Cannot unlock door!

[welleyes]

We have a new problem with the Lancia, a problem we thought might be easy to fix but which has baffled us. The driver’s door will not unlock, which is to say that the lock itself is broken. Happily, one of the other doors was unlocked and we are clambering in through the front passenger door. The diagrams in the parts list are unhelpful and groping around between the two skins with my fingers is not telling me enough.  I can see that the lock is held on to the outer skin of the door by a large nut. A threaded rod protrudes from the lock barrel and ends in a square. The square rests in a square hole in a plate. Presumably the plate is the piece which locks and unlocks the top and bottom bolts.

What happens if I withdraw the lock? How is the threaded piece (which ends in the square) attached into the lock?  What happens to the plate when the square is withdrawn? Does it remain in place or does it flop about? Has anyone during a rebuild taken photographs which show how the mechanism worked?

Does anyone have a replacement lock and keys? Was the same lock fitted to other cars? We would be grateful for any advice or help.

Stuart

[chriswgawne]

Could you possibly post a couple of photos of your problematical lock.
I have several different  spare Aurelia door locks with keys.
Chris

[welleyes]

Thank you. We are stocktaking spares for another make of prewar car tomorrow but will take the lock out on Monday.

Thanks again for the kind offer.

Stuart

[GeoffJohnson]

You might find the attached photos helpful

Geoff Johnson

[welleyes]

Attached is photo of the non-functioning lock.
Overall length from face of lock to end of square is 59.5mm.
Diameter of main part of lock is 18mm.

Somebody has already suggested that the LOA is not always exactly the same. Surely the inner and outer door skin distance is the same in different cars? Not important though as we could make up a new rod to fit in the back of the lock.

Stuart

[chriswgawne]

That doesnt look like an Aurelia lock to me. The barrel is similar to the lock used in the rotating boot light on later B20s and B12 but the rear of the lock looks different I think.
Better to try to get a new key made by a locksmith for your existing lock I would say as long as it isnt damaged or too worn.
Chris

[welleyes]

Thanks, Chris.

The back of the lock does not matter as I can make that. It is just the barrel that I need. The existing one is worn beyond repair, apparently. I will continue looking. If necessary, I will move the boot lock to the door and will then try to replace the boot one. All jolly good fun, I suppose, but I have other things to get on with.

Stuart

[chriswgawne]

When I said the back of the lock, I meant the rear of the chromed part, not the short rod with square end. I should have been clearer.
Chris

[simonandjuliet]

I have several locks and I'm coming back to the UK next week so could send one from the UK if required - not sure if I have any keys though !

[welleyes]

Thank you to everyone who replied. The photos of the door locking mechanism answer a couple of questions that puzzled me as it is not possible to see through a steel plate and the drawings in the parts book are not at all clear. However, it is actually the lock that the key goes in which is the problem. I need a replacement. If you have one, Simon, I would certainly like it. Nick Benwell almost certainly has more than one among his spares, but he is rather elusive at the moment being busy with more urgent and profitable business.

 A local locksmith has explained that given a lock and the correct blank, he can make up a key; I now have two new blanks courtesy of eBay.  So I am approaching the solution but not there yet. If anyone else has the problem, removing the lock from the door means that you can use a budget lock key inserted into the square hole in the little internal locking piece. One would be desperately unlucky to encounter a car thief with a budget lock key in his pocket.

Stuart and Andy

[chriswgawne]

Formula Vintage in Italy have a lock + key for sale on ebay.it which looks v similar to what you need.
Chris