Ok, well I got my new door handles in today...beautiful...after a few minutes of looking over the handle, then looking into the door, I figured out how to attach it...no biggie. 15 minutes later I had my drivers side door handle in, and working like a champ(vast improvement over my old one, which I will keep, just cus its origional, maybe one day I'll rechrome them and put them back in). Anyway, that was the drivers side, went in without a hitch...hardest part was fishing the rod through to the inside door handle...what a pain trying to reinstall it through that tiny opening...

Well then I get to the passangers side, knowing exactly how it goes in, and what tools to use, I figure it'll take 10 minutes, then I can get cracking on my door panels. Welllllll, boy was I wrong. I got the old one out and the new one in, in no time flat(about 10 minutes)...everything looked exactly how I removed it, I tested my door handles, they worked(better then before mind you)...tested my lock, it locked fine, but did it unlock? noooooooooo, of course not. Lucky for me i did it with the door open, so the door is not locked closed. I took the latch thing out and inspected it, everything looked ship shape. Put it back in, still it wouldn't unlock. I did some tests and here is what I have:

when I have the screws is, it will not unlock...when I take them out and pull the latch away from the jamb(inward), it will unlock no problem...I put the latch aginst the jamb but don't line up all the holes. If I line up the bottom inside hole, but put the top hole about 1/4th of an inch outward, it will still unlock..I think something is catching, but what? and how do I fix it? anyone else encounter this problem? I need help quick, I am going on a trip tomarrow which requires leaving my car at the school for 12 hours(plus an hour or two after dark)...I NEED to get my locks working...

Daniel

 

nobody knows anything about door locks?

I need help ASAP.

Daniel

 

I found the same thing on my 69 passenger door last month. When I tightened the 3 screws through the door it bound up the latch assembly. This was after I removed the latch to cleaned and adjust it. What I did was to use some loctite on the screws and snug them without over torquing them. It has worked so far. I always try the latch with the door open after working on it to be sure it unlocks. I had door lock closed and had to play with the inside lock **** and handle until it freed up the mechanism.
Gary

 

that doesn't work here...even if the screws are lightly mounting the mechanism it still doesn't want to unlock...

Daniel

 

did you have thelatch assembly out? It's possible that the plates are somewhat separated and maybe a slight crimp will hold them together when you tighten up the screws? Hard to say without seeing the problem.
Gary

 

also did you adjust the outside handle rod? I found they can be overadjusted and cause lock binding. Try the latch with the outside rod disconnected from the latch.
gary

 

gtr1999 wins the prize. I was out there messing around before I read these posts, and decided I would adjust the rod all the way until it just "fell" in its hole with the latch assy bolted tight, and sure enough, my lock works now...apparently my new handle has a longer peice(don't know what its called, but you know what Im talking about), then my old one, making my old adjustments wrong. I have locks again....now hopefully I can get my door panels in...

Daniel
PS. Thanks for the help...Im not as frustrated anymore :D

 

i had this same problem..

you are preloading the latch assembly too much...

 

glad to hear you found it, I know how frustrating this car can be!
Gary