Modifying lock barrels

[CJH]

This is one of those jobs that is earmarked for some time over the winter. My sliding door lock uses a different key from the others, and I believe it's possible to modify the barrel by swapping the individual sliders (is that the right term?) out and around. From what I've read it seems like pot luck, if buying 2nd hand barrels for spare parts, whether you'd get one with the right bits.

So my question is, is there a way to figure out which slider bits are needed, and whether a 2nd hand barrel would contain those bits. Assuming the barrels haven't already been tampered with, does the number on the barrel of one of my other doors tell me which sliders I'll need (and by the same logic does the number on the sliding door barrel tell me which ones I've already got), and then can I tell from the number on a prospective 2nd hand barrel whether it'll have the remaining bits I need? I assume this must be the case, given that dansimpson is able to cut keys from these code numbers - that's what's prompted this question in fact - but what exactly do I need to look for?

Is there a simpler way? Does somebody sell the sliders to order. I did find a place that would do the whole job for me, but that's a) a bit expensive, and b) no fun.

[pionte]

cutting keys from a number is much easier, you just set the cutter to the correct sequence ie... 25142 and bobs your uncle, Im guessing that if you take the barrel that you want to replicate apart, each segment will be numbered . You then just need to source these from another barrel and refit into the correct order. Obviously you may have to get quite a few get all the matching segments.

I remember doing F O R D keys back in the 80's, we would get a kit from F ord that required you to put the key into the new barrel , then file the segments to fit flush, once you remove the key the segments drop stoping the barrel from turning untill the key is put back in.... if that makes sense?

Im sure a complete matching barrel set isnt expensive and probably easier, even if as you say not as much fun.!

[CJH]

Cheers Pionte. It's definitely not an urgent job, and having a different key for the sliding door isn't really much of an inconvenience - it's got a coloured cap on it so I know which one to use on my keyring. But I'll be taking a couple of sticky barrels apart to clean and lubricate them anyway, so thought I'd tackle this at the same time.

Obviously you may have to get quite a few get all the matching segments.

Yes, hence the original question!

So take your example - if my ignition, cab doors and tailgate are all on, say, 25142, and my sliding door is on, say, 42136, can I assume I can use the 1, the 4 and the 2 from the sliding door, and I just need to buy a 2nd hand barrel with a 2 and a 5 in it?

[pionte]

yes that does make sense... I have never taken a VW one apart so cant give you a definitive answer though

[Dazco]

This may be some help
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... ock+barrel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CJH]

Thanks Dazco - lots of useful info and links. I had a feeling I'd seen an article in the wiki, and I promise I checked there before posting, but your link confirmed it exists so I just went looking again. Wouldn't you know it, it's the first item in the 'door locks and keys' section, but being just a hyperlink I managed to overlook it this morning.

In the thread you linked to Cruz mentions bags of tumbler segments from VW. I might look into those, unless there's an obvious correlation between the lock code and the tumbler order. My simplistic idea above might be true, or it might be that the code can be used to work out the tumbler order from some table or algorithm. I guess I'll find out when I disassemble a lock.