qwank

I was just in the garage messing around with my '81, wishing for spring weather when I noticed my left outside door handle no longer works. It was always intermittent and usually required two 'pumps' to get the door open from the outside. now it seems to lock up and not move at all on the second pump until I open and close the door using the inside handle.

the door lock seems to be warn too, I have to turn the key very far to either lock it or unlock it, almost to the point where it feels like the key might break.

power door locks work as they should.

so before I go pulling everything apart and finding out I need parts, is the door latch something that just usually needs to be cleaned, lubed and adjusted, or am I looking at replacing the latch? are repop latches good quality, or should I find a used latch?

thanks

DUB

If your door key is REALLY HARD to turn your latch...it is the power door lock actuators are binding...EVEN THOUGH they may work...they are tight and you are trying to move the plunger when it is binding....thus the key is hard to turn....WHICH IN TURN causes for wear on the backside of your lock cylinder itself where the pawl attaches and actually eats into the pot metal portion of the lock cylinder....which in turn...causes the lock cylinder NOT to work correctly due to this wear on its shaft.

Missing/broken SPECIAL clip that attach to the rod that goes to the door handle is OFTEN the culprit...and this clip HAS TO BE installed correctly...and often times it IS NOT.

When you get your door panel off...and the access panel off also so you can reach and get tot eh plunger for your door lock actuator.....REMOVE the clip that is for your power door locks where it attaches to the LATCH.....THEN...try your door key...and I will BET that your door key works very easily....BUT...if you try to MANUALLY move the rod you just disconnected....it will be SUPER HARD...even with you trying by hand. SO..it is a bad solenoid....which I would BE CAREFUL if you replace them....because I use ONLY DORMAN actuators because they slide VERY EASILY...I used to use AC Delco actuators...but I would check 10 of the until I found 2 that were good to use.......and some that customers bring me are as BAD as what is in the car..and they are NEW. REMEMBER...the door is not steel...it is fiberglass....so you can actually spin your clock cylinder when it is still clipped to your door...WHICH IS REALLY BAD!!!!!! The plunger in the door lock actuator needs to take almost NO EFFORT to move it up and down by hand.

This is also assuming that nothing else is broken causing the latch to not work correctly.

DUB

qwank

Thanks for the info. Seems easy enough

addballer696

had a similar problem. took the door panel off and sprayed everything down with a heavy layer of wd40 chain lubricant I bought at the auto parts store. Door works flawlessly now. I'd try that first before taking anything off or apart. Keep it simple.

DUB

Boy I wish I could simply coat it in oil....but from what I have found over the years...if the car has power door locks and it is really hard to turn the key....it is the actuator.

And coming from a bodyman/painters point of view...if spraying any oils of any type to lubricate parts...I would HIGHLY ADVISE that you take the effort to protect the backside of your door outer panel so no oil gets on it....because if excessive oil gets on it....in time...the oil can migrate through your door skin material and cause bubbles in the paint....and I have seem this also during restorations when the paint is stripped down to bare fiberglass/SMC.

DUB

qwank

The key is only hard to turn the last 10% of the travel. each way. it turns freely the rest of the 80% of travel. does that change anything?

DUB

You need to take your door panel and access panel off and check it. That FREE first 80% can be that the lock cylinder and pawl are worn....and the LAST 10% of travel is you trying to move the actuator.

DUB

qwank

Makes sense. Hopefully I'll find to time to look at it this weekend.