'36 Glove Box Lock Questions

[VeryTangled]

1936 Open car, we're putting in a glove box lock. The lock is installed in the door. The tang of the lock is not going into the slot of the dashboard. The tang does not want to go all the way vertical, as it has to, to lock the door because the tang is not engaging the slot in the dash.

Driver side is on the left of the first two photos and on the right of the last two. Photos show the door with the lock in both the open (first photo) and locked positions (second photo). The last two photos are taken in self-timer mode with the camera inside the glove box, and show the tang not going into the slot. (We figured a way to see something we couldn't see!!)

In the third picture, the door is being pressed closed as far as possible. In the fourth picture you can see a scratch mark where the tang is making contact with the dash, for this one I'm _not_ holding the door closed, that's why the tang is able to go vertical. As it is now, the tang points towards the passenger side when the lock is open.

We are wondering if the last person to work on the lock assembled it with the tang 180 degrees out of position. It looks like the tang should be rotating up from the opposite end, from the drivers side of the slot.

Questions...

We are not sure which direction the tang of the lock should face when the lock is open, should it point towards the passengers side or the drivers?

Can anyone check to see which way their tang faces when the lock is open?

Thanks in advance for your help.

-VeryTangled/Jeff

[jimTN]

Why not use a file the same thickness as the slot and file it out so the tang will swing up? This fix would be totally out of sight and would not alter structure strength.

[ken ct]

I have a 37 lock in my hand and it is open in the same position as yours and closed also.Yours is turning in correct positions.Bend the tang on the lock or file the slot bigger. Ken ct. [the locks are same those yrs just some design lines on a 36 makes it a 37 LOL for Henry F.]

[harley]

It look like the lock is off center of the slot. Rotate the tang into the slot from the long side. If you need to grind a radius on the tang. Harley

[DavidG]

Some lock tangs have a slight bend at their outer corners to facilitate their insertion in the slot. Your photos suggest that yours does not. Your photos also indicate that you're missing the single closure spring located in the edge of the center of the glove box door which suggests you're completely dependent on the lock to keep the door closed.

[VeryTangled]

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Awesome help guys. Will report back later. Our tang is beveled on the outer edges (almost identical to the way the slot is shaped at the ends), but that's not helping. Filing has been considered, we also thought a cut-off wheel then a file may make a neater slot, a file or hacksaw blade would wander and the slot wouldn't be neat. I'm hesitant to just cut the car cuz I can't get something to line up. Thinking and accepting advice...

-VeryTangled/Jeff

[rgtharley]

Jeff,
I agree with Harley, it looks as if the lock is off center to the slot, and that the tang should be rotating into the slot from the long side. My 35 Convertible sedan glove box door is apart right now, so I can't tell you which way that one went. Good luck!
Bob T
New Windsor, MD

[Henryat1140]

David G - Good catch. I did overlook reinstalling that spring.

We noticed the slot was offset favoring the tang swinging up from the driver's side. So we considered disassembling the lock to see if we could turn the tang 180 degrees. (or sending it to a locksmith to have that done)

KenCt. When you hold the lock with the tang horizontal which way do you have to turn your key to make the tang swing up vertical? I.E Clockwise or Counter clockwise?

We can probably file the slot and/or reshape the tang to fit, but I just was hoping someone with a working lock could verify the direction the tang swings when the glove box is locked, and which direction you are turning the key to make it happen.

Thanks

Henry/Jeff

[ken ct]

Originally Posted by Henryat1140

David G - Good catch. I did overlook reinstalling that spring.

We noticed the slot was offset favoring the tang swinging up from the driver's side. So we considered disassembling the lock to see if we could turn the tang 180 degrees. (or sending it to a locksmith to have that done)

KenCt. When you hold the lock with the tang horizontal which way do you have to turn your key to make the tang swing up vertical? I.E Clockwise or Counter clockwise?

We can probably file the slot and/or reshape the tang to fit, but I just was hoping someone with a working lock could verify the direction the tang swings when the glove box is locked, and which direction you are turning the key to make it happen.

Thanks

Henry/Jeff

Jeff, i have to turn the key counter -clockwise to bring up the tang to vertical position. I'll check the one on the car tomorrow ken ct. Its something i never noticed which way the key turns to unlock.GB also uses 2 springs on it not 1. ken ct. LOL

[ken ct]

Originally Posted by Henryat1140

David G - Good catch. I did overlook reinstalling that spring.

We noticed the slot was offset favoring the tang swinging up from the driver's side. So we considered disassembling the lock to see if we could turn the tang 180 degrees. (or sending it to a locksmith to have that done)

KenCt. When you hold the lock with the tang horizontal which way do you have to turn your key to make the tang swing up vertical? I.E Clockwise or Counter clockwise?

We can probably file the slot and/or reshape the tang to fit, but I just was hoping someone with a working lock could verify the direction the tang swings when the glove box is locked, and which direction you are turning the key to make it happen.

Thanks

Henry/Jeff

When its unlocked the tang is pointing to the pass side of car. Hope this helps. ken ct.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Hey Jeff, some thoughts...measure across the door (long way) to see if lock body hole is on vertical center line of door. I gave Henry a 35-36 closed car glove box door to use as a hole template not thinking at that time that the Phaeton door is a slightly different configuration.
I just looked at my 35/36 glove box lock and the tang is towards the passenger side when the lock is in the 'open' position. Also, the tang on my previously used lock is bent back away from the door about 1/8" and not straight like the tang appears to be on your NOS lock. If you had my bent tang on your lock it looks like it would go into the slot on your dash especially if you push your door up against those rubber bumpers in the upper corners of the door opening. Which brings up another question...are those rubber bumpers possibly new and thick, maybe keeping the top of the door out away from being flush with the dash surface?
If I were going to make any changes to the tang slot in the dash it would only be to lengthen the slot in the direction that would center the lock to the slot. I would not personally want to widen that slot, JMO.
Keep at it, no doubt, you and Henry will get this resolved

[DavidG]

Ken ct,

As I'm sure the fellows with this phaeton know, '35 and '36 phaeton and roadster glove box doors only use one spring centered in the middle. All the other body types of those two model years use two springs, spaced out equally from the center.

[VeryTangled]

Hi Everyone, The glove box is a replacement and the lock and hole in the door are modifications I've done.

We recently considered removing those rubber bumpers to see if that would help. As far as I know we haven't touched those rubber bumpers since we got the car, about 4 years ago. At the time we thought, even if we took them completely out, the tang still wouldn't line up.

Even if my lock and hole are in the wrong spot, We will need to make that work or else locate (and match) another glove box door. Modifying the slot in the dash will be the hardest thing to fix fifty years from now so that's back burner from my perspective. I think a modified tang will do the trick which is what JM observed. Can't wait to see what the spring does for the situation.

Anyone got extra tangs so if I mess one up I'm still okay?

Anyone know how to get this thing apart without making pieces fall all over the place?

-VT/Jeff

[JM 35 Sedan]

Jeff, after taking a quick look at my lock, it appears that a thin horseshoe shaped spring clip holds that tang in place on the lock. I may have an extra tang but I don't think you will mess that one up. The bend needs to be ~ 1/8 to 3/16" away from the hole otherwise it may not fit back on the lock cylinder correctly. I am thinking that bending that tang may have been a procedure used at the assembly plants to 'tune in' that lock assembly to make it fit/work in the different doors and dash combinations that it had to fit. JMO

[ken ct]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Ken ct,

As I'm sure the fellows with this phaeton know, '35 and '36 phaeton and roadster glove box doors only use one spring centered in the middle. All the other body types of those two model years use two springs, spaced out equally from the center.

Sorry i have a coupe and thought they all had 2 springs. ken ct.

[Terry,OH]

When I added this lock and clock to the 35 Cabriolet door there was not a slot at the top of the opening for the lock. So take this with a grain of salt but everything works well and the slot is now in place. The tang faces the RH door when open and when locked the key enters the lock cylinder with the cut teeth facing the RH door.

[ken ct]

Terry is correct,mine works same as his and its in my hand so i can see how it works. ken ct.

[rgtharley]

Hey Jeff,

I think now you maybe qualified to write a book about 36 open car glove box locks!! But seriously, I just noticed the other day that Mac's or Carpenter's offers both thick and thin rubber bumpers for the glove box door, so this issue must be more of a problem than one would think. Given the deviations between dash slots, hinges, and glove box door stampings, I'm sure there is more here than first meets the eye. If you do manage to do anything to your tang, I'm sure I can make you another one if needed.
Later
Bob T
New Windsor, MD

[Henryat1140]

Thanks Bob, that is a nice offer.

Reds

[VeryTangled]

Hi Everyone, Yes Bob that is a very nice offer. I'm still thinking about figuring a way to make the lock work 'upside down' and have the throw of the tang come from the drivers side of the car. It may involve removing the tang, rotating it 180 degrees, removing the pin from its original location and refitting the pin in the tang in a new spot. I don't think we can 'adjust' (bend) the tang to make it engage without also modifying the length of the dash slot too.

While looking for something else this morning I found a good photo in the EFV8 restoration book (Swanberg & Rogers).

Thanks everyone for the help.

-VT/Jeff