rekeying door locks, how to

It's fairly simple to rekey your door locks to match your ignition key, or if you have an original door key and a replacement door. It only takes patience and the ability to work with really small parts.... This particular guide focuses on my '65 Econoline pickup, but most locks use a similar system.

The first step for the Econoline is to remove the door panel and reach in and pull loose the clip that holds the door lock in place



Once the clip is off, the lock slips out of the door with a little wiggling around, no tools required.



Pry the cover off the lock cylinder. Comes off pretty easy with a small screw driver



After the cover is off, the row of springs and key pins is revealed



Carefully remove the springs and tiny pins in each hole. In this Econoline door lock, there are five holes, which correspond to the four notches and one flat on my ignition key.



The pin sets each have two pins, one with a rounded end and the other with a seat for the spring. The rounded end goes in first and rides on the key. When the key turns the lock, the bottom pin turns with it. If that pin is too tall, the lock won't turn. (On the flip side, if the pin is too short for that notch, it may not lock)

Line up the pin sets to match the size of the notches in the key. In the pic below, the second notch is the deepest, and would have the tallest pin set, and the flat area near the tip the shortest.



Drop a pin set into the first hole and try to turn the key. If it doesn't, find a pin that allows the key to turn, and then move on to the second hole.

I got the first two pins right on the first try, but had to make several stabs to get the order right on the other three. I finally realized two of the pins were just too tall for my key notches. I shortened them by a cats whisker with a small file and eventually got all five to work with my key.

If you lose a pin or destroy a spring, don't worry. The lock will actually work with only one pin in place, or 2, 3 or 4. Of course, the more pins the stronger the lock.

Once you've got your pins in place and the key still turns, push on the tiny springs, snap on the pin cover and reinstall the lock!

Great info. Thanks for sharing this. I have a rear lock with no key but have front door locks that share the same key as the ignition. side door also needs a key as well. Looks like a job for next summer.

Nice post, Im gonna be doing that to mine. Thanks

great post. I've done this to my old econolines. also was able to purchase kits for 90's model ford trucks from the dealership and rekey the service trucks where I used to work.

Quick questions for those with better knowledge of these locks....my rear lock works like it should from the outside, except it's not engaging anything, it's just doesn't lock the doors. My lock is missing that "J/ turn back" piece at the end of the cylinder....is that my problem? Does that engage the linkage that actuates the lock? If so, is one available anywhere among the members?

That piece is called the lock lever and tough to find new, and needed to lock the door. I bet someone on here has one in a parts van. You might post in the parts wanted section.

On it- thanks!