Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - Removing a Corbin lockset

I want to change the lockset on my front door and can't get it to come apart. I have unthreaded the plates on either side of the door but can't see how the knobs are joined together. I'm assuming this is what's referred to as a mortise type lock. The latch reads Corbin H. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi riggs2004, your Corbin mortise lock knobs are likely held together by either a split or swivel spindle. There were a few different types made over the years.
Assumming that you have a knob on the outside and not a grip handle...
On one style, you'll see a set screw on the inside knob where it tapers. By loosening it off it will allow you to unscrew the inside knob from the threaded spindle, then simply use the outside knob to pull the spindle through.
Some older styles were held on by a pin that you can drive out with a small punch, then remove the rest in the same way as the first example.
If you have a grip handle on the outside instead of a knob, yours will be a split spindle. To remove this style, loosen the set screw on the inside knob and unscrew it from the threaded spindle. Now you will see that your spindle is split lengthways and you can separate the two halfs gently sith a small screw driver. Then try tugging on each half. One will come straight out of the lock housing, and the other has a small hook on the end that holds it in place in the mortise box. Once you have the first half out, you'll be easily able to remove the second half with a bit of whiggling.
With that said, and having re read your post, I'm now wondering if you have a mortise lock, or simply a knobset.
Looking at the edge of the door, if the face plate is 2 to 2 1/2 inches long, then it's a knobset. If the faceplate is about 6 to 8 inches long, it'd be a mortise box lockset.

If this has'nt offered a solution to your problem, let me know and I'll try to be even more specific.

Regards

From your description, it's a knobset. There's no set screw for the inside knob and I couldn't see a pin that's holding things together. It's rather dirty in there so I might not be seeing something that's right in front of my nose. I'm going to pick up some canned air and blow some of the crud out and have another look around.

ok,
Corbin made a few different types of knobsets too.
On one, you see a threaded collar. That collar will have a small hole in it where a wrench supplied with the lock when it was new would engage to unscrew it.
If you're planning to replace it anyways, you can usually get a hold of it with locking pliers to turn it out. Once you get it threaded out as far as you can, you can then see the inside of the lock enough to manipulate the knob off. What your looking for inside the door at this point, is a small bar running top to bottom. Using a small slot screwdriver, try to push that bar away from the lock body, that will release the inside knob when it's pushed and allow you to pull it out. Once the inside knob is removed, the outside knob will come out with the rest of the housing intact.

The other style also needs that collar unscrewed to the point that you can rotate the inside knob to a point that it will find its release point and it'll come off. The rest is held in with two screws that will be esily visible at that point.

With the third type...if you have already loosened the collars out as far as you can, then as you rotate the knob, look for a retaining pin to appear through the small holes on the shaft ( holes about the size of pencil) behind the collar.
Push on this spring loaded pin with a small slot screw driver and the knob will be released. Sometimes they take a bit of patience, but they'll come off. Both sides release the same way on this style.

Regards

Thanks for your help and time. Look as I might, I can't find any of the things you've mentioned. I'm stumped. I know this lock is over 20 years old. I'm ready to get out the hack saw and be done with it.