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MG MGB Technical - Boot Lock Spins, Can't Open 'Trunk'

The key hole lock of my boot (trunk) spins when I turn the key and, while it depresses, will not release the latch so that I can open the trunk. I am at a loss as to how to get it open. Didn't see any archived posts on this. Does anyone have nay idea how to get the trunk open without causing too much damage? I thought of driling out the key hole portion of the lock, but am hoping for an alternative. 1980 LE.
G Johnson

Some have found a kid/lady with small hands to reach through the backup light hole.


Dan Robinson

John Twist covered this in a video, although it wasn't successful, it should work given the right despairation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUA-OlW-nK0

I would look at another MGB as well before starting if you aren't familiar with the working of the boot latch.

Good luck!
dave
Dave Braun

Small hands, long arms, strong fingers and an ability to understand just what and how they have to press! A mutually exclusive set of requirements, I fear.

If the key portion turns through 360 degrees it looks like it is faulty anyway so just drill it out. Under that you should find the finger of the latch, just press that down.
Paul Hunt

We ran into this a while ago with a friends car. Instead of drilling out the lock pushbutton, we drilled a 1/16 inch hole through the chromed lock body just below the pushbutton. This leaves a hole just above the trunk lid release pawl. All we had to do was stuff in a 1/16" welding rod to trip the mechanism.

Later the hole got filled with epoxy and touched up with silver paint. Can't even tell it was done - well, ok but only if you're looking for it!

There's a number of other methods in the archives. Look under "trunk lock".

Good luck.
Tom Sotomayor

I had this problem
Firstly I spent a couple of months thinking about it.
Then I removed the rear cockpit panel and drilled a small hole in the steel panel. I made up a small LED on a length of stiff wire (a straightened coat hanger) and connected it to a battery. This was inserted into one of the small existing holes in the panel and this lit up the interior.

Then I inserted a long metal rod into the newly drilled hole and used it to push the latch open - took quite a few tries before it worked. It helped to have a patient other half holding the button in and exerting a slight upward force on the boot lid so that it would pop open when the catch was pushed with the rod.
Then I put a rubber blanking grommet in the hole and reinstalled the lining panel.

I'm well prepared for the next time it happens!! And no holes into the visible bodywork!

John
John Minchin

There is an arm, or a half-moon-shaped disc attached to the back of the lock barrel by a slot-headed 10-32 screw. When the lock is turned to the locked position the disc or arm rotates such that it no longer engages the latch when the button is pressed. Sometimes the 10-32 screw works loose and the disc or arm falls down on the boot floor. Is this one of those cases? It's happened to me.

If so, the lock barrel should lift straight out by the key. The latch can then be released through the lock hole using the "old coat hanger wire trick" plus a LOT of time and patience. For anybody reading this, whether this has happened to you or not, do not pass "GO", do not collect $200 (£100?) but go directly out to your car NOW, replace this slot-headed screw with a hex-headed one that you can really tighten, and do so with "locktite"!

' Hope this helps.

Allen
Allen Bachelder

This thread was discussed between 07/07/2008 and 08/07/2008

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