Popping out a lock

[EccentricMagpies]

Greetings...

Is there a clean way to pop out a lock on the trunk lid / gas cap?

After moving twice owning this car I cannot figure out where the keys went for either. I was hoping they would suddenly pop up at some point but I'm beginning to give up on that optimism. Fortunately the ignition key never left the car.

I think I read to jam a flat head in is about all i need to do?

thanks

 

[BB14404SPD]

A good set of lock pick tools and watch a youtube video on lock picking.

 

[68gtxman]

These are very easy to pick. Try it!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I've seen more harm done by guys trying to jam a flat head in then good.... Trunk, pop the seat out & reach through with a long flat blade screwdriver, you can easily open the trunk....

Gas cap, either pick it or carefully drill the tumblers... Screwdrivers jam the tumblers, your gonna use brute force to attempt to shear the tumblers after they are jammed.. Often that damages the four tabs stamped into the sheetmetal outside the lock cylinder.... Drilling the cylinder allows the tumblers to fall into the center hole then the lock is no longer locked....

 

[YY1]

Is the gas cap keyed the same as the trunk?

Remove 2 bolts holding rear seat back and climb through.
Unbolt one side of the latch.

If the gas cap is keyed the same, measure the pins in the trunk cylinder and make a key.

If not, a gas cap can sometimes be worked and jimmied enough to come off.
At least gas cap, if not factory locking cap, is easy to replace.

 

[Fran Blacker]

This is what you need but call a locksmith or pick it. Not mine.
https://www.lockpickworld.com/produ...MIpYnB5dXn5QIVBo3ICh2JdgQ-EAQYASABEgJU9_D_BwE

 

[EccentricMagpies]

Thanks,

Yeah.. the last thing I wanted to do was jam a screw driver in it. Seems like the lock pick will work well.

Is the gas cap keyed the same as the trunk?
....
If the gas cap is keyed the same, measure the pins in the trunk cylinder and make a key.
....

measure the pins. What tool would I use for this?

 

[YY1]

I use a dozen egg container (cardboard is best but styrofoam will do).

There is a sheet metal cover on the top of the cylinder. Easy to remove.

Carefully cover all but the first hole, and dump out the pins (top and bottom) and spring into one egg spot.
Repeat for the rest of the pins.

You can actually now re-key this lock to match a key you already have.
You may not get all the pins to work but you can usually get all but one.

You didn't say if it's a factory keyed alike gas cap lock.

But while you have the pins out, you can measure them with a caliper, or if you feel like paying for an hour of locksmith time, you can take the cylinder and have a key made from it.
Cheaper than having them come to you.

(If you're gonna take it to a smith, don't dump the pins out!)

 

[BeepBeepRR]

I would remove the rear seat back and divider and see of you can squish the end of a piece of conduit flat so that the bar for the lock will fit in it and then twist the conduit and open the lock without damaging anything. The flat bar below is what I'm talking about. Thats what needs to be twisted to unlock the trunk. All of this could have been avoided if you would have purchased the trunk monkey option.

 

[EccentricMagpies]

....

You can actually now re-key this lock to match a key you already have.
You may not get all the pins to work but you can usually get all but one.
....

You know.. i seem to have about a dozen keys I found laying around and of course none of them seemed to fit. And then i wonder WTH they are even from.
So.. I guess they will get a new home with your suggestion.

Thanks,

 

[YY1]

I don't think you can simply turn the lock from inside the trunk.

The pins are still preventing it from turning.

You have to unbolt the latch or the catch, so the trunk will open without the need to turn the lock.

The latch plate typically has the bolts facing the front of the car.

The catch (on the bottom) typically has them facing up, which is more difficult to get a socket on IMO)

 

[YY1]

Any time I go to the JY, if I see an older Mopar, I get as many lock cylinders as I can off of it.

The larger your collection of pins, the more likely you can get a 100% re-key.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I don't think you can simply turn the lock from inside the trunk.

The pins are still preventing it from turning.

You have to unbolt the latch or the catch, so the trunk will open without the need to turn the lock.

The latch plate typically has the bolts facing the front of the car.

The catch (on the bottom) typically has them facing up, which is more difficult to get a socket on IMO)

Actually you can, the metal bar going from the cylinder to the latch is spring loaded to the lock cylinder, it can be twisted against spring force to unlock the trunk... It's designed to do it...

 

[YY1]

How far back does that go?

 

[EccentricMagpies]

Any time I go to the JY, if I see an older Mopar, I get as many lock cylinders as I can off of it.

The larger your collection of pins, the more likely you can get a 100% re-key.

Okay.. that just reminded me than one of my extra trunk lids has the key inside the lock in storage.
so.. that solves what to do with that... this is... unless I moved that damn thing somewhere too..

 

[chtampa]

If it has the filler neck under the bumper pull the neck and use a screwdriver from the backside to open the catches.

 

[EccentricMagpies]

well.. crawling in worked easily enough to remove the bolts.. Thanks YY1.

lock looks shot though.
Did find some extra emblems, along with the trunk lid emblems.

 

[MCODECUDA]

I’ve always pulled the back seat and used a ratchet and a lot of extensions to remove the latch. That way nothing gets damaged and you don’t need to crawl into the trunk.