Just got a diebold safe

[patq]

I got a 28x28 x 42(including wheels)Diebold safe .I want to reset the combo the door is open .there is a short pin inserted in the center of the lock back. I don't know much about safes but I have better than average mechanical skills .I could reset with proper instructions .If needed I can take a bunch of pics .I assume it is pretty old and very heavy. A friend gave it to me and it is at his house .I don't want to take it home till I get it reset .I believe it is a 3 number ....left right left right .thanks Pat

[wylk]

Pictures would most probably help a lot.

[patq]

It is at my friends house ..I will try to get pics tomorrow ..Do I link my pics in the text ?

[patq]

ok I see how to put the pics in

[patq]

here are the pics

[wylk]

As a good start to this project, I'd suggest reading the following article on combination locks. It deals with modern ones but much of it will transfer to your older unit:

http://www.crypto.com/papers/safelocks.pdf

I notice the back cover for the combination lock itself was not installed for the image. Is the back cover lost or is it available?

[patq]

the cover for the lock and another cover that covers that was removed for the pics

[patq]

thanks for the PDF I read it and it has a lot of good info..to reset the combo I don't know if the wheels have to be removed or there is a key ..maybe you can tell from the pics ..I don't see a mark at 11 o'clock on the dial only one at 12 o'clock..Is there a PDF with instructions for resetting the combo on this old die bold ..I guess the first thing to determine is if a key is used to change it or not.there is a square hole in the wheel and if the dial is spun there are holes in the other wheels also ...thanks for your time Pat

[patq]

also If someone could tell me what series safe this is or model number so I can search for info or a change key (if it takes one )I read some are changed by taking out the wheels .Would the wheels be turned and adjusted or do they get replaced with new wheels that are set to different numbers..The guy I got this from said he had someone look at it years back and the guy said that the current numbers were the only ones that would work .I dont know how good the guy that looked at it was ..Maybe this one needs different wheels to change the combo?? thanks Pat

[wylk]

thanks for the PDF I read it and it has a lot of good info..to reset the combo I don't know if the wheels have to be removed or there is a key ..maybe you can tell from the pics ..I don't see a mark at 11 o'clock on the dial only one at 12 o'clock..Is there a PDF with instructions for resetting the combo on this old die bold ..I guess the first thing to determine is if a key is used to change it or not.there is a square hole in the wheel and if the dial is spun there are holes in the other wheels also ...thanks for your time Pat

Yours looks like a key change lock based on the square hole at around 12:30. Not a hand change lock so you should not attempt to remove the wheels.

As for the change mark, I did not see one on the dial ring photo so for the moment we'll assume it's a "zero change" (use the 12:00 mark) lock unless somebody else can chime in with some expert advice. That still leaves the question of which change key is needed, and what are the specific instructions.

Could you post a picture of what the inside of the back cover for the lock looks like? Modern locks are designed so the back will constrain the (correct) change key to one direction of rotation and limit rotation to the proper amount, and will also only allow removal of the key when the wheels are back to normal configuration.

Also, if you can, get all the change holes lined up with the gates facing the fence. Somewhere around that rotational position try to look through the rectangular holes to see if you can spot a small hole in the front of the lock case. This would be the hole that the tip of the change key needs to go into. You may need a good magnifier and a fiber-optic light source (you can buy the latter as an add-on to the mini-MagLite for example) or you might be able to get some light down there with a small flashlight and still see the inside of the case.

I'm trying to avoid having to take the wheels out. You should also be able to determine the existing combination by examination now that you've read the crypto.com paper.