Storage door "T" knob froze

[H. John Kohl]

Thanks to Dave (EXNAVYDIVER) I was able to repair or re-lubricate the “T” Knobs on the storage door. This is the knob that do not have keys. They function on a spring and ball bearing concept. The ball bearing pops between the open and close position. Mine froze up. It would not turn. I sprayed in some cleaner which broke loose the crud and allowed it to turn. I then sprayed in some lubrication so it will not freeze up again.
You have to gain access to the moving part area (even though you cannot see it) by removing the screw that holds the locking tab. Allowing you to spray into the working mechanism. Actually I may remove the screw on all the working ones and spray in some lubrication. Sounds like a good preventative measure.

Thanks Dave.

[greener]

Thanks for the heads up! Sometimes it`s the little things that can irritate the heck out of you. We went nuts with the little water fill door on the back of the trailer. Couldn`t open it with the key. Bought another lock and tried the old one after it was out to find that it worked with a different key we had.

[sgtpp214]

Thanks for the info. Have had this problem and now I know how to fix it. Thank you, Thank you.

[noneck]

Right...now the question stands...which lube is the one that lasts? I would say this, WD40 or PB Blaster gets it working again but they do not close the book on job complete. What do you use to lube it for the long run???

[Rondo]

I myself will be putting some silicone spray into them. The WD40 will collect dust and dirt a lot easier over the longrun than the silicone!

[deerrahn]

I have used both, WD40 and Scilicone. This appears to be one of thos "Once a Year chores". Have a Good Day

[Exnavydiver]

I tried the silicone and it worked for about a month, I then tried WD and it worked for about 6 months. The last item I used was bicycle chain lube, it is sticky and does not wash out. I have had no further problems with the locks or the T-knobs. I also used the chain lube on my rear stabilizer drive screw, I checked the knobs and locks today and there is no dirt in them so I will stick with the chain lube there. The stabilizer screw did pick up a bit of sand in Myrtle but seems to be working fine. I just hit it with the hose and most of the sand went away... Dave

[KTManiac]

A product called Tri-Flow might be a good candidate for this application. It is a spray lubricant that dries non-sticky and contains teflon. I used to use it on my sailboat a lot, and it worked great, even for saltwater sailing.

When it first came out it was called Tri-Flon, but I think the registered trademark holders of Teflon sued them to change the name.

Anyway, when I start having trouble with mine, that's what I will try first. I guess if I was smart, I would get on the ball and do it before I have problems.

On one new '08 unit that I looked at 6 months ago at our local dealer, all of them were frozen. In fact, one had a broken wing from where somebody tried to open it with pliers ("Oh, we'll take care of that when we do the PDI." ...along with the rusty lug nuts, rusty axles, rusty frame, rusty gas pipes, and numerous other flaws on the unit that had been on their lot for over a year.). No thanks! Just one of the many reasons that I bought my new rig from a different out of state dealer.

[William H. Collier]

Those things are really junk, I gave up trying to lube them and replaced them all including the key locks with barrell keyed alike locks. This is the 2nd Montana I have replaced all of these. I have not had a problem with the ones I purchased from the company below.
Bill
http://www.mrlock.com/eshop/locks/mf...cam_locks.html