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How to fit a euro lock cylinder

Updated: October 2026

The barrel is the part you can change. The lock case in the door is not. You are swapping a euro cylinder on a UK door, with the door held open, and the job is finished only when the outside face sits flush or within 3 mm and both sides work before you close the door. Peter F. updated this in October 2026 from ABUS’s UK replace page, West Yorkshire Police’s door advice, and the amazon.co.uk reviews. We did not fit a cylinder as a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Which family to buy is the [ABUS lock cylinder buying guide](/hub/door-and-window-security/abus-lock-cylinder/sub/abus-lock-cylinder-buying-guide). The listings are the [ABUS lock cylinder comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/abus-lock-cylinder).

The barrel is the part you can change. The lock case in the door is not.

Our top picks

ABUS ABUS D6XNP 30/30 double cylinder

Best overall

ABUS ABUS D6XNP 30/30 double cylinder
9.4/10about £25.04
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ABUS ABUS KD6PS Z50/K30 thumbturn

Rank 2

ABUS ABUS KD6PS Z50/K30 thumbturn
9.4/10about £30.19
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ABUS ABUS TI11 ST 21/21 short cylinder

Rank 3

ABUS ABUS TI11 ST 21/21 short cylinder
9.2/10about £14.93
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On this page
  1. 1.Take the old cylinder out with the door open
  2. 2.Measure both sides, then check the new one
  3. 3.Refit and test before you close the door
  4. 4.Stop when the cam, the screw or the door is the problem

Take the old cylinder out with the door open

Leave the door unlocked and held open. Do not start until the replacement is in your hand, and stop if the key will not turn or the key is lost. The screw that holds the cylinder is on the edge of the door, in line with the barrel. Undo that one screw. Do not power-drive it. The cylinder often stays put because the cam is still across the slot. Turn the key a little until the body slides. ABUS’s UK page says about 1 o’clock. Other UK guides use about 25 to 45 degrees. If it catches on the handles, loosen them. Once it is out, measure it on the bench.

Measure both sides, then check the new one

Measure from the centre of the fixing-screw hole to each face, and write down which side was outside. ABUS measures in steps of 5 mm and uses 35/40 as an unequal example. Overall length is the sum. It is not the thing you order. A 30/35 and a 35/30 are the same key-and-key cylinder turned around. A thumbturn is not. The knob stays inside. The letters Z and K are on the ABUS thumbturn lock cylinder page. The outside face should finish flush with the handle, or no more than 3 mm proud. ABUS states that limit and says insurance cover may no longer be guaranteed if the cylinder protrudes further. That is ABUS’s wording, not a statute. West Yorkshire Police use the same 3 mm figure. If the old one stood out further, do not copy it. A proud cylinder is easier to grip, which is why projection sits with the anti-snap euro cylinder question.
ABUS ABUS D6XNP 30/30 double cylinder

Testsieger

ABUS ABUS D6XNP 30/30 double cylinder
9.4/10about £25.04
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Refit and test before you close the door

Insert the new cylinder the way it came out: key in, cam lined up with the body, then slide it in until the screw hole meets the hole in the edge. Turn the screw snug. Do not keep turning until the cylinder binds. With the door still open, lock and unlock from both sides. On a thumbturn, turn the knob and then try the outside key. Only then close the door and test again, including with the handle lifted if that is how the multipoint lock throws. If it will not go home, loosen the handles. Do not use a hammer.

Stop when the cam, the screw or the door is the problem

Reuse the old screw only if it is the right length and undamaged. Reviews record a missing fixing screw on the 50/50, the Z35/K35 and the 35/65. A screw that is too long, as on some XP20 reviews, is a stop, not a reason to drill the door edge. An opened pack with the code card missing goes back. Do not file the cam as the normal method. Two TI11 reviews had to shorten a cam, and an Escurra case on the Z50/K30 needed filing. If the cam will not throw, call a locksmith. The same stop applies to a fire door or anyone locked in. West Yorkshire Police point people to the Master Locksmiths Association directory. ABUS’s maintenance line is a grease-free spray, not oil.

Common questions

Why will the cylinder not come out after that screw is removed?
The cam is still turned across the lock case. Put the key in and turn it a small amount, around the 1 o’clock position ABUS describes, or somewhere between the 25 and 45 degrees other UK guides use, until the body slides. If the handles are clamping it, loosen them. Do not strike the cylinder.
Do I measure in the door or on the bench?
Take it out first, then measure on the bench from the centre of the screw hole to each face. Note which face was outside. Sizes in this range move in 5 mm steps. Order the two sides, not a single overall length. Check the new cylinder against those two numbers before it goes back in.
How far may the outside end stand proud of the handle?
Flush with the handle, or no more than 3 mm proud. ABUS states that figure and ties a greater projection to insurance cover no longer being guaranteed, which is the manufacturer’s wording, not a claim that every UK policy is void. West Yorkshire Police’s door advice uses the same 3 mm limit. If the old cylinder stuck out further, do not copy it.
What if the new packet has no fixing screw?
Reuse the old screw only when it is straight, the right length, and not chewed. Missing screws show up in reviews of the 50/50, the Z35/K35 and the 35/65. A screw that is too long, as on some XP20 reviews, should not be wound in until it bottoms. If you have neither a sound old screw nor a correct new one, stop.
Can I file the cam if it will not throw the lock?
Not as the ordinary finish. Reviews include cams that were longer than the lock they replaced, including two TI11 packs and an Escurra case on the Z50/K30. That is a sign the cam does not match. Call a locksmith if it will not throw. Filing is how a door ends up locking on one side only.
When do I stop and call a locksmith?
Stop if the key is lost, if the cam will not throw, if you are specifying a fire door, if you need a Kitemarked keyed-alike suite, or if someone is locked in. The police pointer used here is the Master Locksmiths Association directory. Afterwards, ABUS says a grease-free spray, not oil, and says not to leave a key in the lock all the time.

Related pages

Best ABUS lock cylinder

ABUS lock cylinder

Anti-snap euro cylinder: why pre-snap is not TS 007

ABUS lock cylinder buying guide: split, then family

ABUS thumbturn lock cylinder: when the knob is safe

Sources

Public sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Prices and review counts are amazon.co.uk listings, not a laboratory test.

  1. ABUS D6XNP double cylinder (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. ABUS D6PS door cylinder (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. ABUS XP20S cylinder (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. ABUS UK door cylinders (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. ABUS UK X60 cylinder (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Sold Secure listing for the ABUS X60 euro cylinder (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. BSI certificate KM 778080 (E60 and Vela, one-star) (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. ABUS on code cards and security cards (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  9. West Yorkshire Police euro-cylinder advice (retrieved 21 October 2026)