Door Key really hard to turn
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Racer
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 361
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From: Toms River New Jersey
Door Key really hard to turn
Anyone have a hard time trying to unlock the door with the key? It almost feels like the key will break if I had to turn any harder. Also, the inside lock ***** are real hard to pull up (to unlock). The doors lock easily. I've cleaned & lubed the internals of the door mechanisms already. Thanx in advance.
[Modified by BacaBill, 9:35 PM 3/14/2004]
[Modified by BacaBill, 9:35 PM 3/14/2004]
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Re: Door Key really hard to turn (BacaBill)
Yes, I have the same prob with the Driver door, but the pass door turns pretty easy. I too have already greased the 7734 out of it, but to no avail. This spring, I will remove the doors for paint and will tackle it again. I have heard that because it has an electrical plunger device to operate, that it may be harder to overcome that than a normal door latch is without one.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Re: Door Key really hard to turn (80TPIVette)
If you haven't already take the latch part of the mechanism out and clean it with brake fluid or carb cleaner. Relube with white lithium. This should help out quite a bit. You could also take out the motor for the lock and make sure it is not gummed up. Be careful what you clean the winding with. You don't want to ruin the insulation on the windings.
One more thing to look at is the lock itself. I found that the lock itself on the drivers side was worn so much that it would just barely turn the mechanism. Sometimes it would unlock the door, most of the time it would not. It eventually got to the point that it would never unlock the door. Replacing the door locks is the only cure at this point.
Hope this helps. :seeya
One more thing to look at is the lock itself. I found that the lock itself on the drivers side was worn so much that it would just barely turn the mechanism. Sometimes it would unlock the door, most of the time it would not. It eventually got to the point that it would never unlock the door. Replacing the door locks is the only cure at this point.
Hope this helps. :seeya
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,381
Likes: 416
From: N J
Re: Door Key really hard to turn (80TPIVette)
Yes, I have the same prob with the Driver door, but the pass door turns pretty easy. I too have already greased the 7734 out of it, but to no avail. This spring, I will remove the doors for paint and will tackle it again. I have heard that because it has an electrical plunger device to operate, that it may be harder to overcome that than a normal door latch is without one.
Bingo!!!!!!!!!!! Big difference without the accuator.
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 83
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From: ST AUGUSTINE FL
Re: Door Key really hard to turn (BacaBill)
I am assuming you are talking about your 79? My 78 had the same problem and I did the same thing you did without much luck until I discovered that the rod that goes from the lock through the door panel then through the armrest was bent and caued the **** to bind in the hole in the armrest. I bent the rod so it lined up in the center of the hole in the armrest without the **** screwed on. It takes some tweaking but after I got bent right, I can lock or unlock with the key with very little effort.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 5,635
Likes: 4
From: Orlando Floriduh
Re: Door Key really hard to turn (80TPIVette)
Mine were very stiff and I tried everthing but no help. Well a few months passed and my key jammed in the ingnition. I thought the switch was bad so I called a locksmith to re-key a new ignition so my single key would open the doors and ignition like it is supposed to. (Early C -3's use one square for the doors ans ignition). I had a new switch ready but the locksmith looked at my key's (which looked good to me) and said they were worn big time. He made some new key from the codes he THOUGHT it should be. BINGO.. ALL of the locks worked like new. He said the trick is to make a new key from codes or a new virgin sample. :hurray:
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Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,764
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From: Buckeye, AZ
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Re: Door Key really hard to turn (PB82CE)
I would not use WD-40 for locks. It will disolve existing oil and not last very long. The proper thing is graphite lock oil available at most hardware stores. Slide the key partially in and put some oil on top of the key. The oil will run into the lock. Repeat as neccesary. Mine was very stiff, and now it's smooth as silk.