of a Schlage or Weiser keyway so it's probably not the stock cylinder since mine is Schlage.

BTW I managed to get the lock fully reassembled, but now have a new problem of sorts-- I've been trying to pick it for days with no success, but then just now I applied torque in the opposite direction and picked it it 5 seconds flat. Note that I said "picked" and not "opened". The cylinder needs to turn the other way to actually open the lock so I guess I'm S.O.L. until I get a plug spinner. I have a cheap Garrison deadbolt cylinder that behaves the same way (picks clockwise, but if it were in a door I would have to turn CCW to open the lock) but since it's just a cylinder I don't worry about it.

by **quickpicks** » 17 Dec 2005 16:21

It happens alot. sometimes the tensioner gets wedged in the keyway and makes it difficult to turn the plug. A different sized tensioner should work.

All of the tensioners in this pic are different because some locks are picky.

Master ProSeries 6842

Master ProSeries 6842

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