Got a couple of used Kwikset Smartkey locks (one a SmartCode keypad lock) and thought some of you might like to see some gutshots. While I would never use one of these locks on my home, the engineering is pretty cool. Lots of pictures in this, so hopefully a newbie who takes one apart can get it back together. Keep in mind, this is NOT a pin tumbler lock!
Front of lock body
To pull the cylinder from the lock body, remove this clip. Pull the top of the clip towards you so the small peg behind that hole at the top clears the clip, then it pulls up just fine.
Then the cylinder comes out.
The top of the cylinder, then turned 1/3 and 2/3 of the way around, to show all sides. Here you can see a strong resemblence to a car lock with a sidewinder key. Still, it is quite different from the car door lock once you get inside.
Pry the plug retaining clip upwards to free the plug parts. Behind the clip is a spacer/washer, too. (Yes, the plug has two main parts. More on that later.)
Press your thumb into the hole with the sidebar. It can help you to align the wafers, making removal of the cylinder easier.
Sometimes, but only sometimes, it helps to put a key into the lock. Like some other wafer locks, the wafers must be at the correct height for the plug to be removed. Push up or down on the wafers from above or below as needed (there are holes on both ends of the wafers) to remove the plug.
You will find that as you remove the plug, there is a bearing that falls out the other side, and a spring that usually does not. When reassembling, push the bearing back onto that spring as you insert the plug.
And the sidebar...
Here I am holding the part of the plug that gets removed for disassembly. This is also the part of the plug that gets moved by the rekeying tool to disengage the wafer carriers (that look like key pins if you are looking into the keyway) from the wafers in order to rekey the lock without disassembly. Notice the spring on the left side.
And here I am pulling that part towards the rear of the lock. Notice that the spring on the left is now compressed. This part can now be lifted off the main body of the plug.
And the two main parts of the plug. The part I removed has been flipped over as I put it below. The teeth on the wafers at the bottom of the removed part are normally upwards, engaging the wafer carriers.
Here is the removed part of the plug. I have moved the wafers so that the openings in them line up. This also lines up the gaps for the sidebar on the reverse side of the wafers. When put back onto the main part of the plug, you want these lined up so the sidebar fits in the outer edge of the plug, or it won't fit back into the cylinder.
And a wafer...
Without a key, the wafer carriers all line up at the full-down position.
With a key partly inserted, you can see a wafer carrier at full up position.
I am inserting the key fully for reassembly, so the lock will be keyed to the key used. This is optional, but I recommend it strongly. This angle also shows the arm on the wafer carriers very clearly.
Put the plug parts back together.
Inside the cylinder. On the left is the long groove for the sidebar. At the far end of the right side you can see where that ball bearing will fit. I think the bearing is to provide a positive stop for key removal, but am not sure. It is not strong, but there.
Put that bearing back onto the spring on the side of the plug opposite the sidebar.
Put in the sidebar and press it down. This also makes sure that everything is lined up properly. If it is not, slide the removable portion of the plug to the rear, disengaging the wafer carriers from the wafers, and press the sidebar down. This should do the trick if you had the wafers lined up correctly before reassembly. Allow the plug part to return forward and continue reassembly.
Plug is reinstalled into the shell. Put the clips back in, and you are set!
If you need to rekey the lock later, put in the key and turn it 90 degrees clockwise. Use this tool:
To push into the rectangular hole in the front of the hole on the left side of the keyway with the original key still in place. Internally, it moves that plug part back.
Remove the tool, then remove the original key (original key meaning what the lock is keyed to) by pulling it straight out. DO NOT turn the key back upright to do this... leave it at 90 degrees right. Fully insert the new key (still at 90 degrees right). Turn the key back up and continue to 90 degrees counter clockwise. Now turn the key back upright, and the key is rekeyed without all this full disassembly.
As you can see, there is no need to buy that $90 Kwikset SmartKey Reset Cradle, as long as you can take this apart and put it back together.
Sorry for the long post. Hope you feel it was worth it, even if it is for a Kwikset.
As you can see, even if the lock is not secure, it is pretty cool from an engineering standpoint.Gordon
