In a message dated 20/02/2004 2:47:27 PM Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

The lock  cylinder inside my sliding door handle is stuck, I think from
decades of  gunge slowly solidifying.  I took the handle off and tried
squirting  the lock full of lubricants with no luck.  So now I want to
take out  the lock cylinder to clean it up.

Bearing in mind that everything is  rusted, frozen, and generally stuck,
how should I try to get the lock  cylinder out?

Tabe, BTDT a few times now.  You will have to  learn how to do this and
preventative maintenance on the Vanagon locks if you  want to keep driving that van
in Canada.  Take the handle and lock assembly  and soak it in kerosene or
WD40 for a few days.  Eventually you will be  able to remove the lock assembly
which you will then need to disassemble slowly  and meticulously so as to not
loose the arrangement of the lock  pieces.  You will need to thoroughly clean
all the moving little pieces,  springs and cylinder.  Then reassemble using dry
graphite or lock lube  as lubricant.  Other lubricants will attract dirt and
grime and  eventually foul the lock.  No lubricant will cause the lock to
corrode  quickly.  A small shot of lock lubricant now and then is useful as is
using  the lock often to keep it active.
Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 10 ~ 13, 2004
'87 Westy & Lionel  Trains
Member: _Vanagon List_ (http://www.vanagon.com/) , _LiMBO_
(http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/) , _IWCCC_ (http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/)  & _CCVWC_
(http://www.ccvwc.ca/)
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in  the Ottawa Valley
_STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Mufflers_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
or  http://frankcondelli.com