67 Door Latch, inside pull Fixed
My drivers door latch release from inside the car hasn't worked for a long time. In pulling door card I found that a previous owner had tried the fix of changing the ball/handle bracket and elongating the holes to push the handle forward (that had apparently worked for a few years). On taking the door latch out and studying it I found that the 67 latch is different from 63-66 in that the door can't be opened from the inside if the door is locked (misguided safety change?); so that part of the latch mechanism is more complex than prior years. The 'rebuild' kits I could find didn't have the right parts. Hopefully, pics follow that will help explain operation of the latch inside release and the fix that I've done.
The inside release has two levers, one on either side of the main bracket. a vertical rod acts to make those two levers operate together when the door is unlocked and the inside release is pulled. when the levers operate together the lever connected to the door pull pulls the second lever to release the latch (star wheel) and open the door. In the case of my latch, the vertical rod had worn grooves in the two levers so that pressure on one canted the rod and there was not equal travel on the second. Also, rust had work down the 'rivet' that fastens the two levers to the bracket. What complicates this repair is that the rivet has three different diameters on the shaft- the two levers and the bracket all have different diameter holes. I assumed I could not find a rivet like the original so went to work to fix the original.
DSC_1125.JPG This is the completed latch. After grinding off the rivet head I cut off the last step in the rivet. I then drilled and taped it for 10X32. The 10X32 screw was the same diameter as the outside lever. Screw held with red loctite.
Sorry, I couldn't resize the second pic (I'm trying to learn how to post pics, obviously I don't have it down yet). Apparently if you click on it it blows it up.
Anyway, hope this makes sense and helps other 67 owners with the same problem where the simple fixes don't work.
Fix showing inside lever, rod, and rivet
DSC_1129.jpg
DSC_1126.jpg
The inside release has two levers, one on either side of the main bracket. a vertical rod acts to make those two levers operate together when the door is unlocked and the inside release is pulled. when the levers operate together the lever connected to the door pull pulls the second lever to release the latch (star wheel) and open the door. In the case of my latch, the vertical rod had worn grooves in the two levers so that pressure on one canted the rod and there was not equal travel on the second. Also, rust had work down the 'rivet' that fastens the two levers to the bracket. What complicates this repair is that the rivet has three different diameters on the shaft- the two levers and the bracket all have different diameter holes. I assumed I could not find a rivet like the original so went to work to fix the original.
DSC_1125.JPG This is the completed latch. After grinding off the rivet head I cut off the last step in the rivet. I then drilled and taped it for 10X32. The 10X32 screw was the same diameter as the outside lever. Screw held with red loctite.
Sorry, I couldn't resize the second pic (I'm trying to learn how to post pics, obviously I don't have it down yet). Apparently if you click on it it blows it up.
Anyway, hope this makes sense and helps other 67 owners with the same problem where the simple fixes don't work.
Fix showing inside lever, rod, and rivet
DSC_1129.jpg
DSC_1126.jpg