Medeco Lock Rekeying Nationwide | Novak Lock & Security Fort Worth

Medeco Lock Rekeying: The Fort Worth Owner’s Guide

Medeco lock rekeying in Fort Worth typically runs $45-$85 per cylinder for residential deadbolts and knobs, with high-security rim cylinders and commercial applications landing between $95 and $165, all quoted in writing before we dispatch. We stock Medeco key pins, sidebar components, and factory-spec pinning kits on every service vehicle, and most residential rekeys are completed same day. Most Fort Worth owners discover their Medeco needs rekeying after a move, a lost key, or a tenant turnover - or when the key begins to stick at the 10 o’clock position, which usually means the sidebar is hanging up on worn or mismatched pins.

Call (817) 765-4998

Which Medeco Models This Applies To

Medeco has produced several distinct cylinder families since the 1960s, and the rekeying approach differs materially between them. The Biaxial series, still common in Fort Worth homes built between 1995 and 2010, uses a dual-angle cut system with a sidebar that rides on five rotating pins. The newer M3 and X4 lines add a sliding element to the sidebar and require a pinning kit with specific bottom-pin lengths - 0.180″ through 0.330″ in 0.015″ increments - that are not interchangeable with Biaxial stock. The Classic series, found in older commercial buildings near downtown Fort Worth and along Camp Bowie Boulevard, uses a simpler single-angle system but demands original factory blanks; aftermarket blanks will turn but will not actuate the sidebar, leaving the lock in a false-open condition.

We identify the series by the keyway stamp (often visible with a flashlight through the keyhole), the key bow shape, and the date code on the cylinder face. For Biaxial and M3 cylinders, we use OEM Medeco pinning kits exclusively - the angle tolerances are ±2 degrees, and no aftermarket manufacturer holds that spec. Classic series cylinders can be rekeyed with quality aftermarket pins if the owner is not maintaining a restricted key system, though we note this in writing before we start. Novak Lock & Security Fort Worth is an independent service provider with no affiliation to Medeco; we source parts through authorized distributors and maintain factory-spec pinning kits on each truck.

Signs Your Medeco Lock Rekeying Is Failing

• Key sticks at the 10 or 2 o’clock position. This indicates the sidebar is not fully retracting, usually because one or more pins have worn to an angle that no longer matches the key cut. In Fort Worth, we see this most often on south-facing doors where summer attic heat transfers through the jamb and accelerates pin wear.
• Key turns 360 degrees without retracting the bolt. The tailpiece or cam has separated from the cylinder plug, or the sidebar has dropped into a worn groove in the housing. This is a failure of the cylinder body, not just the pinning, and requires cylinder replacement or a full rebuild.
• Difficulty inserting the key fully. Debris in the keyway is the common culprit, but on Medeco cylinders it can also mean a pin has sheared or a spring has collapsed into the keyway. Do not force the key - a sheared pin can wedge permanently and require drilling.
• Inconsistent operation: works in morning, fails in afternoon. Thermal expansion in the Fort Worth climate causes brass housings to grow slightly in afternoon heat, tightening tolerances that were already marginal from wear. This is a classic precursor to total failure.
• Key works on one lock but not another on the same system. The locks were not keyed alike at original installation, or a previous rekey used incorrect pin lengths in one cylinder. Medeco’s sidebar system is unforgiving - a 0.015″ pin height error will block operation entirely.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

Our rekeying prices for Fort Worth are structured per cylinder and include full disassembly, cleaning, pin replacement, sidebar inspection, and reassembly with new factory or spec-equivalent components. Residential deadbolt and knob cylinders: $45-$85. High-security rim cylinders and mortise lock bodies: $95-$165. Commercial master-key systems and restricted keyway rekeys: quoted per hierarchy after key schedule review, with a flat per-cylinder rate once the bitting is determined.

The range reflects cylinder accessibility (a mortise case requires more disassembly than a standard deadbolt), keyway restriction status (restricted systems require authorization verification), and whether the sidebar itself needs replacement - a $35-$55 parts addition we identify during inspection. Every rekey includes a documented photo record of the cylinder condition before and after, two new keys cut to factory spec, and our 365-Day Done Right Promise. Haven Standard Clause 1 applies: the price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice, with no dispatch surcharge added on arrival. The name on the van is the warranty.

DIY or Call Us?

A Medeco cylinder can be removed from its housing by anyone with a Phillips head and five minutes - the two mounting screws are visible on the interior escutcheon. What happens after removal is where DIY ends. The sidebar mechanism contains twelve to fifteen small parts under spring pressure, and the pinning requires a key gauge, a pinning tray, and the correct angle reference card for the series. We have rebuilt cylinders brought to us in sandwich bags after kitchen-table attempts; the parts are not sold individually at hardware stores, and a lost sidebar spring means ordering a full kit.

More critically, an incorrectly pinned Medeco will often accept the key and appear to function while the sidebar remains partially engaged. This creates a false-latch condition where the bolt can be forced back with moderate pressure. We check sidebar engagement with a tension gauge as standard procedure. If you have removed the cylinder and want to verify the series before calling, the model stamp is on the cam end; photograph it and we can confirm parts availability. For the rekey itself, call (817) 765-4998 - we quote the full price on the phone, and the technician is not permitted to change it at your door.

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