How To Remove Key That Is Broken In Door Lock?

After removing the lock I've removed broken keys just by tapping the lock on something while it hangs with the key slot down.

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clovis
Since the key is broken off deep into the mechanism have you considered taking a good key and determining how much of the good key would have to be cut off to match up with the broken portion to make a complete key? If you got the length right the stub key and the broken piece in combination should open the door.

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Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!

This would be interesting to try, but there is nothing to turn the broken part of the key? The "new" part would turn the outside tumblers, but there would be no force applied to the inside tumblers to turn?

On the other hand, if the key is not broken completely flush, you might get lucky.

The stub portion made from a good key should do the turning. The front broken off portion should hold the pins in position for that section and the stub should hold the remaining pins in position. Once you get the pins in position then the cylinder of a lock is allowed to turn by rotating the cylinder. Many ignitions with broken keys have been turned with screwdrivers.

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Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!

I didn't read all of the replies, but try a dental pick.. You can usually pick them up for a buck or so if you don't have some already.. We use them to clean guns and such so we always have them around..

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Well did you ever get the key out?

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Not yet. I have been super busy.

I am also the type of guy that has to study/think on something for a while. Might sound odd to other posters, but it works for me.

I decided to buy new mirrors for the truck. Since the door panels will be off, I might as well learn how the lock cylinder comes out. I have a pretty good idea of how to remove it, but it has been several years since I had a door panel off or pulled a lock cylinder.

The biggest hold up on the project is who to buy the mirrors from. I am a tightwad at best, but don't know which ebay seller to chose for the mirrors. I just want a good quality mirror for a good price. When you start reading the seller feedback, it makes you wonder if there is any value to buying from any of them. I would pay more for a good mirror from a good seller that has them in stock. I also hate to drop $58 when my income is down so much.

Stay tuned for more questions....

Clove

Clove.. take a large syringe with a short 1 inch piece of tubing attached to the end..Load syringe with vaseline push vaseline out to the tip of the 1 inch piece of tubing.,. Now squish the tubing to make it oblong, hold over the keyslot. You might need the wife to help with the next step.. Holding everything tight against the cylinder. Have wife smack the plunger hard.By all rights it should force the vaseline in and basically pump the broken off section back out into the tube..
This is sort of like removing a pilot bearing from an engine crankshaft. (grease and a tight fitting rod driven into the center of the bearing will pop em right out.)
If my method does not work.. At least it is permanently lubed.LOL

Many of us who had jobs working on GM products found we had many broken key removals. We had several hand made tools in our tool boxes for the job. First and fore most was some tiny needle nose pliers we filed down really thin, that takes experminting so they are not to thin.

Second was a asortment of dentel picks bent and filed thin. Most of the time that would work to reach in and get ahold of the broken key.

We also had fish hooks and mending needles.

A pair of sissors works on the pop corn that holds the door pad on. NO DON'T cut it just place the blades on each side and pry enough you can get your finges in there for a grip. A bigger set of needle nose plires will work too.

If you buy the tool to remove the window crank that works on the popcorn too.

Once the door pad is off there is either a paper or film barrier you have to peel away. Peeking inside the door with the window up by the way you will see a two legged fork with the handle end turned up a bit. Insert a long screw driver or pry bar in between the fork handle and the lock and pry the fork back. The rod is held on by either a small metal clip or in the newer stuff a plastic clip, just reach in and gentle pull the retianer part up and twist the clip .
Once the lock is out you can try taping the broken part out,use a screw driver handle and tap on the back side of the upside down tumbler. Since there is no hole on the back side you can't push it out.
Not sure if the dealers will sell just one door lock or not but you can buy one from a salvage yard and have a lock smith key it like the other one.

Al

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Anyone want an update?

I don't always move real fast on projects. Sometimes I just procranstinate. Other times I am busy. Then I have days that I don't feel well due to health issues.

One thing led to another, and it looked like we were going to trade this truck during the Cash for Clunkers program. Why fix a broken lock if they are going to destroy the vehicle?

Anyway, I ordered some mirrors from a vendor on ebay. What a mess!!! They sent the wrong pair, and then sent wrong replacements. On the third shipment, they got it right.

Since the door panels were coming off, I asked my mechanic (who is also a great friend) to tackle the door lock. He pulled the lock cylinder, disassembled it partially, and used needle nose pliers to extract the broken key.

That broken key was really lodged in the cylinder!!!!! It took both oil and some work to remove it.

Turns out that it was a broken house key of some sort, and not even a vehicle key.

I thought it was odd that I could not even budge the broken key using a variety of tools. Most GM keys of that vintage glide in and out of a lock. This one was like someone had pounded it in with a hammer!

I do appreciate the help that everyone gave in the above posts!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone!!!!

When I opened this post I thought I had read it before...

Thanks for the update!

Glad you got your door back.

It is nice to have my door back...no more crawling across the seat from the passenger side!!!!

I read this today at work,went out to the van,got a scroll saw blade and pulled a busted off key right out.... slick as a whistle.

Scott,

That is cool!!!

No way in the world my would have come out with a scroll saw blade. It took alot of might to get that key out of my lock.

Clove