Stuck Deadbolt. Please help.

[logitech]

Hi all. I know a bit about lockpicking, but not a ton. My brother recently attempted to pick our front door deadlock. He got it open, but just took the pick out after opening it, and now the plug/keyway is at an odd angle. You can still lock the deadbolt manually using the lever on the inside, but you cannot get a key into the keyway. The pins are completely stuck, they don't move up/ "in" at all. Any ideas on what to do? I've tried putting the key in and trying to push it in while slowly extending/retracting the deadbolt, but to no avail.

This is somewhat urgent, as you can no longer get into our front door from the outside if it's locked. If I can't find a solution soon I guess I'll have to go get a new lock.

Oh and I looked on it to see if I could find a brand name on it, but couldn't find any. I have a digital camera and can take pictures if it'll help. Will also gladly paypal $5 to anyone that provides a solution quick.

[hzatorsk]

Well... a brand name would help... so would a picture and perhaps a better description of where the plug is relative to its normal position.

From what you've described so far... sounds like you managed to pick the lock and turn the plug, but the top pins managed to come down and jam the plug in the incorrect position. Usually, the bottom of the key prevents this in locks where it is a problem.

If the top pins came down into the bottom of the plug (the bottom of the keyway), You may be able to 'pick' them back and turn the plug to its normal position. Try probing the 'bottom' of the keyway instead of the pins you originally picked.

Since the door is open... you may find it easier (and a great learning opportunity) to simply remove the lock cylinder, disassemble it and put it back together correctly.

Once the cylinder is out, a hard rap (with a light tension on the plug) may cause the pins to give up their sieze and allow you to restore the plug to it's correct position.

Personally... I'd be probing the lock for a spring loaded top pin interfering.

hzatorsk

[MrB]

Silly question this, but you said the keyway is at an odd angle. You didn't actually say it was stuck at an odd angle. Just to avoid any silly misunderstandings, is it stuck? If it isn't then you should just turn it back to the normal position with a screwdriver or something (you will hear a little click when it gets there). Then the key will go in again.

If it is stuck, the keyway is probably upside down, and then you will need to follow hzatorsk's advice.

(The key will not go in or out of a lock unless the keyway is in the "home" position. If you pick a lock and turn the plug, the key will be locked out while the plug remains turned.)

[TOWCH]

If it's upside down then it's probably driver pins in the keyway. You have tried rotating it back to normal right? Just using a tension wrench? If it's not upside down and it will not turn freely then I have no clue what the pins are binding on but the solution is to remove the lock from the door, take off the pin cap and get the driver pins out. Doing this over a towel is a good idea to keep from losing springs and pins(can't remember where I got this tip.) Once all the springs and driver pins are out rotate the plug to the proper position and put them back in. Recap it and test to see if the key works. If the plug still wouldn't rotate then there might be some dirt between it and the lock. Make sure the tail piece and plug retainer and such are removed then push it out the front of the lock. If it doesn't want to do this and there is NOTHING left keeping it from doing so then a punch and rubber mallet would be my next guess. If none of this works then I'm out of ideas.

[Dent]

Personally I think everoyne is thinking too hard on this one.

It sounds like he picked the lock, turned it like 20 degrees, and took the picks out.

If the first pin is low and the back pin is high, then the key won't be able to get in.


So do this:

Take a screwdriver or whatever your brother used as a tension wrench and rotate the keyway back to how it normally is.

You should here a "click" and then your keys should work fine.

[MrB]

Um, Dent, not to be picky or anything, but isn't that exactly what I said two posts above?

Just to clarify a detail though, the key will be prevented from entering almost every lock when the keyway is turned away from the normal position. This is true whatever the pin configuration, because locks are usually pinned, and keys cut, to retain the key in the lock when it is turned. What can't come out when in, can't go in when out.

[Dent]

Oh... err yeah

I just thought it was 4 post in a row saying "You probably got pins stuck in the bottom of the keyway" over and over again.

Sorry for restating what you said.


But, however, the reason that a key stays in a lock is that the higher cut keys can't go past the lower cut pins.

If you have the right combonation, the key might be able to get 1-3 pins inside the keyway before hitting a pin it couldn't pass.

[hzatorsk]

...What can't come out when in, can't go in when out.

Man... that is profound. I wonder what other aspects of my life I can apply that too.

Seriously though... logitech, Do keep us posted! You may have joined this forum simply to get an answer to this one question... but a few of us are hanging on the edge of our seats awaiting your success at resolving this problem.

[Chucklz]

Mr B,

An umbrella in a chimney

[digital_blue]

Mr B,

An umbrella in a chimney

Well done.

[logitech]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Shining a light in, and feeling with a pick on the bottom of the keyway, I can't feel any pins. The entire plug will not turn with a screwdriver/tension wrench/anything. It doesn't budge. Looking inside of the keyway, I can only see two pins. The front one, and what is more than likely the back one. There is a decent gap in between them. I can't push either of them up. But there is definitely at least one in between them that is up. Could it actually be those ones that are the problem? The keyway is level, so gravity won't help in bringing them back down.. In the pictures I'm attaching, looking at the front of the lock, the deadbolt is on the right side. You turn counter-clockwise to open, clockwise to close.

There are three locks in our house that use the same key, if I take this one apart to fix it and the pins don't go back the right way, I'm ultimately screwed, no? I'd have to get three locks re-done.

Again any help is appreciated.

[logitech]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Shining a light in, and feeling with a pick on the bottom of the keyway, I can't feel any pins. The entire plug will not turn with a screwdriver/tension wrench/anything. It doesn't budge. Looking inside of the keyway, I can only see two pins. The front one, and what is more than likely the back one. There is a decent gap in between them. I can't push either of them up. But there is definitely at least one in between them that is up. Could it actually be those ones that are the problem? The keyway is level, so gravity won't help in bringing them back down.. In the pictures I'm attaching, looking at the front of the lock, the deadbolt is on the right side. You turn counter-clockwise to open, clockwise to close.

There are three locks in our house that use the same key, if I take this one apart to fix it and the pins don't go back the right way, I'm ultimately screwed, no? I'd have to get three locks re-done.

Again any help is appreciated.

[logitech]

Sorry about the double post, I got a database error both tries.

[TOWCH]

There's something jamming it. Remove the plug, clean it, clean the cylinder, and put it back together.

[thertel]

Did the lock look that bad before you brother picked it or only after he was done? Or is he a blind lockpicker.

That lock is F'd up

Thomas