Door lock question.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
Door lock question.
When I bought my car, the door locks and windows didn't work. I took off the door panel on the pasenger side this weekend and fixed the window (lubrication issue). I got the lock itself working, and it is easy to lock and unlock with the inside switch, but I can't get the key part to work. Which brings me to my question:
1970 Corvette, which way is the key supposed to go into the door lock? With the flat edge up or down?
I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I looked in my AIM and chassis service manual and neither one gave a definitive answer. My neighbor and I are also split on the issue. Hopefully you guys can resolve this for me.
1970 Corvette, which way is the key supposed to go into the door lock? With the flat edge up or down?
I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I looked in my AIM and chassis service manual and neither one gave a definitive answer. My neighbor and I are also split on the issue. Hopefully you guys can resolve this for me.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
I noticed when I got the car home (since I obviously didn't check the operation of the door locks when I bought it) that the key goes into the door lock flat side down. Having not generally used the door locks on my old car, I wasn't sure but I thought all the GM cars of that era went in flat side up. So when I took the trim panel off, I was thinking that maybe the lock was installed upside down, causing the problem, but when I looked in there it was obvious that it couldn't be installed the other way.
In frustration, I ended up taking the lock cylinder out to see if I could figure out what was wrong with it, but when holding it in my hand, it seemed to work absolutely perfectly. A few hours (and a couple of beers) later, it dawned on me. The car essentially came from a paint shop to me, and they must have taken the door locks out to do the paint. My guess is that when they put the locks back in, they switched them, such that I was holding a perfectly good driver's side cylinder that wasn't working the lock because it was installed upside down on the passenger's side.
If anyone thinks I have dorked this up in any way, please let me know.
Thanks,
PK
In frustration, I ended up taking the lock cylinder out to see if I could figure out what was wrong with it, but when holding it in my hand, it seemed to work absolutely perfectly. A few hours (and a couple of beers) later, it dawned on me. The car essentially came from a paint shop to me, and they must have taken the door locks out to do the paint. My guess is that when they put the locks back in, they switched them, such that I was holding a perfectly good driver's side cylinder that wasn't working the lock because it was installed upside down on the passenger's side.
If anyone thinks I have dorked this up in any way, please let me know.
Thanks,
PK
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 539
Likes: 3
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
These locks are cheap pot metal and rust quite easily. I agree spray some WD-40 and let it soak. there are two issues, does the key turn at all, if not you may have the wrong key (people changed them alot) or it is corroded. If it turns but doesn't unlock you have other problems.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
These locks are cheap pot metal and rust quite easily. I agree spray some WD-40 and let it soak. there are two issues, does the key turn at all, if not you may have the wrong key (people changed them alot) or it is corroded. If it turns but doesn't unlock you have other problems.
Actually, the whole assembly is surprisingly NOT corroded. The cylinder works perfectly in my hand. The lock operates smoothly from the inside **** now that I have greased all of the linkage inside the door. My garage being what it is, I can only open one door fully, which is why I started on the passenger side. I have the same problems on the driver's side. So, once I concluded the locks were installed backwards, I put the rest of the car back together so I can pull the car out and turn it around to work on the other side. I am hoping to do this on Saturday, and start reconditioning the driver's door.
Of course, now that I am hoping to have access to the driver's side in the garage, I am planning on removing the driver's seat because it needs new bolts. Then I want to get under the dash while the seat is out and replace the bad neutral safety switch. Then, when I re-install the seat, I want to try putting a few washers under the transmission side of the seat rails because the seat tilts uncomfortably to the right.......
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: Bryan Texas
I believe the left and right door locks themselves are identical. The pawls are different though. I also believe that the flat side goes up and to unlock both the doors, the top of the key need to be turned towards the back of the car.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,989
Likes: 198
From: Meriden CT
I noticed when I got the car home (since I obviously didn't check the operation of the door locks when I bought it) that the key goes into the door lock flat side down. Having not generally used the door locks on my old car, I wasn't sure but I thought all the GM cars of that era went in flat side up. So when I took the trim panel off, I was thinking that maybe the lock was installed upside down, causing the problem, but when I looked in there it was obvious that it couldn't be installed the other way.
In frustration, I ended up taking the lock cylinder out to see if I could figure out what was wrong with it, but when holding it in my hand, it seemed to work absolutely perfectly. A few hours (and a couple of beers) later, it dawned on me. The car essentially came from a paint shop to me, and they must have taken the door locks out to do the paint. My guess is that when they put the locks back in, they switched them, such that I was holding a perfectly good driver's side cylinder that wasn't working the lock because it was installed upside down on the passenger's side.
If anyone thinks I have dorked this up in any way, please let me know.
Thanks,
PK
In frustration, I ended up taking the lock cylinder out to see if I could figure out what was wrong with it, but when holding it in my hand, it seemed to work absolutely perfectly. A few hours (and a couple of beers) later, it dawned on me. The car essentially came from a paint shop to me, and they must have taken the door locks out to do the paint. My guess is that when they put the locks back in, they switched them, such that I was holding a perfectly good driver's side cylinder that wasn't working the lock because it was installed upside down on the passenger's side.
If anyone thinks I have dorked this up in any way, please let me know.
Thanks,
PK
Terrorizing Orange Cones
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,572
Likes: 17
From: Northern CO
I bought a matching ign-door lock set and plan to do this in a few weeks so "Thanks, PKguitar!" for another data point to be aware of.
Flat side up, flat side up, flat side ...
Flat side up, flat side up, flat side ...
Last edited by Dustup7T2; Feb 10, 2009 at 01:56 PM. Reason: reduced content
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,241
Likes: 4
From: Okinawa Okinawa
All the 
I put up with and 8 dollars could have saved me!!
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
Just to put a cap on this one, if anyone is still reading the thread...
Saturday, I started the car to turn it around in the garage to get at the driver's door. She cranked right up after not starting for almost 3 months, so I couldn't help but go for a short ride, first ride of 2009!!!
Anyway, got the car turned around and with a little help from my daughter's significantly smaller but not as strong hands, we got the lock cylinder that was in the passenger door installed in the driver door. Now, the key goes in flat side up, and the door lock works flawlessly!
So, the car is in pieces (seats out, still don't have the passenger door back together), and my suspicion last year of a small fuel leak has turned into an obvious fuel leak (and the leaked fuel is landing on the exhaust
), so it will be a while until the next ride. Spring is around the corner though, gotta find the time in the garage if we want to be riding in style!!!
Saturday, I started the car to turn it around in the garage to get at the driver's door. She cranked right up after not starting for almost 3 months, so I couldn't help but go for a short ride, first ride of 2009!!!
Anyway, got the car turned around and with a little help from my daughter's significantly smaller but not as strong hands, we got the lock cylinder that was in the passenger door installed in the driver door. Now, the key goes in flat side up, and the door lock works flawlessly!
So, the car is in pieces (seats out, still don't have the passenger door back together), and my suspicion last year of a small fuel leak has turned into an obvious fuel leak (and the leaked fuel is landing on the exhaust
), so it will be a while until the next ride. Spring is around the corner though, gotta find the time in the garage if we want to be riding in style!!!