The key to the neighbour's digger is snapped in the ignition barrel, it can still be started with the stub of the key. Unfortunately the fuel cap is l ocked. Would it be possible to fish the front end of the key out of the bar rel and go and get a replacement cut?
still be started with the stub of the key. Unfortunately the fuel cap is locked. Would it be possible to fish the front end of the key out of the barrel and go and get a replacement cut?
Yes.
He only has the one key?
I did this on an old Yale key some time back with a tiny drill and an old self tapping screw from an audio cassette. Fiddly and a bit dangerous.
Brian
still be started with the stub of the key. Unfortunately the fuel cap is locked. Would it be possible to fish the front end of the key out of the barrel and go and get a replacement cut?
If you have enough of a stub to turn it the you should be able to pull it out and silver solder it back onto the rest of the key and then get a spare one cut.
The locksmith can prolly mate them up in the vice - worked for me
You can get them cut from the number, but it may cost more.
In message , misterroy writes
The majority of diggers use only a small number of keys. My neighbour hires these out and he recently bought one that came with only 1 key. I got him some spares from Ebay! There was a surprisingly large selection of makes and models to choose from. And each series of digger uses the same key, NOT a very secure idea, but it does seem all too common.
Maybe check Ebay for the make and model?
I was under the impression, quite possibly incorrectly or dated, that most plant type machinery all had the same key at least as far as ignition was concerned.
Ahh... so I am sort of right. B-)
True but it avoids the problem of having half a dozen bits of plant on a site all with different keys and trying to keep track of them. You want to shift something, there's the plant to do it but where are the keys?
Oh I think Joe had them, where's Joe, er donno T break? Any body seen Joe? No, why? He's got the keys for Plant X, no he hasn't pretty sure Freds got them, Where's Fred, over there, Fred! Fred! got the keys for Plant X? No, Last time I saw those Andy had them, you sure last I heard Joe had 'em, hum you could be right I did see him using it, so seen Joe or Andy? nope...
Reminds me of te joke abouyte te Afrikaaner railway official, in charge of security of a delivery of Toyta cars parked in the marshalling yard. He decided that it was asking for trouble leaving the keys in the ifgnition sohe removed all the keys and locked the cars.
Hey Sarel, where's the bleddy keys, man?"
"They are all in that big box over there"..
In message , Bill writes
Until 1960 or so, starter switches on most agricultural tractors in this country were the same. Pen knife or screwdriver worked as well.
looking at ebay there is a limited number of options:
an still be started with the stub of the key. Unfortunately the fuel cap is locked. Would it be possible to fish the front end of the key out of the b arrel and go and get a replacement cut?
Yes - my Mrs' Mk1 Mazda MX5 uses the same locks as Fords of the '80's and they had this weakness. Fortunately it was the boot lock so was not critical and access easier. I used tweezers and some curious tools from Aldis that were like large lock picks - never used them for anything else since. Turned out that the spare key was cracking at the same point so several spares were got.
Rob
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