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S & G dial lock failures.

I recently purchased a safe equipped with a S&G Group II dial combination lock. About a month after I installed it, the dial began to fail. Luckily, after the first failure and subsequesnt successful opening, I never closed the door again, and just tried locking and unlocking the door with it open. It never would work again. So I called the company and they are sending out a replacement lock mechanism.

So, out of curiosity, I opened up the old one. The problem is that the small brass wheel that the spring loaded retracting bar rides on (not sure what these parts are called) would slightly drag the outermost (last number) notched dial with it while returning to the "drop-in" position. So by the time the brass wheel was lowering the bar into the slots, the outermost slot was no longer lined up, and the lock would not open.

I hope I explained this clearly. My question is: Is this a common problem with these dials? Should I be nervous that the replacement mechanism might fail in the same way? I could see no reason why this happened. Evidently the friction was just slightly not enough to cause the problem for the first 30 or so openings, and then it just started failing. If I dial in the combination, and then hold the dials in place with my finger while I return to the home position, everything works fine.

I can only imagine how difficult it would be to replace the mechanism if the door were stuck closed. Yikes.

Everything I've read says that Sargeant and Greenleaf are very high quality, and really the only major source of these mechanisms. Did I just get a fluke?

Thanks, Jim

Reply to
cave-dweller
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good description..

no and no..

without seeing it, any diagnosis of the problem would be conjecture.. was the back cover on the lock tight? when you were dialing, would the dial move in and out, some amount? it could be as simple as a burr or piece of something, stuck where it should not be..

thens when it gets FUN.. thats why the name..SAFE

IMO.. yes.. did the back cover ALSO say Sargent and Greenleaf?

--Shiva--

Reply to
--Shiva--

Yes it was.

No, in fact, the dial was quite tight. It would spin freely and then offer some resistance, then spin freely again.

The fire-proofing sheetrock had crumbled a bit around the lock mechanism, and there was some powder around it, but inside the mechanism looked totaly clean.

Yes the back had their name on it as well.

Thanks for the info. I do plan to vacuum out all the dust and test the new lock many times before I actually close the door. My confdence is a bit shaken, but hopefully all will work properly.

-Jim

Reply to
cave-dweller

ahh.. somewhere , somehow, the dial had been hit.. someone bumped into it. a piece of furniture or something fell against it, or it was done in shipping.. that knocked something out of alignment, which could have caused the 'dragging the 3rd plate', as you described..

any small kids? and balls? thats a possibility as well, AS is a small kid hanging on it- had hat happen once on a walk in safe.

the dial should turn CONSTANT, not freely then get tighter, but within a pretty close range the turning force will be the same, no matter..

and yes, that is a good idea and one that is told to the folks, dial MANY times, MAKE CERTAIN, before you close and lock.. if you got doubts or it feels odd, DO NOT SHUT and lock.. only makes things worse..

an opened door is much cheaper and easier to fix than a closed one --Shiva--

Reply to
--Shiva--

It was this way from the day I got it, about a month ago. I'm guessing it happened in shipping.

I will make sure the replacement dial turns freely and consistently.

Thanks very much for your information and your time.

-Jim

Reply to
cave-dweller

Jim

There is much information online about these locks. I just bought two spares on Ebay. I will use one to learn from by disassembling etc. With the online information it will not be difficult. Bob AZ

Reply to
Ace

Often the dial is OK but the alignment is screwy. Secure the lock body, and loosen the dial ring. When you insert the dial, look at the threaded shaft and id should be dead center in the center of the wheel pack. If not scootch it into place and when you have it right then see if you can retain the ring in place, remove the dial and snug the screws. Sometimes it helps if you have three hands. Often it is a real pain as when you are snugging up the screws the ring will move. What might be effective here is a snug and adjust technique. A small dead blow mallet helps also.

It can also be possible that the inside wall and the outside wall of your safe are not parallel. This is a little tricky as it requires shimming the lock. Trial and error works but often requires many trails. Once you have the shims correct you might want to use a little removable Locktite to keep the screws from loosening.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

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