How can I take this Assa cylinder apart?

[zeepia]

Got this odd lock today, Assa cylinder with Volvo stamped on the key. Feels there is dirt inside, tried cleaning it with disc brake cleaner but yet no success. Still stiff and it sounds like there is some sand inside. So I decided to take it apart. Hmm, how??





There is a control pin on the body but it doesn´t go inside to let the plug pull out. When the control pin is pushed, the key turns 45 degree CCW and 45 degree CW. Without pushing the pin key turns 90 degree CW. So the control key only lets you pull this hole unit from its mounting hole?



The back of this lock has two blocks which slide in their groove when the key is turned. But I can´t disassemble this lock even from here.

Do you know how this is opened? Any info about the whole lock is also appreciated, I wonder if this is a Swedish equivalent for that Valmet police tractor

[cledry]

My guess would be that if you are able to rotate the lock further either direction than when the lock is in the vehicle, then that will be the way the cylinder needs to turn in order to push it out of the sleeve. You might try pulling on the pin instead of pushing it in. It might be double acting.

[zeepia]

Thanks for the idea but no, that pin only goes inwards.
I´m quite confident now that this lock is supposed to be as one unit only and not to be taken apart.

Should be able to be picked to the control key position but I haven´t got it there yet. I don´t know how this lock does its control, there is 6 cuts in the key and there is no more space for the 7th pin in the lock body. Maybe there is one master keyed pin stack?

[ARF-GEF]

Many people are strongly against WD40 among lock enthusiasts, but I found it useful. Try giving the lock a thorough WD40 bath, then blow it out with air. Maybe anti-WD40 people will chime in too with their ideas so you can have a choice.

[cledry]

Oddly enough one of these came in our shop to have a key fitted. Normally I can impression things but this is giving no marks, it is being a pain to pick also. BTW it is the cylinder out of a lock housing. The housing I have is black plastic with connectors on the back.

[zeepia]

Odd indeed! Do you know what vehicle it´s from?

Is there any other way to push that pin from somewhere else when it is in its housing? Then it wouldn´t need to be key-related to get it out?

[lockcat]

Looks like it also has a clip on the front. (It's not the pin) Can you take a better picture of this?

[Pickmequick]

Alot of vehicle locks require the chrome cap prying off to dismantle.

I doubt Assa would use such a poor design but it is possible.

[zeepia]

Looks like it also has a clip on the front. (It's not the pin)

Nope, as far as I understand. And that brass blob is for something else than dismantling.

Alot of vehicle locks require the chrome cap prying off to dismantle.

Might be possible but I don´t want to be a pioneer here

[lockcat]

I think that the back cover might bo held in place by a brass sleeve that would cover the cilinder and be held in place using the 2 "dimples" and the retaining pin. Well it's just a thought...

[Squelchtone]

based on the chamfer of the spring loaded pin, I have a theory that you can push that pin all the way into the lock past the outer shell it will allow you to pull out the plug or even the entire face of the lock. It may be necessary to turn the plug first by picking or with a working key. [EDIT: DERP! I just read your post where you said it does not push in all the way...]

Or I could be wrong and the spring loaded pin is just to keep this lock inside another housing.

I got this idea from my Medeco G8R padlock which has a t-handle cylinder, and in order to remove the cylinder you have to press on the spring loaded bolt and press it in deeper than the shell so the cylinder can slide out.

Here is a photo of a small screwdriver inserted into the access hole in order to depress spring loaded bolt on cylinder. See how the bolt is chamfered as well to aid in getting the cylinder back into the housing?




my 2 cents on this =)
Squelchtone

[zeepia]

I think that the back cover might bo held in place by a brass sleeve that would cover the cilinder and be held in place using the 2 "dimples" and the retaining pin.

Zing! You can receive your token at the cashier´s desk.

I just couldn´t let it be, so here goes... I tested that control pin and initially didn´t get it working. But the trick was not to turn the key all the way but only about 30 degrees CW. Then it goes in enough to let the housing glide away. In theory. There are those dimples that are punched to pin holes, they give more friction to keep it in place. I killed this housing with pliers and removed one dimple. Then I gave it some hammer time and it slowly started to dismantle. Very tight fit. The milling is also so coarse that there is even more friction.



And there was DIRT inside. More than I have ever seen. These pins didn´t come out easily, holes were filled with debris. Springs rest at the brass housing.



This housing can now be put back and this lock is still ok to be picked. Not nice but it works.



The mechanism is quite complex, engineers have had too much time to spend... There is red circle which shows the rivet keeping the back cover at place. I can´t take the plug out unless I drill that rivet but compressed air is enough to get this lock back to life.



And finally the pins, there were some spools inside:



This lock has been severely abused, that debris has grinded these pins quite much. And I think the reason why this lock came to the flea market was that even with the right key it doesn´t work just properly anymore. Pins are so worn that they don´t go smoothly to the shear line. This pin has shortened a lot from its original measure.



I wouldn´t take this lock apart if it was still needed by customer. Very hard or nearly impossible to get it out intact. Its housing is so thin that you can´t press it from outside when trying to take the core out.

Thank you all for your input, I rest my case.

[MrAnybody]

I really want to congratulate you on this. I also felt sure there had to be a way into it somehow, but I didn't have clue as to how it could be done. Each time I saw a new post I was hoping it was the solution.

Wonderful work, zeepia. And thank you so much for all the pics and update. A real pleasure to read.