Turbo Weasel Barrel jammed this morning

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Well, as per title, my grumpy, mardy, constantly irritatiing Turbo Weasel decided to wind me up a bit more this morning.

Will try and hunt out the how to, I imagine is on here somewhere. Strip it down, and oil/lubricate up, I imagine. Won't attempt without the how-to, though; I seem to recall if you pull something out too far, then it all springs out all over the room..

Really just wondering if anyone's got any ideas as to how I can get the plastic shroud off, as the steering lock is on, and don't think I can get to the screws to remove normally.

Looks like I know what I'm doing this evening!! 

[Nick W]

I can't help you with getting the barrel out; perseverance MIGHT do it. Good luck!!!


When you dismantle something like a lock barrel that's full of springs and twangy bits, do it inside a large, clear freezer bag. That way you won't lose any of the bits.

[Grrrrrr]

I used some graphite lock lube on mine. Brilliant stuff. Just squirt it in and hey-presto. Might not hurt to clean out first with a squirt of electrical contact cleaner.

[omegod]

Is the key jammed in it ?

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Hi boys, apologies for the lack of reply, spent Saturday morning, dinner, and afternoon, then Sunday morning trying various things with the lock.

Recap -

1 In spite of what you read on the internet freeing off ignition barrels DON'T tap it with a hammer to free up a slider that might have jammed! This worked once (or maybe it was coincidence) but then I realised I needed the shroud off, and so removed the key in order to remove it. From this point the mardy cow then refused to play ball because
2 End half-inch of the barrel then smashed off, and you realise just how thin the cast metal inside is, and if we remember our science classes / engineering lectures, cast metal is brittle, and low in tensile strength.
3 Then tried for hours to free the barrel up, as did two other people. Freezing, approx -2⁰C - 1.5⁰C. Not exactly massive fun! All you need is for the key to turn to position 1, then ping the barrel out. Very good penetrating fluid used.
4 At 3.30pm I managed to get the barrel out. Method was I made two lock pick out of 90⁰ angled wire, with a spade end ground on each. I used these to slide down either side of the barrel, pushing the sliders in, thus allowing the barrel to turn. This didn't work, immediately, however, I managed to extract a small fragment of broken metal with one of these 2-minute tools, and after trying with the key, after another 5 or 6 twists, the barrel turned!
5 Barrel out, after finding the tiny hole (only Vauxhall you need the shroud off, apparently, others you can do by feel)
6 Then... the 'bodge' / 'heath-robinson' part 

Simply...

7 Walk up your drive, and go to your SORN 1996 2.5 V6 Omega CDX (I assume we all have one) after walking in 1⁰C round the corner, to pinch the battery off your Turbo Weasel, in order to start the V6's engine, to turn the wheel 1/4 turn, to get to the shroud screws 
8 Remove steering column shroud
9 Insert key, turn to position 1, then pinch ignition barrel
10 Nearly break back on slippery ice 
11 Battery off, back to the Weasel, refit battery, ignition barrel in.
12 Back inside, extract the chip from your 1996 key, put both 1996 and 2000 FL key on the same keyring
13 Back outside, insert 1996 key into barrel, hold 2000 FL key against black plastic 'chip reader', turn key. Car starts.
14 Go to pub for Sunday lunch

Episode 3...

15 Go to scrappy with allen key in pocket, during your dinner hour on Monday to get a replacement barrel. (which is today, will let you know the progress  )

[05omegav6]

If you can, get the full lock set and car pass (if the book pack is there) that way you only need one key, and should the battery go flat, you won't knacker the door lock by accidentally using the wrong key... they're designed to free wheel if anything but the correct key is used. Which could become very annoying

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Thanks for that, good thinking, there. It's still on the cards to get the ignition and door lock and as you cay, car pass... then fit them to my V6, when the time comes. Although fitting mismatched locks isn't inherently 'wrong' I know what you mean, if it all matches, and the car pass tallies, it just makes it better.

[Nick W]

After all that, you're going to use an unknown secondhand barrel?
Have you priced a new one, and it should be possible to get one that matches your key and the other locks.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Yup, I probably will be. Though to be fair, every single person on this forum is running with a second hand barrel... unless a new one is purchased and fitted before every trip 

I haven't price up a new one, and yes, with the car pass it's simple to walk into Vx and get a new one. Found a guy with a similar issue on another forum was quoted £150 for the removal and replacement of his barrel, so if that's the ballpark, well, not sure it's feasible

But, always open to any solution, assuming I do go down the brand new route... what's the best price for a brand new barrel, anyone? Bearing in mind I'd want it to be the FL type, so key and 'plip' all in one.

[Nick W]

A quick Google for Omega ignition barrel returns several new ones for under £20. You've done the hard part, which is getting the faulty one out. Locks wear out, and these cars are at the age/mileage where that shouldn't be a surprise.

Consider what a problem it would be if the lock jammed in an underground carpark.

Finally, most of the faulty locks I see have the key on a ring with a load of other keys/junk. If your keyring is like that, consider thinning it down.

[omegod]

As far as hitting it with a hammer I wouldn't dream of hitting the casting, I remove the fob part of the key, liberally douse the barrel with plus gas and put some turny tension on the key and lightly tap the centre of the horseshoe with a panel pin hammer, this has never failed to get the key to turn( on the two I have done  ). The tension element is " key" with all lock picking

You can buy a complete new barrel kit and build it to match your original key , about £25 last time I got one

[The Sheriff]

As far as hitting it with a hammer I wouldn't dream of hitting the casting, I remove the fob part of the key, liberally douse the barrel with plus gas and put some turny tension on the key and lightly tap the centre of the horseshoe with a panel pin hammer, this has never failed to get the key to turn( on the two I have done  ). The tension element is " key" with all lock picking

You can buy a complete new barrel kit and build it to match your original key , about £25 last time I got one

You'd know Scouse 

[omegod]

As far as hitting it with a hammer I wouldn't dream of hitting the casting, I remove the fob part of the key, liberally douse the barrel with plus gas and put some turny tension on the key and lightly tap the centre of the horseshoe with a panel pin hammer, this has never failed to get the key to turn( on the two I have done  ). The tension element is " key" with all lock picking

You can buy a complete new barrel kit and build it to match your original key , about £25 last time I got one

You'd know Scouse 

Indeed Ste, self taught lockpicker and proud !

[Vamps]

We had this problem some years ago on our first Mig, a 1994 'Select' estate......

We called the AA who simply forced the key to turn in the ignition, hey presto all sorted, swmbo carried a 'mole grip' for the rest of the cars ownership to force the lock but never had any further issues..................

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Literally wrenching it round with grips, or a banged in screwdriver/similar was always option 'B' if I wasn't able to turn the key 'properly' - the logic being the brass(?) sliders/levers would be chewed, but deform rather than the harder metal casting surrounding it - in my case the lock was buggered, so didn't matter how much damage was caused by removing it - so long as the damage was only to the barrel, and not anything round it.... but thankfully managed to get it out using the key and fiddling method 

Running with a 2nd hand barrel now - dun-dun DURRR!!!!!  which is great (it's done 37k miles) In time I will be building me a new lock - probably on the pattern of the old, original key, so ignition, door and glovebox all match again - if I've got the car, still. 

I can put my Preg's barrel back in, now. Will be rebuilding that lock, also, in time. Oddly, it's the nicest 'feeling' of the lot, and that's done 170k+ miles!