Sunbeam Alpine & Tiger: Rebuilding and re-fitting door handles and locks.

[Tim R]

This video shows how we rebuild and refit door handles and locks to Sunbeam Alpines and Tigers. The process is similar for various other Rootes vehicles.

Tim R

 

[dwolff706]

Thanks Tim, will find this helpful in a couple of months and the video is really clear!
Stay safe, D

 

[Michael Jazowy]

I’ve got a problem with the right hand door. When I shut the door it seems to lock itself, and I can only open it with a key or using the interior door handle. As anyone else had this problem and knowas how to fix it.

 

[Scotty]

Where does one get the correct lock tumblers for the door handles? I would normally take out the tumbler and just swap the pins so I can use a different key but my passenger side is missing one. Are all the tumblers (if that's the correct term, please correct me here) on the car the same type?

 

[Scotty]

I’ve got a problem with the right hand door. When I shut the door it seems to lock itself, and I can only open it with a key or using the interior door handle. As anyone else had this problem and knowas how to fix it.

I'd just remove it, take it apart and put it back together. You might find your solution that way, like a bent spring or somesuch. There's a lot of stuff on this car that has occasional 'attitude problems' when you want it to work.

 

[studmobile]

Not sure what you mean by tumblers. If you mean the tubular lock assembly, with the 5 slots with "wards" or "pins", then the two door locks are the same. A similar but different one is used for the ignition, using the same key. Different ones were used in the trunk and cubby locks. There were apparently 3 different "pins", but the order of the pins in the 5 slots made the locks different. From your post, it seems you are missing one of the pins. To correctly fix the lock, you would need the appropriate pin to replace it. A worn key won't move the pins as they should. A good locksmith can rekey the lock based on the code, but would need to have the correct pin. Do you have any spare locks you could sacrifice for the cause? I don't think there is a source for new pins, but I could be wrong.
I have had good success with Jake Voelckers, britishauto@gmail.com. Good luck

 

[Scotty]

Not sure what you mean by tumblers. If you mean the tubular lock assembly, with the 5 slots with "wards" or "pins", then the two door locks are the same. A similar but different one is used for the ignition, using the same key. Different ones were used in the trunk and cubby locks. There were apparently 3 different "pins", but the order of the pins in the 5 slots made the locks different. From your post, it seems you are missing one of the pins. To correctly fix the lock, you would need the appropriate pin to replace it. A worn key won't move the pins as they should. A good locksmith can rekey the lock based on the code, but would need to have the correct pin. Do you have any spare locks you could sacrifice for the cause? I don't think there is a source for new pins, but I could be wrong.
I have had good success with Jake Voelckers, britishauto@gmail.com. Good luck

I meant the 'tubular lock assembly'. I actually found one in my spares box this morning, so I think I can make it work. The ones I have are old and has obvious signs of being bent around to try and pick a lock, probably by some moron with a screwdriver. Right, I move around the pins in the 5 slots and can make it use most keys of the size of the original. Had it working off of a padlock key for a minute before I switched it back.

Thank you for the general information and information about Jake, I appreciate you!

 

[Tim R]

Somewhere on the Internet there is a document detailing how to change the various pins so that one single key will operate all of the different locks on an Alpine (or Tiger). I have searched for it as I thought that it might help you, but I can't find it.
Tim R

 

[Alpine 1789]

Somewhere on the Internet there is a document detailing how to change the various pins so that one single key will operate all of the different locks on an Alpine (or Tiger). I have searched for it as I thought that it might help you, but I can't find it.
Tim R

Is this the one?

 

[studmobile]

The tricky thing is to find a lock/key system that has the same "flutes" on the key. The mid to late Alpines and all Tiger ignition and door keys use a one sided key, with a flat side with no fluting (RM, RL and ST keys). They won't fit into the cubby/trunk locks, which take an FS key, which has fluting on both sides. Perhaps you could find an FS or similar key to work in the ignition/doors. But then you would still need to rekey those 3 locks to fit the new key.
Or you could just carry two keys, which was the original for our cars.
That seems much simpler.
David