Door locks

[pmansson]

Can one change the angled arm of the actual door (cylinder) lock, so that it can be used for either left door or right door?

The lock cannot just be turned around, as it looks wrong from the outside, and more importantly? the drain hole ends up on top....

(I am careful to play around with it, as I ruined one working lock a while ago by opening it completely whereby the springs and "bullets" came out and I couldn´t put it back together....)

 

[Stefan]

Can one change the angled arm of the actual door (cylinder) lock, so that it can be used for either left door or right door?

The lock cannot just be turned around, as it looks wrong from the outside, and more importantly? the drain hole ends up on top....

(I am careful to play around with it, as I ruined one working lock a while ago by opening it completely whereby the springs and "bullets" came out and I couldn´t put it back together....)

I shifted the driver and passenger side lock a year ago (due to a worn out driver side lock)
I can't remember the details of the work to be done, but it was possible.

I had to check.... and the locks are not upside down

 

[pmansson]

Solved it !!

Having foolishly destroyed my driver´s side lock (see above), I went to my local BMW dealer and got the parts manager to make an effort. He came back a week later, saying that Munich could provide a new lock with my existing lock number: C772.
It would cost the equivalent of USD 230. I said OK.

When I collected it they were unsure of the number fit, but I recalled the 772 and went home with the lock. Murphy ensured that it was for the passenger door (rather than the driver door which I needed).

As mentioned above it can be changed. This is only partially true...
I have 2 old locks to look at and experiment with. On those it can be changed but not on the NOS lock I got from BMW. This has a flange which prevents the 90 degree arm from sliding off the cylinder which is necessary to turn it 180 degrees.

So I decided to put the new lock on the passenger door and change the other, 1974 lock, to fit the driver door. All went well and I now know much more about these locks!!!!