Open 24/7 · Greater Vancouver Licensed & Insured · Serving Vancouver since 1992 604-734-7233

How to Rekey a Mortise Lock

Vancouver's locksmith. Home, auto & business.

Learn how to rekey a mortise lock with our step-by-step guide. Safe and Secure Locksmith in Vancouver offers expert tips for DIY rekeying.

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★ Licensed Vancouver shop · since 1992
Safe & Secure Locksmith technician handing over keys in Vancouver
Safe & Secure Locksmith storefront at 4105 Macdonald Street, Vancouver
► What we do

Home locksmith services in Vancouver.

Lock changes, rekeys, deadbolt and smart-lock upgrades and home lockouts across Vancouver — one licensed local team, quoted before we start. Tap a card for detail, or open it to book.

01

Commercial

Master-key systems, access control and door hardware for Vancouver offices, retail and strata.

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Tiered master keys on restricted keyways, electronic access control, panic bars, door closers and target hardening — designed, installed and maintained.

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Commercial in Vancouver
02

Residential

Lock changes, rekeying, deadbolt upgrades and smart locks for Vancouver homes and condos.

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New-home re-keys, high-security cylinders, smart-lock installs and lockout help. Quoted before we start, with a workmanship warranty in writing.

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Residential in Vancouver
03

Automotive

Car key replacement, fob programming, ignition repair and lockouts for all makes in Vancouver.

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Cut and program transponder keys, smart keys and proximity fobs — including all-keys-lost — at your vehicle. No tow to the dealer.

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Car keys in Vancouver
04

Safes & Vaults

Safe opening, installation, combination changes and repairs for home and business in Vancouver.

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We carry rated safes and vaults at the shop and handle delivery, install, servicing and non-destructive opening. Tell us what you are protecting.

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Safes in Vancouver
05

Emergency

24/7 home and car lockouts, break-in repairs and all-keys-lost across Vancouver.

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Locked out right now? We answer the phone day and night and dispatch immediately, with non-destructive entry wherever possible.

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How to rekey a mortise lock — overview

Mortise locks are the heavy, full-bodied locks set into the edge of older commercial and pre-1970s residential doors — Schlage L9000, Sargent 8200, Yale 8800, Corbin Russwin ML2000, and similar. Rekeying one is mechanically the same as rekeying any pin-tumbler cylinder, but the cylinder has to come out of the mortise body first, and the cylinder thread (1" or 1-1/8" diameter, 32 threads per inch typical) is what determines whether your replacement parts fit.

This is a step-by-step. Realistically, mortise rekeys are best left to a locksmith — the body alignment is finicky, dropping the cam during reinstall is a 30-minute setback, and a rekey that goes wrong on a commercial door can lock the entire building out. The cost of a pro mortise rekey ($60-$120 per cylinder) is usually less than the time spent on a DIY attempt.

► Why Vancouver chooses us

A real shop, not a dispatch number.

One licensed Vancouver team behind every Vancouver job — tap a check for another reason.

Home, auto & business

One number for a re-key, a car key, or a whole building in Vancouver. Not three.

Licensed since 1992

Bonded, insured and background-checked technicians — accountable, job to job.

Quoted before we start

A written price before any work begins — no surprise invoice at the door.

Trade accounts & net-30

Property managers, builders and realtors bill one monthly invoice instead of per visit.

► How it works

How a Vancouver job runs.

Same process for a single re-key or a whole building.

02

We come to you

A licensed technician is dispatched to your Vancouver address, usually within 20–30 minutes.

03

Quoted up front

You get a clear price before any work starts. No surprise callout fees.

04

Job done

We finish on site, make sure you are secure, and back the workmanship in writing.

Licensed since 199224/7 dispatchUpfront pricingWorkmanship warranty
► Service area

Serving all of Vancouver, and Metro.

From our shop on Macdonald Street across the Lower Mainland — home, auto and commercial security work right across Vancouver, and out to the rest of Metro Vancouver.

VancouverBurnabyRichmondSurreyNorth VancouverWest VancouverCoquitlamNew Westminster
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► Good to know

Vancouver locksmith questions, answered.

Can I rekey a mortise lock without removing the cylinder from the door?+
No. The cylinder has to come out — there's no top-loaded service access on a mortise body the way there is on a Kwikset SmartKey. The set-screw releases the cylinder threads, the cylinder unscrews, and you work on it on a bench.
How long does a mortise rekey take?+
A locksmith with the right parts and a bench rekeys a mortise cylinder in 15-25 minutes. A first-time DIY attempt is more like 60-90 minutes, including dropping pins on the floor and re-stacking. Plan accordingly.
Can I rekey a Schlage Primus or Mul-T-Lock mortise cylinder myself?+
Probably not. Restricted-keyway high-security cylinders use sidebar pins, finger pins, telescoping pins, and proprietary tooling. Even with the bitting chart you need an authorization key card to source the new pin set. Call a locksmith authorized on that platform.
Why do my keys still turn after rekeying?+
Either you reused a top pin from the previous combination (most common cause) or the bitting depth on a bottom pin is shallower than the original by a 0.015" increment, allowing the original key to lift the bottom of the stack. Either way — re-stack the cylinder or call a locksmith.
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How to Rekey a Mortise Lock. Call now.

Licensed, insured and fast across Vancouver. Call now or book online — we confirm within the hour.

604-734-7233