68 push button door fix
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 384
Likes: 2
From: Tulsa OK
68 push button door fix
Recently bought my 68 vert and love it. Didn't at first love the door opening mechanism though. Called thumb buster for a reason.
Mine were very difficult to open, had to use two thumbs. Pushed in 3/4 before it began to actuate the mechanism and released only at last maybe 1/8 inch.
Well now I love those buttons.
To fix:
remove door panel.
disengage the inside door handle opening and lock rods
remove the latch mechanism (3 screws in door jamb and remove the outside/exterior short lock rod). It will come out of the hole, but you have to fiddle with the orientation a good bit.
Look inside the door through the hole you just removed the latch through, you will see the inside of the push button mechanism.
The little tiny "rod" sticking out is a 3/16 inch threaded bolt. Yes that's 3/16. You'll need a tiny/ignition wrench. Back out the rod so that it will touch the mechanism without play.
Put it all back together.
Door opens 1000% easier. Easier than my old 69 with the flap opener. Very cool.
Incidentally, while there you can adjust the inside latch release very easily as well. The end of the rod is threaded into the main body of the rod (like a tie rod end). Just unscrew the rod to remove all play, so that the mechanism begins to move with any movement of the inside door handle. Now the door will open so easily you'll be amazed.
I also soaked the latch mechanism in mineral spirits, sprayed it with carb cleaner and brushed/cleaned all the 40 years of gunk out of the mechanism. Lubed it and the window mechanism/channels with white lithium grease.
All works like new! Well worth the hassle.
Mine were very difficult to open, had to use two thumbs. Pushed in 3/4 before it began to actuate the mechanism and released only at last maybe 1/8 inch.
Well now I love those buttons.
To fix:
remove door panel.
disengage the inside door handle opening and lock rods
remove the latch mechanism (3 screws in door jamb and remove the outside/exterior short lock rod). It will come out of the hole, but you have to fiddle with the orientation a good bit.
Look inside the door through the hole you just removed the latch through, you will see the inside of the push button mechanism.
The little tiny "rod" sticking out is a 3/16 inch threaded bolt. Yes that's 3/16. You'll need a tiny/ignition wrench. Back out the rod so that it will touch the mechanism without play.
Put it all back together.
Door opens 1000% easier. Easier than my old 69 with the flap opener. Very cool.
Incidentally, while there you can adjust the inside latch release very easily as well. The end of the rod is threaded into the main body of the rod (like a tie rod end). Just unscrew the rod to remove all play, so that the mechanism begins to move with any movement of the inside door handle. Now the door will open so easily you'll be amazed.
I also soaked the latch mechanism in mineral spirits, sprayed it with carb cleaner and brushed/cleaned all the 40 years of gunk out of the mechanism. Lubed it and the window mechanism/channels with white lithium grease.
All works like new! Well worth the hassle.
