1982 rear hatch won’t open
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 358
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From: Suburban Washington DC
1982 rear hatch won’t open
When I pull the release I can hear the latches release and I can raise the left side of the glass a quarter inch but the right side won’t move. The top front of the glass is a quarter inch back from the weather strip so I think the pins that engage the latch are jamming into the latches by the force of the lift supports. Is there some trick to open jammed latches? Can the latches be loosened from the body?
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Have someone pull and hold the latch while you go to the back of the car. Since you can get one side to release, push in the other side towards the front of the car. You may be able to move it enough to release. Chances are good that your hinges have bent slightly. I went through this with my old CE. Good luck.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: cincinnati ohio
Cruise-In V Veteran
I had a CE that the hatch was out of adjustment.I removed the interior
halo to get to the adjusting bolts. Loosened the bolts and readjusted the glass and it worked fine.
halo to get to the adjusting bolts. Loosened the bolts and readjusted the glass and it worked fine.
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From: Compound in the Grove, Ga.
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St. Jude Donor '16
The hinges stretch over time letting the glass move to the rear, the striker pins than become stuck in the striker assy. once open you will need to readjust hinges and possibly the strikers.
Make sure you have some help as the glass is heavy and a bit awkward to handle and hard to find if broken.
Good Luck
Former Vendor
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From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
We see this quite often as the collector cars age. The design of the hinge holding the glass is made from soft cast metal and over time they open up (Widen). A good way to know for sure if this is your problem is to look at the rear window moldings and see if the striker bolt is hitting the molding. It usually leaves a hefty mark on there. When it does this the glass moves backward on the car and the rear of the glass actually rises upward
What this causes is an issue with the fitment of the rear hatch weatherstrip and an issue with the striker pins locking in place.
The solution is to find a set of the repro hinges which are quite expensive. I've tinkered with the idea of making these over the past few months but have not done so.
The solution for getting your rear window open is listed above by way of having someone inside the car pull the handle while you push on the rear glass. This might release it but in some cases it will not.
The other solution again mentioned above is to take the hinge lose inside the car. This will usually take the tension off the glass.
You can try to readjust the hinge to get a better fit but nothing will solve the issue with it opening up besides being replaced.
What this causes is an issue with the fitment of the rear hatch weatherstrip and an issue with the striker pins locking in place.
The solution is to find a set of the repro hinges which are quite expensive. I've tinkered with the idea of making these over the past few months but have not done so.
The solution for getting your rear window open is listed above by way of having someone inside the car pull the handle while you push on the rear glass. This might release it but in some cases it will not.
The other solution again mentioned above is to take the hinge lose inside the car. This will usually take the tension off the glass.
You can try to readjust the hinge to get a better fit but nothing will solve the issue with it opening up besides being replaced.
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Oct 16, 2011 at 12:02 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Suburban Washington DC
I unbolted the right hinge, but again the lift support is pressing the glass rearward. I don't want to force it with the hinge unbolted because I can imagine the lift support letting go and forcing one side of the glass up or even breaking it. I'll see if I can reach the glass mounting point at the rear.
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Former Vendor
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From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
What about taking the corner molding off.. then remove the retainer from the shock and remove it there. That should remove the tension in a more controlled manner.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Suburban Washington DC
OK I got it open. Used a mini tie-down ratchet strap thing to pull the glass away from the latch and then pull up on the glass. Got the left side out first, then the right. Had to position the strap at 4-5 places and work with the glass.
I see right off that the right pin isn't centered:
like the left one on that oval:
Is that just bolted through the glass or is there some adhesive as well?
Also I see how the hinges are distorted. Can I just take them out and pound them flat again?
I see right off that the right pin isn't centered:
like the left one on that oval:
Is that just bolted through the glass or is there some adhesive as well?
Also I see how the hinges are distorted. Can I just take them out and pound them flat again?
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St. Jude Donor '16
Good work so far Yes the steel portion or hinge looks to be bent quite a bit. I would take them apart and do my best to straighten them out, after your done you may need to fab up some spacers to add back under the plate. The adjustment just takes a lot of trial and error, be sure your shocks are unhooked and you remove the latching pins while making adjustments.
Here is a link to some info, that may help.
http://www.corvetteaddiction.com/82c....php?f=1&t=427
Yes the steel portion or hinge looks to be bent quite a bit. I would take them apart and do my best to straighten them out, after your done you may need to fab up some spacers to add back under the plate. The adjustment just takes a lot of trial and error, be sure your shocks are unhooked and you remove the latching pins while making adjustments.Here is a link to some info, that may help.
http://www.corvetteaddiction.com/82c....php?f=1&t=427
Last edited by FASTAZU; Oct 16, 2011 at 03:05 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 358
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From: Suburban Washington DC
Well that didn't work at all. I must have misunderstood the term hinge as used in this application. I thought that stamped metal piece which is all bent up in my picture is the hinge everyone was referring to when in fact I see it's the curved black arm made of solid metal that bends (distorts?). I bolted everything back together after straightening those brackets and can just about stick a pencil between the glass and the seal at the front. ARRGH! OK, so what repro hinges are available for this car? And I’m getting ahead of myself but I’ll also need lift supports. Can someone tell if these are the originals? If so, would it be better to get them sealed and recharged from an originality standpoint?
Former Vendor
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From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I guess I need to find a good original hinge and make these... If I can find one I can make both sides from steel on a Hurco.
I have a link for the repro's somewhere at my office.. maybe someone will chime in before tomorrow..
Willcox
I have a link for the repro's somewhere at my office.. maybe someone will chime in before tomorrow..
Willcox
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 358
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From: Suburban Washington DC
I got everything back out and have the window upside down on my couch with penetrating oil on the allen screw that holds the hinges to the glass. Plan is to try and bend them back into the correct shape if I can get the hinges off the glass.
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St. Jude Donor '16
http://www.thecubestudio.com/picture...gePunchWeb.jpg
As to the black cast part they can be bent back, but they are a pot metal and will break. It is U shaped and the distance between the two fastening points is what gets stretched wider allowing the glass to move lower in the opening.
I found 2 used ones in case I broke one, than used a vice and slowly squeezed them back in shape (as in put a very small amount of pressure let sit about 30 minuets then squeezed a little more) In all I only went 1/4 inch.
Read this http://www.thecubestudio.com/Collect...structions.htm
Last edited by FASTAZU; Oct 17, 2011 at 04:31 PM.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 93
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From: Cambridge Ontario
I had the same problem on my CE. Brought new replacement hinges from WWW.thecubestudio.com and they worked really well. Not cheap at over $300.00 but I can now open my hatch. Your lift supports are the original ones. There is a shop in Edmonton, Alta, Canada where you can get them reloaded. I have yet to get mine reloaded. I'll get the name and let you know.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 358
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From: Suburban Washington DC
I found a set of those hinges in a box of parts with the car. I'll install them soon. That place wanted like $70 each to recharge the struts plus shipping roundtrip. Bought a pair of Strongarm struts for $55 delivered.
