Medico Deadbolt Problem

[easy-e]

We've got a medico deadbolt on a door at work that won't stay put. Every few weeks I have to pop the cover off and tighten the screws to re-alight it after it spun inside the door. If I just snug the screws up the lock still functions. If I tighten them up any more the key won't turn. I think the hole in the side of the door isn't exactly centered causing it to bind when I tighten the screws. I've thought about loctite or putting foam double stick tape on both sides to keep it from vibrating and hold it in place. Both are horrible ideas and I think I just need to grind the hole on the side of the door a bit so I can tighten it fully without it binding.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[magician59]

Install one of these http://www.stanleyoverstock.com/ames-do ... 1-3-4.html
And then you can tighten the lock down properly.

[Don]

It looks like you have the wrong bolt for the door .. the backset is too short.. try a 2- 3/4in bolt
then go with Magicians suggestion.

[the lockpickkid]

Thanks for the link!! They are out of alot of stuff, but still another source for parts!!

[easy-e]

Install one of these http://www.stanleyoverstock.com/ames-do ... 1-3-4.html
And then you can tighten the lock down properly.

*edit* My door is exactly 1-3/4" wide so this should work. Is there a good source for buying these? I've only found 1 or 2 locksmith wholesalers that sell them.

It looks like you have the wrong bolt for the door .. the backset is too short.. try a 2- 3/4in bolt
then go with Magicians suggestion.

The bolt usually sits flush with the side of the door. It slid so I took a picture before I fix it again so I could try to find a better solution. We found some pry marks on this door one day so we had a deadbolt added. I think it's amazing that there is nothing holding it there besides the force from the 2 screws. Shouldn't this thing fit tighter in the hole? Is that what the device magician suggested is for?

[Altashot]

An Ames door support will not center the lock in the hole. It is used to prevent the door from collapsing when tightening the screws. It may help but there are other issues here as well. I see that the deadbolt has a drive-in backset. It really should have a morticed back set. The 2 screws and the mortice itself would help to prevent lock movement. Obviously this particular door was not prepared to have a deadbolt installed. A mortice can be made using a tool called "squeeze play". Also, from experience I know that some steel doors are not welded at the seams. As the door "ages" the inner and outer shell will no longer be crimped solidly at the seams. You can verify this by grabbing the door at the top, put your foot against the bottom and pull the top towards your foot. If the door flexes easily, the seams are loose. In this case the two shells move in relation to each other and nothing will stay tight on that door.
The seams will need to be welded or the door will need replacement. If the latter is the route taken, order the door prepped for your application. It will then have a factory mortice to allow the use of the proper backset and request that the seams be welded. Also, a solid door without a window retains it's rigidity longer that one "weakened" with glass.

Hope this helps.

M.

[GWiens2001]

You also might try making index marks on the screw and plate, to see if the screws are backing out or the door is collapsing. If the screws are backing out, you might try blue locktite or other thread locking compound. Do not use red locktite! You will never get the screws out if you need to!

Gordon

[MrWizard]

Looking at your picture that installation is horrible using that drive in latch the hole is too large and it falls through to the inside of the door. There is no seam down the middle of the door so this Lock Mounting Bracket for hollow metal door made by Major Manufacturing model No. LMB-11 is what I always use.

http://www.majormfg.com/pc-220-11-for-tubular-latch-in-hollow-metal-door.aspx.

Find the distributor near you to obtain this bracket.

http://www.majormfg.com/mfg_distributors.aspx#A


You need to get a deadbolt latch that is a regular type with rectangle mounting plate with 2 screw holes like in this picture.

http://www.armoratl.com/images/medecodb.jpg

Most likely needs to be a 2 3/4 backset which is standard for commercial metal doors. To tell if that is what you need take the lock off and measure from the edge of the door to the exact center of the large hole. It will be either 2 3/8 or 2 3/4.

Take that new latch with the screw holes and put it into the hole on the edge of the door carefully center it and trace around it. Using a jigsaw with metal cutting blade with 22 or 24 teeth per inch cut out that area for the latch to just fit into. Put the plate on the outside edge of the door mark the 4 holes drill them put the plate on the inside of the door and either screw it on or use 1/8 in STEEL pop rivets to mount it. If you screw it on you will have to counter sink the holes slightly. I use pop rivets they aren't raised very much works perfect.

Tip to get the holes marked perfect is to screw the latch onto the mounting plate with small washers under it to raise it slightly. Place the face of the latch 180 % around in the cut out which places the plate on the outside of the door edge and mark the holes. Unscrew the latch and mount the plate inside the door. Doing this assures when you put the plate inside the door and mount it the latch will fit perfect in the cut out. If the latch is recessed below the doors surface when you place it in there put some small washers under it to raise it.

Using that door reinforcer mentioned at the beginning of this thread put that inside the door so when you tighten the deadbolt on it cannot collapse the door. This will fix that doors deadbolt problem for good. If all this sounds like it is something you don't feel comfortable doing best to have a locksmith come out and fix it.

The other option as mentioned is pay the big bucks and buy that Squeeze Play tool the make a recess in the doors edge for about $260.00 bucks for a one time use.

http://www.lockspecialty.com/tools/

Richard

[easy-e]

Well I need to re-tightened the screws on this deadbolt yet again so I thought I'd check on this thread.

I measure the backset and it is in fact 2-3/8.

Altashot: The door is crimped, not welded. I did the test and it feels solid.

GWiens2001/Gordon: The screws are definitely backing out so I'm going to try the blue locktite.

MrWizard/Richard: I'm going to look into buying the plate and the correct latch. No sense in having such an expensive lock if it's not installed correctly.

[ARF-GEF]

If you have some harder candle wax it could be useful instead of a locktite. Locktite sure is stronger but if you find out that you may need to unscrew the screws. Well then you are screwed.
I use some special modelling wax to fix unruly screws around my house and it works wonders for me.
Let us know how it worked out.

[GWiens2001]

If you use blue Locktite, you can easily get the screws out using a heat gun. Blue Locktite melts at 175 degrees fahrenheit (about 80 degrees Celsius). Then the screws will come out easily, without stripping.

You can also use this trick on Honda keys with integrated remotes. Honda uses blue Locktite on the tiny screw, practically assuring that the screw head will strip. Keep a cup of water nearby when you do this with the key fobs. Once the screw is removed, dip the blade of the key into water to cool it down, preventing damage to the remote.

Gordon

[oldbiscuit]

Another trick I use on blue or red loctite to get the screws loose again is use a soldering iron or gun. I use loctite at work a lot and using a heat gun can sometimes blister the surounding paint or melt the surounding plastic. Putting the tip of the soldering iron/gun on the head of the screw will transfer the heat onough to loosen the grip allowing the easy removal of the screw. Mark

[easy-e]

Well I just came across something interesting. There are two kinds of removable Loctite. Blue for fasteners 1/4" to 3/4" and Purple is for 1/4" or Smaller. I had never heard of purple before. Going to pick up a 10ml bottle of each. The 10ml bottle of red I have in my toolbox I bought about 8 years ago and it's probably going to last me another 20 years.

[rai]

Was called to help a chinese resturant yesterday, recommended through aquaintance,
the locksmith was there last week and did his work on the lock,
when I got there, I found the mortise cylinder screwed out about a quarter of an inch, and the adamsrite deadlocking latch was loose in its aluminum door frame. This couldn't have been how the locksmith left it.
there was no coverplate over the edge of the adams rite, and the mortise set screw seemed loose too.

I tightened things up and talked to the owner, he had someone get into the store a few weeks ago and the alarm went off,

What he has is called an active persistent threat, meaning some local dickhead who loosens screws and then comes back when the place is closed, probably lives on the same block.
A deadlocking latch is not the best choice for this place and if the owner would spend some money on security things could be tightened up, but thats not why I was called, he didn't want to get the locksmith back again.

Could your problem be someone with a screwdriver and a bad attitude?

How many people open that lock daily?

Does anyone here have those set screws in a torx head?

[easy-e]

Could your problem be someone with a screwdriver and a bad attitude?

Everyone here has keys to the door and codes for the alarm. My guys tried to tighten it themselves and they "couldn't find any screws" because they didn't see the retaining ring holding in the plate that covers the screws.

How many people open that lock daily?

One person opens it in the morning and one person locks it at night. The door opens via a push bar so we hold it open with a magnet on the door jam during the day. I'm sure the magnet causes the door to twist and bang so that is probably accelerating the screw loosening process. There is a Best SFIC on the push bar and we've never had the key as long as we've been in this building. I've got some of the original keys we were given when we moved in, so I guess I'll have to try them. Our locksmith changed the outside lock for the bar to a Medico when we moved in. We had the deadbolt installed because we saw pry bar marks on the door frame one day.

Does anyone here have those set screws in a torx head?

I haven't seen very many of those. I wish all set screws were torx because it would be harder to strip them. McMaster-Carr only has hex, slotted, or square drive.

Fastenal sells them: http://bit.ly/Zn3VD6 (I hope this link works, I searched for "Torx Socket Set Screw").