hi joseph,

the plastic collar fits on a specific way. think of the rear lens bulb holder, which has 3 pins that fit a certain way into the lens.

once you fit the collar onto the tumbler, you should be able to close and lock it. best not to try to force it closed. move it around the tumbler until it feels to fall into place. take the tumbler out and fit it on so you can have an idea how it all fits.

i know it's tight to get your hands in there, but for this job, you may have to feel your way to work it instead of eyeing it.

i check the yards for good condition locks, but most of them have rotted wiring; luckily, i bought about 2 spares on ebay some years back before the prices jumped astronomically, ironically from whom the same people that i bought it cheaply.

i took apart the auto lock on my 86 and i didn't even try to fix it. one could but it would be a big job trying to repair one.

regards,
byron golden
86 245
92 245
94 940

If the clip breaks, would a zip tie work as a substitute?
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.