Triumph Herald drivers door handle with lock / key

[jagnut66]

Hi, 

It appears my drivers door lock button has decided it wants to part company with the rest of the handle.

For the moment it has simply 'popped' free of whatever retained it in it's original position and will happily rotate 360 degrees, regardless of whether the lock is in the locked or open position. Rotating it back into a position where it can be pressed in to operate the lock is becoming a pain and if you get it wrong it sticks. Plus, going by how wobbly it's becoming, I suspect it won't be long before it parts company altogether with the rest of the handle.

Wear and tear after 52 years service I guess.

So I'm looking for a replacement handle, if somebody out there has a spare one (handle and lock, with its key) in good order, that they are able to part with.

Please note I don't mind if the chromework isn't perfect, 'timeworn' is fine, there is nothing wrong with a little 'character'. 🙂

Many thanks, 

Mike.

[Chris A]

I had, if I interpret the symptoms correctly, the same thing with the button on the passenger door of my 13/60. I cured it by removing the door card and found that the 'shaft' for want of a better name was coming un screwed. All that it needed was a retighten and problem solved. Try this before looking to replace anything.

I'm not able to get to my 'mainframe computer' at the moment so can't post a drawing.

 

[NonMember]

Indeed, as Chris says, the button is held in by a long setscrew that comes undone. Tighten it up and your problem may well go away.

[jagnut66]

I will have a look ASAP.

Thanks for that. 

If this is a known issue then would a dab of something like Loctite be a good thing to put on the threads?

Best wishes,

Mike.

[Chris A]

I didn't put anything on, actually I didn't even think of it and if I had I don't have any Loctite in stock . . . 

Wouldn't do any harm I guess

[Pete Lewis]

the long screw is like atappet it must have when refitted a small gap between it and the lock lever inside   ]

there is a washer under the screws lock nut  which may have disintegrated  its this that stops the barrel exiting the handle 

Pete

[jagnut66]

11 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

the long screw is like atappet it must have when refitted a small gap between it and the lock lever inside   ]

there is a washer under the screws lock nut  which may have disintegrated  its this that stops the barrel exiting the handle 

Pete

Very close to Pete, which in turn was allowing the barrel itself to vibrate its way off the bolt whenever I drove Hetty.

The small washer had reduced in width just enough to allow it to pass through. My solution was to space the nut from the head of the bolt (approximately), then Loctite the nut in place, wiping off the excess, so that it was only the spacing nut that was loctited (Is that even a word?? It is now!!) in place. Once it had gone off, I refitted the small washer and then a larger (and thicker) washer, which stopped the nut and bolt passing back through. 

With bolt and barrel reconnected I now have a working door lock again, sitting where it should be, slightly recessed into the handle. I haven't overtightened it with the (3/8th) spanner, so, now I know how it goes together, I can return in the future and tighten it up again, if I need to.

Much better than the remains of a wooden clothes peg I found inside the door, which I suspect was holding it in place when I bought her....... 😄

14 hours ago, Chris A said:

I didn't put anything on, actually I didn't even think of it and if I had I don't have any Loctite in stock . . . 

Always worth having some, buy it online (cheaper than Halfords), it's not that expensive.

Thanks for everyone's advice, I was expecting it to be complicated and it really isn't.

 

So, what do people think about fitting a locking handle to the passenger door?

Is it just a case of locating one for a LHD model and fitting it, or this idea more involved?

Best wishes,

Mike.

[Chris A]

23 minutes ago, jagnut66 said:

Always worth having some, buy it online (cheaper than Halfords), it's not that expensive.

Halfords? Don't exist here, more likely in Bricomarché!😃🇨🇵

[Pete Lewis]

10 hours ago, jagnut66 said:

fitting a locking handle to the passenger door?

to add a locking barrel Im sure you you just need a new barrel mine had a key lock both sides 

i changed them so door and ignition all matched  dont think the base handle needs to change 

Pete

[Peter Truman]

I did my Vitesse’s passenger door handle 50 years ago had to change the handle button for a drivers button and modify the key barrel so it was common with the drivers door and ignition.

Had to change the handle after scraping it on the passenger side concrete barrier on the entry ramp at the M1 London end, after a weeks work in London all we wanted was to get out and back up north, Stockton, did that run weekly for 6 months so we really did push it Monday morning to London Friday arvo from London.

[jagnut66]

So quite simple then really. 

I have bought a spare drivers side handle off eBay, so I will have a barrel with that. 

Can anybody tell me where to find the barrel number, so I know what key will fit it and can start looking for one. I couldn't see a  number when my drivers lock was removed but then I didn't remove the barrel from it's housing (as my priority was for it to be reconnected and functioning once more to secure the car). I did note that it is simply held in place with a circlip, so not a hard job. 🙂

I could buy a new one from the likes of Rimmer Bros. but I'd like to see if I can't reuse the existing one first (rather than just discard it).

Best wishes,

Mike.

[Pete Lewis]

the key profile is maked on the side of the barrel  , have to remove it to read it 

if you have selection of barrels you can swap the multiple lock levers to make it suit the key you have 

Dougs an expert on this 

its a bit trial an error to find you get all the levers flush with the barrel body when the key is in but easy enough to 

 

[ahebron]

Yep its easy peasy as the others have said.
And you can make the ignition, boot and glovebox all match but that can be a trickier, have a box of lock bits will help.
I believe there are only 4 different pins in the locks in our cars and many others so it is just a variation of these. 

[PeteH]

On 27/03/2022 at 06:47, ahebron said:

I believe there are only 4 different pins in the locks in our cars and many others so it is just a variation of these

A reflection of the laughable priority of security back in the "good old days". The police (bless them) used to bang on about "lock valuables in your boot". I could get into almost any 60`s car with a strip of "feeler gauge" steel with a few notches filed in it!!. The Turners on the night shift, had a machine set up to make "2 bob pieces" for the old Cigarette Machines, (worked on condom machines too). Talk about a misspent youth!.

Pete.

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, PeteH said:

The Turners on the night shift, had a machine set up to make "2 bob pieces" for the old Cigarette Machines, (worked on condom machines too). Talk about a misspent youth!.

Pete.

If you file the corners off a 50p you can make a very passable 10p. 

[daverclasper]

"When I were a lad", used to push a lolly stick into the coin slot in phone boxes

[Badwolf]

8 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

If you file the corners off a 50p you can make a very passable 10p. 

I just can't believe that an Irishman posted that!!!

[PeteH]

13 hours ago, daverclasper said:

"When I were a lad", used to push a lolly stick into the coin slot in phone boxes

"Tapping" the cradle worked too, if you could remember the sequence for the number you wanted. The phone box outside Canada Dock in Liverpool, got a lot of use and made very little money!.

Pete

[jagnut66]

Back in the land of Triumph......😉

I have dismantled the door handle I bought, as I couldn't even get a key into the lock, let alone attempt to turn it.

Once apart I discovered why, the levers were bent all over the place, which may be why I had to tap / persuade the barrel out with a hammer......🙄

Anyway, there is also no visible number on the barrel, so I think I shall source another.

I am going to give T D Fitchett a call tomorrow to see if they have a secondhand one to match the drivers side.

Best wishes,

Mike.

[PeteH]

Someone will correct me if I am wrong. But I think, the barrel size (Dia) is pretty consistant amongst ALL locks of that era?, not just Triumph. Find one with the right Ward grooves and file the levers flush with the Existing key in place?.

Pete.

[Colin Lindsay]

13 hours ago, PeteH said:

Someone will correct me if I am wrong. But I think, the barrel size (Dia) is pretty consistant amongst ALL locks of that era?, not just Triumph. Find one with the right Ward grooves and file the levers flush with the Existing key in place?.

Pete.

That's an excellent idea - and probably correct. Given that Triumph used a lot of generic parts in our cars, I'd agree it's highly likely the locks are not solely Triumph. I'll sort though my stocks later on and see what's there, I found some bits yesterday whilst looking for something entirely different...

[jagnut66]

I'm not having much luck with a new replacement barrel and key, so if anyone has a spare they don't need (old and used is fine -- original parts generally tend to fit better than new ones anyway), I'd be interested.

Best wishes,

Mike.

[PeteH]

1 hour ago, jagnut66 said:

I'm not having much luck with a new replacement barrel and key, so if anyone has a spare they don't need (old and used is fine -- original parts generally tend to fit better than new ones anyway), I'd be interested.

Best wishes,

Mike.

I`ve got a box of Old keys, going back to the 1950`s. If you know the blank type, I could look?.

Pete

[jagnut66]

10 hours ago, PeteH said:

10 hours ago, PeteH said:

I`ve got a box of Old keys, going back to the 1950`s. If you know the blank type, I could look?.

 

Thanks Pete but the old barrel was scrap, I couldn't even get a key in it before removal, hence why I need both.

Best wishes,

Mike.

[PeteH]

Sorry Mike can` help with a Barrel. Keys, yes. Scrapyards?.

Mind, H&SE, has virtually closed all the ones you could wander round, and they where those with the "odd" older car buried in a corner.

Pete