Matching Keys

[AshimotoK0]

Trying to match keys to ignition and early steering lock (NOT the Nieman type as fitted to CB400F) and seat locks. So one key fits everything.
I managed to remove the tumbler pins and springs for the old style steering lock and pretty sre I can adjust the three pins lengths  to sit an ignition key.
However, not so sure how you get access to the tumbler pins on the 400F type seat lock. Anyone done this?

[Oddjob]

Just a small clip on the back of the barrel Ash. Then the slide will come off and the lock will drop out. You can then see the tumbler plates.

[Johnny4428]

This is interesting! Every day an education of course.

[Oddjob]

You need to be careful you don't accidentally make the locks so easy to open that almost any key will fit.

Can you not just source a keyed alike set? They are still around but admitably they ain't cheap. Spotted one on Ebay a month or so ago.

I have 2 sets of them on my 500. As it's wearing a 550 harness, the top ignition lock pairs with the seat lock and the steering lock pairs with the lower ignition lock.

[Deano400]

Brass clip that pushes to the centre.
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[AshimotoK0]

You need to be careful you don't accidentally make the locks so easy to open that almost any key will fit.

Can you not just source a keyed alike set? They are still around but admitably they ain't cheap. Spotted one on Ebay a month or so ago.

I have 2 sets of them on my 500. As it's wearing a 550 harness, the top ignition lock pairs with the seat lock and the steering lock pairs with the lower ignition lock.

I got a NOS set but the seat lock was for the 750F with Steel body, no little hinged flap. So sold NOS seat lock keeping ignition switch . Not fussed if any key will open seat TBH....just like the 'locking' filler cap that replaced the thumb operated original.

[Bryanj]

But any key fits the cap lock Ash

[Oddjob]

If you’d kept the other lock you could have just swapped the barrels over

[AshimotoK0]

If you’d kept the other lock you could have just swapped the barrels over

Been told that there is a plate holding the seat lock barrel in that's crimped / staked ..not sure plus the bodies are different shape  on the steel and alloy  versions ... too risky to potentially scrap a NOS seat lock that I sold for 30 quid

[Oddjob]

That’s how we learn things Ash, we take a risk, if it doesn’t work out you’ve not exactly lost a lot, it would have worked as well, body is slightly different but the barrels would have been the same.

[AshimotoK0]

That’s how we learn things Ash, we take a risk, if it doesn’t work out you’ve not exactly lost a lot, it would have worked as well, body is slightly different but the barrels would have been the same.

£30 is a hell of a lot to lose for a poor old bugger like me mate.  Plus we learn things by modification of old part reclamation not defacing a rare & perfect  NOS part that others may need.

[Oddjob]

Seat locks aren't rare Ash, easy to find.

I've taken apart quite a lot of NOS parts in my time.

It's just confidence, I think I've only failed one to get it back together again.

[AshimotoK0]

I've taken apart quite a lot of NOS parts in my time.

I was thinking back last night Ken and can't remember ever robbing a NOS part of it's bits. I couldn't even bear to nick a little plate from an unknown Honda bar switch I had once that I couldn't identify (turned out, later,  it was from a CB125S).

Anyway here is a close up of one of the 2 NOS (steel)  seat locks I sold recently. Not sure how the rectanglar plate is removed .. is it staked in?

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[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I'm probably stating the obvious but on a lot of old cars the ignition barrells could only be removed with the key in place.  They had to be turned into a certain position in order for them to be released by depressing the plunger or even worse on some you had to drill out a thin section of alloy where a small cast circle was visible. Any mechanism such as a link if it was a door lock would also need to be removed to rotate the barrell & key into a perverse position.

If it is possible to remove the catch mechanism to see if the barrell can be rotated to reveal any sort of release plunger into view.

I guess what would be ideal would be if you had an old switch you could dismantle to figure out the way the barrell is retained.

[Oddjob]

That rectangular plate is part of the body of the lock Ash. All that's holding the lock in place is the clip on the end. You remove the clip and insert and turn the key and just pull and the lock barrel comes out on the key, the metal slide will then just drop out along with the small cam plate that fits on the end of the barrel.

I took mine apart because the body like a lot of them these days was starting to fade, so I had it ceramic coated along with the switchgear bodies. Came out really well.