Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,
I have an unusual anti-theft device on Elsie May, a removable ignition barrel!
Humour aside, I would like to replace it with one that fixes in place and have been looking on the usual suspects sites for an early pull type barrel switch (including housing) and keys, to find they are all sold out.
So I have got myself a replacement set of barrels, so as to do the doors as well.......
A one key fits all Morris Minor, surely not!
Well not exactly, the rear door lock will still use a different key, so normality is retained, phew!
As you can see in the picture below it would appear the sprung brass(?) clip has dropped out from the end of the ignition barrel......
My question, while I wait for the barrels to arrive, is can I just push the replacement in until it 'clicks' in place or do I need to remove the housing and insert it into place off the car?
Many thanks,
Mike.

So much for my hopes for a one key fits all Morris.
I may have an early car with the pull type starter but, as I should have anticipated and is quite common with our cars, I have found that my doors / locks originate from a later car, so my early type barrels for the door locks are of the wrong type for the housings, which use the later shorter type plus extension piece: Unfortunately pulling all this apart has been the final straw for my aged barrel return springs, the one on my car snapped and the one on a spare lock of a similar age (pictured) that I had in my spares bent out of shape and won't go back......
That one now simply jams the barrel, so is also no longer of any use.......... C'est la vie.
The lock works without it.
On the plus side:
The key for the passenger door that came with my car was always sticking and not turning the barrel without a good deal of fiddling.
The same with the spare key I purchased off ESM (the car only came with one set).
However the barrel in my spare handle (for which I had no key) turns out to be a match -- but for the ESM key only, the original, with the same number, cut the same, sticks in both???
So having swapped the original late style barrel for my spare late style barrel, I now have a passenger door lock that operates reasonably well for the first time since I bought her.
Therefore I feel that all the hassel of pulling the door and window frame apart to get the handle out, so I could change the lock's barrel, not to be an entirely wasted exercise.
Which makes me feel a little better................
Best wishes,
Mike.

Oh well ...... Minors prior to 1963 never had an external lock on the LH side, so any handle which has that facility will always be the later type.
With the key inserted, early type handles lock by turning the key through 180degrees from top to bottom (or bottom to top).
With the late type handles, the lock is operated by turning the key from left to right (or right to left) against a spring. The key returning to the centre.

With the key inserted, early type handles lock by turning the key through 180degrees from top to bottom (or bottom to top).

Interesting. That indicates that the lock / handle on the drivers door is original then, as the key is the old ignition key, possibly the door is original too......
Best wishes,
Mike.