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I removed an S&G combination lock (not sure the model) from a safe and mounted it so that I could see the mechanism and practice manipulating it open.

I can enter the combination and retract the bolt, but when I lock it again, the relocker jumps into a notch in the bolt and prevents it from retracting on the next unlock. I have to manually reset it each time.

I'd like to put the lock back on the safe, but I'm worried that if I do so, I'll never be able to open it again. Is there a way to repair the relocker so that it doesn't do this?

The relocker is supposed to lock when the back cover is off. That's the entire purpose for the relocker's existence in life. Put the cover back on and run your combination. The bolt should work freely then. ...unless I'm misunderstanding your situation.

^^This.

@John - the relocker is there to combat an old (like 100 years ago) attack whereby the yegg would grind or hammer off the dial, then get a punch and hammer the spindle, cam, and sometimes wheelpack out into the guts of the safe. This would either bork the lock to the point where he could simply now open the boltwork, or if the lock was a bit more complex, poke a wire through the hole into the now empty guts of the lock body and retract the bolt.

The countermeasure was for the lock manufacturer to turn the attack on itself. If you have a look at the inside of the lock cover you'll see a line of thinner metal in the casting, which I'm pointing to in the photo below. The cover holds that relocking arm down when it's assembled and working correctly but is designed to snap away if someone punches the lock, spewing the now snapped back plus the workings of the lock out into the safe but also triggering the relocking arm to come down and engage the bolt in the locked position. At that point it doesn't matter what you do...that bolt is staying locked.

Thanks to both of you! I understand this mechanism much better.