| Author | Message | ||
     Chris Miller Grand Master Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 315 Registered: 5-2013 |
Hi Folks, The Driver-side, Rear door is locked. That is left rear, in my case. I have successfully removed the door trim, which is tricky. Think about it... The door really wants to be open. So, I have limited access to the catch mechanism. Fortunately, I have spares from the '66 cadaver car, and they are largely the same device, so I have a pretty good example to work with. Locked, it looks like this:  Unlocked it looks like this:  There are three things I can manipulate, but the important one is the part controlled by the lock solenoid at the bottom. You can compare the pictures and see what moved. It doesn't want to unlock. I can reach the unlock plunger and I can apply a reasonable amount of force, with no effect. Anybody have any advice? Obviously, something has become jammed inside and I can't see it, but if anybody understands this thing better than I do, there might be a strategic step I've missed. Like rattling it in just the right way, or poking it in just the right place... Maybe this is a known and well understood behavior? Thanks for the help, Chris. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1346 Registered: 6-2006 |
Most often the knob outside is the problem. Calm down. .... The push button. If stiff and stuck in even a couple of mm it will stop the lock unlocking. A bit like holding the knob in when closing the door. Plenty of wd and flicking. You may need pliers and some cloth to pull it out. Another fault is the guide on the pillar gets dry and then the catch and guide 'weld' themselves together. Both are often missed service items. Could be a couple of other things. ...but very rarely. | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.86 |
A shot in the dark and it is dark in there by the lock. The outside button which is the outside door handle. This button pushes a thingy in the lock shown in the photo. The out side button can return and leave the lock as though some one was pressing the outside button. So whatever the button pressing on May be jammed in. So spray with oil and tap gently with a hammer the lock and see if it pops out. Another way is to spray the lock then using the outside button keep pressing in and out and maybe the bugger will release. Check how a properly working lock feels. If the dodgy one feels like it's doing less than the good one. Go compare. Under no circinstances force anything because putting it right is really expensive. Bent locks will jam. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Chris Miller Grand Master Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 316 Registered: 5-2013 |
Hi Paul, > ... the knob outside ... Now that was funny! I almost dropped my beer. So I read your comments and Bob's comments, and I asked myself, since I have a working example, if I could reproduce the problem and it turns out that I can. The upper left tab is the part that the knob outside engages. If I lock the device and very slightly engage that tab -- maybe 1/4 inch -- then I can prevent the device from unlocking. I will need to reach in there and pull the tab back. I shouldn't have to, but once I have the door open, I'll be able to tell if I have a sticky mechanism or if something fell into it. More as this story develops. This gives me a working theory. I drove the truck today, so I can't test my theory until later, but here's hoping. Thanks for the help, Chris. | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.93 |
Most cars are like this. Its raining and you are trying to unlock the passenger door to let yer mate in, but he keeps pressing the button and the door won't unlock.! (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Benoit Leus Prolific User Username: benoitleus Post Number: 185 Registered: 6-2009 |
Chris, I had the same problem a few months ago with the LH front door. I hit the door a few times with the palm of my hand and it opened. he cause was exactly what Paul and Bob described. After some lubrication it all worked fine, but I have now included this on my service list. Benoit | ||
| Chris Miller Grand Master Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 317 Registered: 5-2013 |
Hi Bob, Yeah,... I was really hoping that I could tug on one or the other top-mounted release and restore it to its correct place and this problem would magically disappear. I was wrong. The releases are not displaced and still the lock will not unlock. I now need to spend some more time with my spare and see if I can re-create a sequence of events that cause this... Hard to imagine that this is a "failure mode". More likely, simply a failure and so I may not be able to reproduce it, so I guess my investigation also needs to determine how to defeat it with the least destruction... Thanks for the help, Chris. | ||
| Chris Miller Grand Master Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 318 Registered: 5-2013 |
Hi Benoit, My driver door stuck closed recently and this was a huge surprise. The front passenger door gave me problems once and I never found out why and it never happened again. In this case of the driver door jam, the little rubber bumper deep in the back of the registration slot had become compressed over the years, allowing the door catch to close a tiny amount further and adding a lot more friction. This was not a case where it was locked, it was simply stuck. I fixed it, by the way, by adding more material to that slam pad and it hasn't wedged itself since. I've tried to persuade my locked door from the inside with my shoulder. It is not a stuck; it is a locked. And I've tried to persuade the locking mechanism from within with a coat hanger. I've had no success -- yet. And it is proving to be a really big problem... Thanks for the help, Chris. | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.91 |
On jags we used to have a u shaped copper tube and by putting this through a hole in the door frame without removing the door card. Then squirt oil with a pressure oiler over the inside of lock. My car when I first took the door cards I squirted oil over the locks. This lasts years. Aerosol bike chain oil is good. A flood of this through the slot where the roller sticks out and the chrome screws that hold the lock in are open holes so if a screw is removed then oil can be squirted in the lock. I think. Every bit helps. Excess oil will drain out and run down the sill or rocker. This does no harm and merely wipe it off. Locksmiths say graphite powder on the actual key bits. Pencil lead has wax in it. The very soft pencils have very little wax. Soft pencil and a bit of sand paper. Chris. Spray lock with WD40 again and give it another day or so. Also remove lower rear seat for more room. Even front seat helps. It's a lot of mucking about but forcing anything in the lock will be a disaster. The various levers must be fully off before other levers can move. Interlocking sort of. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Jan Forrest Grand Master Username: got_one Post Number: 720 Registered: 1-2008 |
I've had the same problem with one rear door. The first time it happened it was the external push button that was sticking and preventing the mechanism from unlocking. As suggested it responded to a shower of WD40 followed by flicking the button a few times. The second time the door was just stuck. This time I had to co-ordinate between pulling the interior handle while shoulder barging the door. It finally flew open. Having since lubricated everything in sight it no longer sticks, however the driver's door will not unlock either with the central locking or key. I've traced this to the connector rod under the locking button being bent, but no mater how I unbend it there's still friction where it passes through the wood door cap. More work to be done there, then. | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.81 |
Jan, the rod through the wood should slide in a plastic guide. Disconnect the rod leave the nut where it is for a reference, get the rod with the chrome pull knob perfectly free, it's straight. Then bend the bottom rod to fit. It will take a few tweaks. The solenoid can be liberally oiled because there's nothing in there except the plain iron armature, magnetism and an air gap. The bits can get grubby which jams the solenoid. But a dose of oil and manually moving the armature clears it. The solenoid is quite powerful and once free a few operations and it's going as new. Very well made. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Chris Miller Grand Master Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 319 Registered: 5-2013 |
Hi Jan, On my '72, there is a joint in the rod that penetrates the wooden door cap, where it attaches to the solenoid. if the solenoid and the push-rod are not coaxial, then twist the whole arrangement so the bend is accomplished by this joint. I think bending the push-rod may introduce more problems than it solves. Of course, there are times when brute force is required, but it is a last resort. Good luck. Chris. | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.75 |
Brute force is not necessary. Two pairs of pliers ensures that the bends are accurate. Many cars have similar and I have successfully adjusted many with a tweak. Lots of lovely oil after. Lasts for ever then. To straighten rods roll on flat surface to show when good. Use small hammer to dress down kinks on the anvil bit of a bench vice. It's probaly just bowed and can be straigtened with fingers. Refer to body chapter for the correct amount for the chrome knob to stick out. Strange that a largely irrelevant dimension is published yet other stuff is missing. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Chris Miller Grand Master Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 320 Registered: 5-2013 |
Hi Folks, Today, I am one happy driver! I was able to free my locked door with zero -- count 'em, zero -- damage. The problem was the door button tab, pictured above on the top left of the latch mechanism, was not completely resetting. It was "out" by probably 3/16 inch. I could see that with a mirror and my first thought was, "That's fine.", but then I thought better of it and I looped a bit of string around it and pulled it home. I couldn't even feel that I had moved it, but Viola! The locked clicked open! Folks, I am happy. I am so tired of telling people about the things that don't work. Now, I can remove it and investigate more carefully. Think about it. The door latch is the only part that can't be removed from a closed door! It is probably, as previously suggested, dirt and grime and lack of lubrication, but I will know for sure soon enough. Thanks for the help, Chris. | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.81 |
Soak the lock in a can of oil. I just knew it was a bit not returned properly. (Message approved by david_gore) |
