BOTH doors refuse to open from either inside or outside - please help!

[montana68]

After winter finally left and spring arrived, I was greeted with the unpleasant surprise of not being able to open either the driver or passenger doors on my 1968 EB - they won't budge using the interior or exterior latches.

On my lunch break today, I went home and took off the passenger door armrest, window roller, door latch handle and interior panel. It must have been a funny sight - I'm crawling through the back into the passenger side wearing a skirt and heels (I'm a girl BTW, haha), with drill and 3/8 socket, almost getting the socket stuck in the damn armrest, swearing like a sailor, feeling generally cranky.

I get the panel off (finally) only to be more frustrated because I can't open the door and get a good look in there without being some kind of Cirque de Soliel contortionist.... Plus, I'm a newbie, I don't know what I'm doing and I'm not sure I would even know how to proceed to diagnose/fix the problem since I am not sure what I'm looking for, let alone figure out how to actually see it without being able to open the door. Also, since the handle is in the armrest and I removed the armrest and handle, how am I supposed to connect it all up again? Am I making any sense?

I would love some help with my door(s) dilemma! In addition to removing the interior panel, I searched the tech forum for all door related posts and sifted through 300 - non of which were offering a step by step how to diagnose/fix non-working door latch problems. But I did print off an exploded view of the latch rods from bronco graveyard and a "Part 42-04 Front Door Window Glass and Mechanisms" print out from econoline that someone had posted....

Sorry for the long post, but I am stumped....

 

[fastcarkenny]

once you get the panel off, did you make sure all of the rods are connected and moving?If everything is moving freely inside the door, the next thing I would suggest is to squirt some PB blaster or WD-40 in there on the mechanism. If it sat all winter without getting used, it is probably rusted, or has some stiff/dry grease in it.

Once you get it freed up, you can put some Fluid Film on there to protect it from happening again.

 

[orangecrush4u]

Hope this helps.
http://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/images/products/918/1073-75-77-79-72-74-76-78.jpg

 

[andybgood]

You might try spraying some lithium based grease in the door latch before you start pulling rods

 

[taipeichris]

Lithium grease but NOT WD-40(it'll dry it out later). I think we've all been there at one time or another.
Good luck!
C-

 

[Phil76]

It's probably the latch which clips around the striker. We had a similar issue on our 74, but the doors were shot anyway, so we beat on it until it broke free. I would spray PB blaster all over that area, and maybe tap it with a screwdriver to break loose any rust.

 

[montana68]

Thanks for the responses, I printed out the diagram and will go back and take another look and grease it first. I wish I could get the door opened somehow just to be able to work on it from OUTSIDE the car, you know? *grumbles*

 

[elkarcher]

Not to be a smart ass but make sure there not locked

 

[montana68]

haha, thanks elkarcher - they aren't locked. I'm a brunette.

 

[miikee73]

Wow a girl that likes Broncos,can handle a drill,not afraid to take things apart and does it in a skirt....Sounds like a total package.. If you haven't heard of Fluid Film,go Mass Buys and contact him and he will send you a free can...Good stuff..Good luck with the doors. If you can't get them open you might consider taking off your top. Sorry couldn't resist.......

 

[montana68]

Thanks Miikee - I'll look into the Fluid Film stuff.

ps - my bronco is already topless!!

 

[thegreatjustino]

From the inside, where you took the latch in the armrest off, there is a rod linking the latch assembly to the door latch itself. If the tension on this rod isn't set tight enough, the latch won't open the door. Same thing happens with the outside handle. Find the linkage rod on the inside, follow it with your hand to the actual latch inside the door. Once you feel the moving part on the latch that the rod attaches to, actuate the door latch by hand and it should open.

I have had to adjust the tension on the linkage rods numerous times over the years and always had to get the doors open from the inside like you are trying to do.

 

[TBS-POPS]

. I'm a brunette.

Pics or your lie'n!!

 

[beaux312]

Pics or your lie'n!!

topless ones too..........of the EB of course I agree spray the latch from the inside real good, might have to let it sit so the oil seaps in all the nooks and crannys

 

[travis77]

A girl that can dig in and fix her own EB? Wanna get married?;D

 

[TBS-POPS]

A girl that can dig in and fix her own EB? Wanna get married?;D

Girls that do this dont want to get married!! they just want to break your heart!!

 

[beaux312]

Girls that do this dont want to get married!! they just want to break your heart!!

She probably has a line of guys ready to marry her on here just cause she has a EB. MY WIFE HATES MINE LOL

 

[patterdale]

Wow, a woman working on a bronco. COOOOOOOOOOOL. The visual of heels and a skirt is a total hoot. You should have it apart far enough to be able to pull (tweek-not take off) one or more of the rods and get the door open. The biggest thing to remember is that these are very simple creatures to work on and not to over complicate/analyze any situation ever. Once it is open you may have to lube the snot out of the lock mechanism but more likely will have to adjust the rod length a little. This is accomplished by loosening the clips and turning them one or two turns until things work correctly. Then hook them back up.

 

[elkarcher]

haha, thanks elkarcher - they aren't locked. I'm a brunette.

Good deal. Just making sure you didn't over look the small stuff.

 

[montana68]

From the inside, where you took the latch in the armrest off, there is a rod linking the latch assembly to the door latch itself. If the tension on this rod isn't set tight enough, the latch won't open the door. Same thing happens with the outside handle. Find the linkage rod on the inside, follow it with your hand to the actual latch inside the door. Once you feel the moving part on the latch that the rod attaches to, actuate the door latch by hand and it should open.

I have had to adjust the tension on the linkage rods numerous times over the years and always had to get the doors open from the inside like you are trying to do.

How do you "adjust the tension on the linkage rods"??? I got the door open, but I am not sure how to fix the problem - I greased everything, it all seems to be moving all right, but it seems like there isn't enough tension on the rod to actually open the door using the (exterior) handle... Any help appreciated!