Kwikset 'Smart Key' Exterior door lock cylinder (dead bolt) repair question


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Old 01-08-16, 12:08 PM
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Kwikset 'Smart Key' Exterior door lock cylinder (dead bolt) repair question

Hi,
If you are familiar with the Kwikset 'Smart Key' locks, you know that you can re-pin the lock cylinder to different keys. I had done this with 6 locks (3 doorknob and deadbolt lock cylinders) at least 5 times over the years. Last week, I was attempting to re-key one of the deadbolt lock cylinders and when I turned the key to complete the re-key process, it wouldn't unlock and wouldn't allow me to turn the cylinder so that I could re-key the cylinder.
I called Kwikset Lock Support and after verifying that the cylinder couldn't be re-keyed - they sent me a new cylinder (which I was successfully able to re-key).

My question is, I now have the bad cylinder out and was wondering if anyone knew if I could possibly disassemble it to fix it. I don't know much about locks other than there are spring-loaded 'pins' - maybe 4 or 5 that control the lock mechanism's ability to rotate the internal barrel within the cylinder to Lock & Unlock. I suspect one of the pins may have gotten messed up in the process of rekeying, but I'm not sure if it's fixable or worth fixing.
 
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Old 01-08-16, 03:02 PM
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I don't think that it's worth the trouble.
 
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Old 01-09-16, 05:17 AM
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Probably not worth it, even if parts are available. But if you are curious, click here.
 
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Old 01-10-16, 07:07 PM
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As you can see from the link that ThisOldMan has kindly provided, this is not your garden variety pin-tumbler lock. If you are technically curious, by all means take it apart to see how it works, but don't expect to repair it...I suspect it finally wore out from use. This design has been known to malfunction even when new at a much higher rate than regular pin-tumbler locks.

Put your close-ups on....the parts are tiny.
 
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Old 01-11-16, 06:22 AM
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Reminds me of the U-Change cylinders; any stress on them and the change mechanism crapped out. Good in theory, but not in everyday use. Pocket detritus adhering to the key and getting passed into the cylinder caused many failures. The U-Change components were machined, so tolerances were pretty tight. And that's where the Kwikset has an advantage; the tolerances inherent with die-cast components aren't as sensitive.
 
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Old 01-11-16, 07:27 AM
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Thank ThisOldMan & rstripe,

The photos for disassembly are excellent - but I'll definitely need the cylinder in front of me while viewing them.

Good thing I'm near-sighted, so working close shouldn't be a problem... Now 'losing the parts' after disassembly, that's a different story - especially that little steel bearing that pops out.

Thanks again,
greynold99
 
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Old 01-11-16, 08:56 PM
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Good ol' U-Change...were pretty popular at one time, especially in and around Oklahoma City. We'd see them now and then around here (DFW area) but not much any more. And the cast components of the SmartKey allow too much tolerance, especially in the false tumbler gates, which made them vulnerable to being forced in a certain way. I say "made" because the product may have been improved since I evaluated them years ago when they first came out. Fortunately, the vulnerability is not that well known among common thieves.
 
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Old 04-18-16, 02:27 PM
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Kwikset smartkey reset tool. Insert into tool, turn tool, insert new key to key to, turn back. Done
 
 

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