Need Advise Re-keying This Weiser

[jimb]

This is one of the locks on my house. It was probably put on when the house when it was built which would make it about 45 years old. I have pulled the spindle and turned the key with no luck. I even had a friend pull the spindle with vise grips while I tried removing the cylinder. I have stripped all the parts off the back side until I could get anything else off and there did not appear to be a way in the back of the knob either. Am I missing something?

I would just put another lock on the door but this thing has a 5 inch backset and the hole in the latch is too small for any lock I can find. I would also like advice on replacing this lock if needed.

[nekret]

Are there small holes on either side of the knobs near the base? If so you might want to try using a small screwdriver to push the spring loaded clip in and the knob will come off with little difficulty. If that doesn't work try inserting the key and turning 90 degrees before the aforementioned steps.

Other than that I'm not really sure how to take these apart other than look for moving parts under the spring assembly and manipulating them.

[Tygart]

Yes there should be a hole on the side below the knob. Yes you will need the key or pick it.

[jimb]

There's no hole.

[Schuyler]

yeah, no holes, my family's door was very much like this one. Ended up being a molded plastic housing inside which was very obviously NOT meant to be rekeyed. Ended up destroying the lock to figure that out, though.

My guess is you've run into the same thing I did. I ended up just having to replace it with a new kik. Big problem I had then was I didn't have another latch at the time, and the posts were two narrow on my modern kik as they were much wider on the older one.

[Schuyler]

that should be "too" not "two"

[jimb]

Big problem I had then was I didn't have another latch at the time, and the posts were two narrow on my modern kik as they were much wider on the older one.

This is also keeping me from replacing with a new lock. The current lock also has a 5 inch backset. So I either need a lock to fit the current latch or a lock with a latch that has a 5 inch backset?

Or a new door.

[Schuyler]

Sorry, man. It was a really frustrating day when I took mine to bits. :\ Metal door, too. Ended up getting lucky with some old kiks I had laying around. Still took a lot of adjusting, and it looked ugly at the end of the day, but it was a door to a garage, and it was secure and the right price (free, did it for my parents)

I certainly don't envy you the task,

[whiteknight38]

Don't sweat the 5" backset. A new Weiser KIK knob-set should retrofit the unit if need be, and Weiser still makes 5" backset latch-mechanisms in case your's is pooched. (I've got one in the van.)
You can try locating a piece of Weiser shim, and sticking it into the keyway alongside the key, and depressing the latch release, but it may not work either, if the spindle pull trick doesn't work.
The knob may simply be toast, but a locksmith shop should be able to tell you for sure, and probably won't charge you anything to open it up, assuming that its possible.
The big estuchean plate/rose on the door looks to be made of brass. My guess is, that it will come off the door when the lock is removed, by breaking the paint seal with a sharp knife or chisel.
It looks bronzey, but I'm betting its brass, so it will shine up beautifully, if you do decide to go for a new Weiser knob.

[mojomojo]

If you are asking on how to rekey these knobs first you need the key....what you do is insert the key pull the tailpiece of the knob and while pulling just turn the key 90 degrees and pull out the plug.

[mojomojo]

damm sorry should have read the post a lil more.....

[unjust]

having done a good bit of handyman work on older houses, i'd bet that if does come apart, it's nto going to be easy

there can be a spring clip internal to the knob that once it's on , it's on. very clever from a mfg stadnpoint, but a pita.

that said, manhandle the thing. pull, push, twist. poke areound in gaps you can find with pokey things while you stress it. from the threading in teh pictures you posted there's clearly more to be taken apart yet.

[Jryanruch]

This is an older style weiser -- to rekey it, you have to pull everything off the back and then thread off the cap. Then you have to shim it open with a weiser shim pick. There's no other way. You'll need a pair of snap-ring pliers.

I recently had a whole building to rekey that was using these buggers. Bon appetit!

[dab]

to rekey a weiser lock like this you pull the spindle out, turn the key to the 4:00 position a the front will pull out.
If you are in the US weiser discontinued the 5" backset, but some grade 2 knobsets come with an "extension" that will adapt the 2 3/4" to 5"

[Raymond]

Jryanuch is the only correct posting on this old Weiser. It does not come out the front.
Lift and turn the spring return till it comes off the square shaft. Some old ones had a snap ring holding this on also.
Using snap ring pliars, remove the retaining ring. Lift off the large square shaft.
Pull outward on the small square shaft and use it to unscrew the plug retaining cap. It is spring loaded downward and locks in place in a square opening on the back of the plug.
You now have access to the back of the plug. Use the key or pick to remove the plug for rekeying.
Reverse this order to put it back together. Tip: when trying to replace the plug retaining cap, place the large square shaft over he small one and push down on the large one while pulling up on the small one. This keeps the square tip out of its receptacle while starting the screw on process. Once started just pull out on the small shaft and screw the cap down.