Locks

I went to close the door yesterday on the Z and realized that although the door was closed, nothing involving the latching system was engaged. I was able to shove my hand in between the door gap and it flung open.

So off came the door panel, and a few minutes later we were in. I realized that the window rail is tucked so close to the engaging peice that it's all going to have to be removed to be adjusted.
Ehhh not really what I wanted to do, however that lock cylinder was right there, and I've been planning to open them up, so off came the retainer clips.

This is going to turn into a technical guide at this point, if you want to read along, please go for it.

If you need some done, and can't find the parts, or don't feel confident in modifying them - email me.

Tools:

Eye Glasses Flat Head Driver
1/8 Inch Flat Driver
Small Hammer
Vise
Small Metal Plate
Masking Tape

Datsun/Subaru Cylinder Repair Kit
ASP A-16-104K
Door Lock Cylinder Gasket (came with my kit)

When you hold the cylinder in place it has a return spring on the back side TAKE IT OUT, DON'T LOOSE IT, and a face plate that has been pressed to the cylinder. In order to remove the cylinder to get to the tumbler keepers, that face plate needs to be pryed up. My intention was to do this in the least destructive manor possible. I don't wanna see any damage to that face.

The best way to take this face plate is to wedge eyeglasses a flat screw driver in between the peice, then move it around the circumference of the plate to the body housing. This is going to create a lipped edge that we can use for a 1/8 inch flat screwdriver, I like the Craftsman ones. After that lip is made, take that slightly larger flat and stick it between the body and the face plate lip, use a twisting motion on the perpendicular axis of that area to move lip away from the body, continue working around the circumference, don't stay in one area too long. At some point you will be able to rotate the faceplate independent of the body, this is when you are getting close.

Any slight holding of the faceplate is going to keep us from access. Towards the end of this whole ordeal (it's the most annoying part) the face plate will simply pop off.... and we can access the keepers.

Now you have to understand it's been so long since these have been made, they are surely to have corrosion built up into the keepers, so just be a little strun with them.

Place the key you want to use (match it to the ignition ideally) into the body and note the keepers that are not sitting flush. There should be 6 of them total. I note the one closer to the key input as number 1, the furthest number 6. I only had to change a total of 4 of them out for new ones.

Find one you need to change out. On the side that does not have the spring, put a flat screw driver to the keeper and push flat down on it, it should drive out the keeper, and then you can fiddle with replacements. After replaced place the key back into the tumbler and see if that key is now flush, if it is hurray, write down which one you changed it to, then move on to the next one. After you have them all fit, take the tumbler and stick it back into the body and see if its turning now.

Once you are able to turn the cylinder within the body, you will need; blue tape, vise, metal plate, flat (dont use a cheap one, the metal will deform), and a small hammer.

Look at the face plate, attempt to move any deformed areas, place the worst side 90 degrees counter-clockwise from the thin cutout on the body.
Place the cylinder within the vise like so.

Then use the hammer / flat driver to work the lip back over the body to seal the body together again. Work in small taps, covering a range of 40 degrees, then rotate the body to get an even fit. Look out for working one side too much, it may bend the plate.

Anyway replace the return spring, replace the gasket on the car, and put that thing back together.