Door lock stuck

[surferboy]

Help

I can't turn the key in the lock of the handle on the tailgate of the wagon !
(and it's locked so I can't open the tailgate)

I've squirted it with graphite and jiggled the key to no avail

Can't find anything in workshop manual about the tailgate lock

Thought I will ask the question here of possible remedies BEFORE I start pulling the tailgate apart without having any idea as to what I'm doing.

 

[hsv-001]

There isn't that many keys in the range . Is it an original key and did it look worn ? My van key is original and the same as the door and the ignition . You can pull the steel cover off the inside and use a square drive which should be close to 3/8 once you remove the nut that holds the handle in. There might also be a circlip that can be removed from the inside and holds the chrome bezel around the handle .

[Stewy]

Hi Graham,
My FE wagon tailgate lock can be temperamental at times as well. I am still able to jiggle a bit and also helps to push the key in and out while turning.
I think the only other course of action is a locksmith to fine tune either the key or the lock.

Cheers Stewy   

[hsv-001]

I remember when I first got my FC van back in the 80's I couldn't open the doors with the key ,but was told it was the original key . So I took the door lock barrels out and to a Mister Minute at a shopping centre who was really busy and told me to wash the lock in some thinners that he had in a jar while I was waiting for him to look at it . I dropped the two barrels into the thinners and began to wriggle the key in them and they started working as they should . Turns out they were full of solidified fish oil .

[surferboy]

I

FIXED IT

 

I hope 

The key I am using is a cut one that I have used since 1999(?) which does the ignition, doors & tailgate
I rarely lock the tailgate, I don't know why it would be locked now 
tried jiggling some more
tried the spare key
pulled the plate of tailgate and squirted everything that might move with lubricant ( and everything that doesn't move)
still wasn't turning

then tried the old worn keys of Cathys Ugly Duckling (the spare parts car)
one of them worked... so now it's on my keyring

Now I can start loading up ready for the Nats 

Had a similar problem a few years back when one of the keys stopped working on a door lock on the ugly duckling
found the ignition key started working on the door lock, which it didn't do previously
 

curiouser and curiouser