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| Mortise and Standard Locks |
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Determining Which Upgrade You Need
Here is a general procedure for removing your current mortise lock cylinder and measuring it to order a high security replacement cylinder. First, determine if your lock is a standard tubular lock or a mortise lock by looking at the edge of the door and comparing it to these photos:
If you have a standard tubular deadbolt, then look at the "Medeco Baldwin deadbolt upgrade cylinder" for what you need. Otherwise, if you have a mortise lock, the cylinder will have to be measured to ensure a proper fit.
Measuring your current mortise lock cylinder
On the door edge, where the bolt and latch come out, is a metal plate covering the mortise box. There should be two, four, or six screws holding on that plate. But before removing it, check this:
Look directly in line with the existing lock cylinder (where the key goes in) on the front of the door and see if there is a "set screw", a small screw located on the edge of the door, that when loosened will allow the mortise lock cylinder to "unscrew" from the front of the door. The entire lock will unscrew when you loosen that set screw. If there does not appear to be a "set screw" holding it in, then remove the metal trim plate and then you will see the set screw for the lock cylinder. It will most likely be a flat head screw.
The easiest way to do this is by using the wrong key or a key partially inserted to use as a thumb turn. Be careful not to force it and break your key. If it does not turn, ensure you have loosened the set screw, and if it still does not turn you may have to loosen the screws holding the mortise box into the door. There are two large philips screws on the top and bottom of the mortise box on the door edge that you can remove to loosen the lock body. Sometimes this helps release any tension that might be holding the mortise cylinder from turning.
Basically, you need to remove this cylinder and take a measurement of how long the cylinder is. The proper measurement is from the absolute BACK of the cylinder, including the moving "cam" up to just inside the outside lip of the cylinder. Do not include that outside edge in the measurement. See measurement "C" in this diagram:
Finally, look at the back of the cylinder. The piece that rotates when you turn the key is called the CAM. Match up the CAM with the following illustrations to ensure you receive the proper cam for your lock.
That's it, it's not too complicated once you get the cylinder out. The most accurate measurement tool is a micrometer, but a ruler will work.
To reinstall, just carefully screw the mortise cylinder back in to the mortise lock body in the door. Be careful not to cross-thread or force the cylinder if it does not start properly. It should thread in just as easily as it came out. If you're having difficulty, you may want to loosen the other screws holding the mortise box in place to allow for a little "play" in the mortise box, making it easier to reinstall the lock cylinder. The high security replacement installs the same way.
The mortise cylinders are available on the website under retrofit solutions. If for some reason your cylinder length does not match up exactly with one on the site, order the next size longer cylinder. I can provide a small adjustment ring that will help it fit if the cylinder is a little too long.
- Dennis
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