door problems on my 81
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Conroe Texas
door problems on my 81
I've been having quite a bit of trouble with my driver-side door. Well over half of the time I can't open it. It feels and sounds like it unlocks both by using the key on the outside and manually doing it from the inside but it wont open. And whenever I am able to get it open if I lock it again it wont open and just starts the whole promblem over agian. And I'm not going to leave my corvette in a parking lot unlocked. I've taken the door panel off and I cant seem to figure it out. I don't know if it's the latch, the lock or what. Can someone please give me some ideas on what this might be. Because I really don't want to buy a part and it not fix the problem because I'm pretty short of cash right now and I don't want to waste my money.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 2
From: gold coast queensland
to look at the door catch/lock mechanism is quite daunting i agree. if you are short on cash then i guess that rules out just buying that complete part as from memory i think they are about 60 bucks. it would be a great short cut if you could.
you best bet is the tag that hangs of the mechanism is bent and the loc rod does not always engage slipping out of the hole where it would normally sit. i will see if i can dig up a picture of this.
if your key is turning the loc as normal and the **** on the inside is functioning as normal then i dont think there is going to be any other way then to buy some beers, take the panel off again and sit there with some patience and loc/unlock/lock /unlock and see what the problem is. possibly its your door handle shaft is out of adjustment...there is a small barrell which moves up and down to adjust the height but unfortunatly i think the door handle has to come out for that and there isnt alot of room to get at the 2 x 1/2 nuts that hold it on.
i have had my doors in my 81 apart many times and can pretty much do things with my eyes shut but finding the problem is the hard part with your problem. what changes when you get the door open, is it just persistence and it just finally unlocks? is everything in there lubricated including the door catch?
i hope you have patience .
at the bottom of this rod is the barrell adjuster
and here is the small loops on the end of the barrell that can completely miss the rod.
you best bet is the tag that hangs of the mechanism is bent and the loc rod does not always engage slipping out of the hole where it would normally sit. i will see if i can dig up a picture of this.
if your key is turning the loc as normal and the **** on the inside is functioning as normal then i dont think there is going to be any other way then to buy some beers, take the panel off again and sit there with some patience and loc/unlock/lock /unlock and see what the problem is. possibly its your door handle shaft is out of adjustment...there is a small barrell which moves up and down to adjust the height but unfortunatly i think the door handle has to come out for that and there isnt alot of room to get at the 2 x 1/2 nuts that hold it on.
i have had my doors in my 81 apart many times and can pretty much do things with my eyes shut but finding the problem is the hard part with your problem. what changes when you get the door open, is it just persistence and it just finally unlocks? is everything in there lubricated including the door catch?
i hope you have patience .
at the bottom of this rod is the barrell adjuster
and here is the small loops on the end of the barrell that can completely miss the rod.
Last edited by gingerbreadman1977; Jul 10, 2010 at 04:32 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 14,345
Likes: 4
From: Hartselle AL
St. Jude Donor '09
Mine was gunked up with 30 year old grease. Pulled the latch handle and used pbblaster to clean the locking mechanism by spraying and continually turning the key. Let set and repeat. Works like a champ now.
