The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors Passenger Side Lock Problems, '49

I volunteered to help get a friend's 1949 Pickup passenger door to have a functioning lock...

A forum member was able to supply me with a functioning lock and key. The key lock that was supplied seems to fit into the latch mechanism in the door just fine.

The disappointing thing is that when I installed the replacement key lock, it wouldn't turn the mechanism to lock the door.

I have never dealt with this type of lock before, so I am coming here for advice.

I assume that one would normally push the inside door handle forward to lock the door. It will not go that way. When one pulls the handle aft, the door unlocks. I reached into the door and sprayed the components with PB Blaster and worked them a bit, later sprayed them with lithium spray (also through the access hole in the door).

I have attached a number of photographs to show what I am dealing with. I don't know all the proper names of the parts, but I hope that the titles of the pictures will assist in explaining what I have seen.

My impression is that there is something in the door latching mechanism that is not functioning properly and is keeping the locking components from moving as they should.

This may or may not indicate the central problem, but when I manually move the rotating part on the door that engages with the plate on the door post, it makes some terrible scraping noises and takes real effort to move. I lubed it and it moved a very small amount better, but still resists and complains.

When I volunteered to do this favor, I foolishly thought it would be simple!

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Take a look at this filmstrip. It covers some of how the door latch and lock works.

Also Walter has done some good work on latches, specifically adding a key lock to the driver's side latch. His thread is HERE. That thread is in the works to become a tech tip. (John and Peggy - are you seeing this?)

Likely you'll need to remove the latch assembly and clean and lube it at a minimum.

Good luck. If you have more questions after reviewing the above info, please post them.

[on edit] the key won't turn much more than about the amount you're showing in your pictures.
If the door remote (inside handle) won't lock the latch, it may need to be adjusted toward the latch. The attaching bolt holes are slotted to allow in to move forward or backward.

Nick in Manitou, I looked at your pics of the latch mechanism and thought something was not right. I took some shots of mine which I have posted here. I am pretty sure you have an aftermarket latch which may be your issue. I see NOS or good used pass door latches on ebay fairly often. I have an NOS spare here and it looks just like my pictures.

I think Nick's main problem is that the latch looks pretty gunked up. But it does look a bit lightweight at the corner, as in aftermarket.

Here's Twin Jimmy's and Nick's latches side by side.

Thanks for the responses!

That filmstrip was very helpful.

If this were my truck, I wouldn't hesitate pulling the latch out of the door and cleaning it up - perhaps replacing it. But it is sitting in front of my friend's business, on the main drag in Taos. (The owner is a woman who has done a lot for our community and I was hoping to be able to do a quick repair as a Thank You.)

The reason I volunteered to assist in getting the door to lock was that a homeless person spent the night in the truck recently and made a real mess, so I hoped to be able to assist in securing the truck against a repeat performance.

I will visit the truck again in the next couple days and see if I can determine if the reason the remote handle can't move the link to lock the door is a result of being out of adjustment or if the problem is in the lock itself. If the problem is in the lock, I guess I will have to remove the lock and go from there. (Looking at Walt's post that Kevin linked to makes me think that pulling the lock and cleaning it up will probably be the solution.)

Thanks!

Maybe you can leave the latch in place and hose it down with WD-40. Stick the tube in every nook and cranny you can find and let fly. Can't hurt.

It has been pointed out to me by someone on the VCCA website, that the link from the remote handle to the lock should be aligned with the recessed portion of the interior panel of the door.

It seems doubtful that just correcting that will make a difference in the ability of the link to actuate the lock...but I can hope!

I will also try spray-lubing it a bit more before I relent and pull the lock out.

I will report back what I find.

I saw that as well. It seems to be a personal choice for the owner. Mounting it upside down like that changes the handle direction to open/lock to the opposite way. Some people like to lift the handle to open and others like to push down to open. A different group of people prefer to pull to open and others want to push to open. It works either way but best to remove it and check. Just put it back the same way if possible as that is what she is used to. Good luck with the lube. Something in the back of my brain is telling me WD40 is not on the locksmith approved list. There may be a better product to use. Maybe one of the resident smithy's here will chime in or you can call your local guy to double check. I am not positive, I just have that nagging thought rattling around up there.

WD40 isn't really a lubricant. It sticks around and attracts dust and dirt and makes your problem worse down the road. The WD stands for water displacement.

WD-40 will clean the gunk out of it.
GM changed the direction of the inside handle link somewhere between 1948 and 1951. It was a safety thing so the door wouldn't open if on a sudden stop someone's knee pushed the handle, from what I understand. Why they didn't change the door panel recess at the same time is a puzzle, as the window operator changed in 1951 when the wing windows were introduced, requiring some changes to the interior door panel already.

WD-40 is the best for locks. Cleaning or lubricating. Reapply every year.

Just to wrap up this thread...

It turned out that I couldn't get the lock in latch on the passenger side to operate. I made several attempts at lubing it, but the part that the link from the Door Lock Remote Control is supposed to move rearward to cause the unit to lock seems to be frozen.

Since this started as a volunteer effort on my part to get a key to fit a friend's truck so she could lock it...and then grew into replacing the key lock because there was no code on the old one...and then it was found that the key lock would not turn far enough to lock the latch because the latch is frozen...I have decided to throw in the towel. I have written up my findings of what I found in the way of incorrect or inoperable parts so they can be presented to whomever the owner hires to do the job and I am stepping aside from the project.

The Chevrolet Filmstrip suggested by Kevin (above), indicates that the window glass and its track need to be removed in order to remove the door latch. VCCA Tech Advisor also mentioned that the track can be easily kinked. Since I have never done this before, rather than risk damaging any parts (and a friendship), I have decided not to proceed.

Thanks to all who commented!

Nick

I believe that the Door Section was separated from the Body and Paint forum for one main reason. Everything about doors suck. They suck so bad that the powers that be likely didn't want all of us to hate the entire Body and Paint forum just because of the doors which we all hate.

Carl,
That made me laugh!

What I found when working on my 47, the inner handle locks the door like it should, but the key lock from the outside does not have the leverage to work the same mechanism that the inside door handle does. The key lock does lock the outside handle not allowing it to turn so, in effect it locks the door by stopping the outside handle from turning, effectively locking the door. What I found while looking at the door latch mechanism before I reinstalled it. The key only turns a small plate to block the outside handle, not the same as the inside handle that block the latching mechanism.

Lumbersawyer,

From what I have seen in pictures and from trying to look at the latch through the key lock hole, that makes sense.

I wish getting the latch out of the door was a more straight forward job, because I would really like to have been able to hold the latch in my hand, understand its workings, diagnosed its issue and either fixed it or replaced it.