onaqwst - I didn't think the hinges were accessable with the door closed.

Darrel - Thanks for the advice, but I've tried both of those methods. Until last week, the door had no trouble opening and closing with the new seals.

After giving it much thought today, I think I have one more method to try. It involves the lock sitting on the teeth of the door latch. I need to make sure that is releasing. If not, I'm damn near ready to use a sawzall to cut the striker.

 

You might put a little in-ward pressure as you try to get it to release. I knew a guy that had been working on a door lock and had closed the catch. Then he slamed the door when he did he bent that catch. Not realizing it he manually opened the catch. Then when he closed the door then it would not release. He push in on the door in as he triped the latch it would open.

 

can't you get to the bolts/nuts from the kick panel area?.......i think the bolts are there....not 100% sure though


b

 

Can you post pictures of the spare latch so I can get an idea of the geometry and parts. I am very familiar with door latches just not the 1980 Corvette.

The latch has several levers that activate the detent lever. The detent lever is what locks the forkbolt and the forkbolt wraps around the striker when the door is closed. I would be suprised if the detent lever is bent, but it is possible that the levers that acuate the detent got bent over the last 6 weeks due to the higher seal load which creates higher release efforts. After all these years the levers might just have had enough travel to release the forkbolt and now with new seals it put it over the edge.

Do you have access to the detent or have you been moving the levers only?

 

I'll post a picture of the spare latch tonight after I get home. It's pretty filthy, but everything works. I tried to clean it up but didn't get too far. Earlier in the thread I said it was a passenger side latch but I was wrong. It is a drivers side latch. However, last night I had to move the car to get my dolly out. I did it without putting the seats in the car (stupid move on my part). It made it a little difficult backing it back in and I didn't get the car back where it was before. So, I backed over my spare latch. For the most part it was unharmed.

 

My driver's door on the '69 started sticking closed. I added heavy grease to the striker pin that is attached to the door frame (door latches to it when closed). It must have been too dry but with the heavy grease, it now opens with ease. Must have been the problem (dry striker 'post' in the door frame).

 

All of the images below are thumbnails. Click them to make them full size.

This is my spare drivers side latch

This is the latch from the front.



This is the latch from a side angle.



This is the latch from the side



This is the backside of the latch



This is the latch in the locked position. The arrow marks the lock lever in the down position.



This is the latch in the unlocked position. The arrow marks the lock lever in the up position



These next three shots are taken from the bottom of the latch looking up. The arrows mark the position of the lock tab in relation to the teeth on the striker bolt catch

This one is in the locked position



The next two are in the unlocked position.





I tried to get as many pictures as I could so you could familiarize yourself with the locks on an '80. If there is anything else you want me to take pic of let me know.

 

I do not know how to post pictures but I will try and describe based on what I see.

1. Make sure latch is unlocked from key cylinder and inside **** (I know you have done this but be sure)
2. The picture with the red circle I believe the lever is bent.The part that the lever moves is bent not the verticle piece.
3. Have you tried moving the lever that the outside door handle is attached to. It is the rod in the back that goes straight up beside the key cylinder up to your outside handle. Move the handle slightly to which direction the lever moves and then help it with some sort of tool.

Another thing that can happen is that the rods and or handle have bent and you are acutually bottoming out on the rod which will cause the lever to not travel all the way or the handle movement is not enough. Compare the travel of both levers on the latch in your door to your spare - if they are not the same then you need to disconnect the rods and move the levers manually.

I will try and figure out how to post pictures and give better instructions. I have a friend looking at these pictures to give more help.

I will have more on Friday

 

I went back out for another 2 hours of torture trying to open the door last night. I'm becoming much more familiar with the part, which only makes it more frustraiting that I can't get it to release.

The clasp that rotates around the striker has teeth on the top. When the door handle is pulled, it raises a lever with a tooth on it from the clasp. That is when the spring loaded clasp let's go. Using a screwdriver to press on the toothed lever, I can't get the clasp to release. I had my wife out in the garage pressing on the door to try and release the pressure on the striker. Nothing seems to be working. I can't see the teeth of the clasp and lever clearly enough to make sure they are disengaging from each other.

I'm seriously going

 

Just in case anyone cares, I figured out why it was stuck. I called the local parts store and found out they carry striker bolts and mine costs $5.50. I decided my time is worth more than that so I whipped out the sawzall and cut the old one in half.

To everyone for their help

There is a teflon pad that the bottom edge of the striker bolt hits when you shut the door. It just so happens that mine moved and became wedged next to the rotating clasp. That was it. I could not see that part of the assembly when installed. Now I'm going to file that part down and reinstall the latch after lubing it up.

 

 

Reading is fundamental, slick. I got the door open.

 

Wow, what a PITA huh?
Glad ya got it fixed