For the past few months, I've noticed that my front door latch didn't always return to its "full out" position, making my front door not stay closed. After some investigation, I noticed that if I turn the knob left, it returns to its initial position. However, if I turn the knob right, the latch stays recoiled.
I'd like to post a short demo video but I don't think I can here?
I inspected the knob and it's spring (blue arrow above) at the back and it seems in working order.
After dismounting the outdoor part of the handle (see above), I could see that the problem seemed to be related to the white plastic part (arrow in red below) that wasn't moving up and down smoothly (or at all, actually).
I didn't try dismantling the c-clip (green arrow) on that mechanism, but I tried adding some lube (Jig-a-loo) and it seemed to help make the white plastic move smoothly. But after I reassembled everything, although the situation was a bit better, the problem was still present.
1- Should I dismantle the c-clip on the outdoor mechanism to clean (the old grease it seems) and lube again?
2- Which lube should I use? WD-40? Jig-a-loo? Oil?
3- Is there a "spring" that I can change in that exterior mechanism?
4- Can I just change the exterior mechanism and not the whole door handle?
You can hose the mechanism with lubricant. I've had good luck with WD-40. I spray it heavily then stand it up to drain. Not only does it lubricate the mechanism but it also flushes out dirt and debris. Or you can replace the lock/door knob.
I had a similar problem with my front door. I use to lubricate it myself. But this last time I took it to my neighborhood locksmith. I don't know what lubricant he used, but it works like new. I told him I was willing buy a new lock. He said nothing wrong with what I have.
Thank you for taking the time to reply - really appreciated. In light of what you both told me, I decided to remove the circlip and inspect the mechanism.
Turns out, there is a lot of old lubricant that has now become sticky. See pictures below. My plan is to use a degreaser to completely remove the old stff, and start fresh. the parts, including the spring, seem in reasonable shape. I suspect that simply using WD40 will not sustain it for another 10 years though. I probably need to take something more robust. I may still have old waterproof grease for my Sea-Doo's shaft... maybe that could work (?).
Alternatively, do you have a resistant grease to recommend?
The locksmith I called told me I could buy this part for 25CAD. It is from a Weiser lock/handle. He said that the plastic part eventually wears from the rubbing on the metal... but I feel like it should be fine with just lubricant.
Now that your inside proper you might as well give it a good cleaning and proper lube. I'd try your ski grease. It's probably up to the task but I don't know if the viscosity will be too high but if you've got it I'd try it. Next I might want to try a light spray lithium grease or maybe a silicone & Teflon grease like Super Lube.
I'll second the motion for a light lithium grease, and don't forget to inspect the latch, it could probably use a shot of penetrating oil (not WD40). I've been told that Weiser is fairly popular in parts of Canada, and if it's the same Weiser that used to be popular here in the States, it was known for low cost but not high quality hardware. Of course, like all hardware, if well maintained, and not abused, you can expect many years of service.
I use my bike chain degreaser to clean all the parts. See here:
Then I reassembled everything and just used some oily lubricant (something I inherited in a weird metal container. That thing is probably 40 years old... and what comes out of it looks like motor oil) on the part to see if it had improved.
I looked great, but after reinstalling it on the door, the problem is still present. It could be the lube.. but I think it may be the 2 springs in the above picture that are not doing their job.
I'll visit a locksmith to see if he sells that mechanism (a return spring apparently) alone. If not, I'll try one of the lubricant that was recommended here.
I went to the locksmith - the same one that said (over the phone) that the mechanism couldn't be cleaned and should be replaced and he was very impressed at the cleaning job I did. He confirmed that everything should be working properly. He did add some lubricant the the latch itself, and that did the trick.
Everything it back to normal. I love it when I'm able to repair something that isn't mechanically damaged but just need a little bit of love .
Hi! I know my problem is easy to resolve, but before I do anything I want to verify that I'm on the right track in what I think, and to get a few details that would be helpful.
Here's the situation: my single cylinder deadbolt front door lock is loose, on both the outside and now the inside too. I checked YouTube for a video that dealt with this situation but all I could find was a video on a loose cylinder lock where the edge of the door is involved. Of course that's not the kind of lock that I have, but I watched the video anyway, thinking I could pick up some tips even though it wasn't a deadbolt lock, and I did in fact learn something important: the man in the video said that a loose cylinder problem involves the set screws becoming loose and the fix is simply to tighten them.
So I assume that, similarly, there are at least two set screws in a single cylinder deadbolt lock (one for the outside part and one for the inside) and all I have to do is tighten them. But before I remove the back of the lock, I'd like to know exactly where I'll find the set screws, and also any other information that I ought to know. I really know absolutely nothing about locks, so any relevant information will be appreciated.
If you could include a picture showing the inside of a deadbolt lock and exactly where the set screws are, that would be terrific!
Hello,
I have been struggling to remove this door knob at a school I am working at and despite a couple of hours of research, I still cannot find a solution (or even what manufacturer the knob is).
Please see the attached photo, it is the same on the outside of the door. There is a pin in the collar but it does not show anything spring loaded. It is free to rotate and all we can find is a small groove in the brass underneath. The groove doesn't do anything when we try a pin/allan key.
[img]https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/900x1600/whatsapp_image_2021_01_05_at_1_56_48_pm_08ade7cbc943b26807fa0d35127500080ab149cb.jpeg[/img]
[i]There are two collars on the stem of the knob. The one closest to the door is able to be unthreaded but only a couple of mm, the other collar interferes. The collar closest to the handle is able to rotate 360 freely and has a small hole, but only shows brass underneath with a small notch on the bottom.[/i]
[img]https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/428x767/door_knob_school_a508589b2f973c13afe5e0993a463e9ccae7deb5.png[/img]
[i]small hole which shows the brass and the small notch but we can't figure out what to do with it to get the knob off[/i]
If anyone can offer any ideas on what brand/style this is or any suggestions on how to remove the knob it would be greatly appreciated!
01-11-21, 07:47 PM
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