How to recover mortise that fell into my door?

Question

Replacing old lock with new. I neglected to remove the old lock correctly and it fell down within the doorframe.

Any suggestions on how to remove the old lock? Is it a problem if i just leave it in there (old latch is broken)?

Bob · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry to say that if your mortise lock fell in the door, then there's no way to retrieve it easily. I've had past customers and colleagues tell me that they were able to retrieve it by removing the door from the frame and upending it, sort of "shaking" it back to its original position, but that's quite a bit of work and is going to require a couple extra pairs of hands to help you.

More often, I simply leave the old lock where it is and replace a new one in its place. It's not going to cause any issues being in the door frame like that.

As for which part will work, odds are that you need our 82-218 Mortise Lock. Review its dimensions to see how well it matches the space where the original installed. I also recommend watching the installation guide below, which shows a technique to install this without it falling into the door like the orignial.