C3 - 1982 Can't unlock drivers side door - PLEASE HELP!!!

I was simply repairing my door handle spring and removed the door
panel, etc. Fixed the handle and tested the door at least 20 times;
opening and closing - it worked great. Then re-installed the door
panel, put away my tools and again came back for one final test of the
handle and nothing - it won't freakin open. I have taken the panel
back off (dont ask me how I did it with the door closed...but I did.)
and have tryed everything. What did I do wrong? Any help is greatly
appreciated.

KB2006 wrote:
> I was simply repairing my door handle spring and removed the door
> panel, etc. Fixed the handle and tested the door at least 20 times;
> opening and closing - it worked great. Then re-installed the door
> panel, put away my tools and again came back for one final test of the
> handle and nothing - it won't freakin open. I have taken the panel
> back off (dont ask me how I did it with the door closed...but I did.)
> and have tryed everything. What did I do wrong? Any help is greatly
> appreciated.
>
I can't speak to the C3 door mechanism, but I did go through this same
type of problem on a Jaguar sedan recently. The door handle opened
the door beautifully numerous times, then after I replaced the panel, it
didn't work at all. It turned out that the door lock mechanism and the
handle mechanism were fighting each other... once the door
was locked, the adjustment of the handle mechanism (linkage rod) was such
that it prevented the door from being unlocked, so the handle wouldn't open
the door (locked) and the lock wouldn't release. In other words, the
handle worked
fine to open the door until the door was locked, thereafter it wouldn't
work at all.
In my case it was a matter of adjusting the handle linkage so that it
allowed the
door to open with only a very small movement of the handle; that adjustment
in turn left the lock linkage free to move normally.

The problem may be similar to what Wayne describes...
On your car, the rod that goes from the handle to the latch has a slight
curve in it. If the curve has been increased(or straightened) the rod
can hang on a part of the lock mechanism near the latch. Also, while it
doesn't appear to need it for retention, there must be a clip retainer
on the rod at the point where it attaches to the door handle. If that
clip is missing, the rod will intermittently twist so that it hangs on
the lock mechanism mentioned above. The door will work "20 times" as
you described, but that 21st time after the door panel is on can be when
the rod decides to twist and hang. Ask me how I know.

"Yeni Penny" > wrote in message
...
> The problem may be similar to what Wayne describes...
> On your car, the rod that goes from the handle to the latch has a
> slight
> curve in it. If the curve has been increased(or straightened) the
> rod
> can hang on a part of the lock mechanism near the latch. Also,
> while it
> doesn't appear to need it for retention, there must be a clip
> retainer
> on the rod at the point where it attaches to the door handle. If
> that
> clip is missing, the rod will intermittently twist so that it hangs
> on
> the lock mechanism mentioned above. The door will work "20 times"
> as
> you described, but that 21st time after the door panel is on can be
> when
> the rod decides to twist and hang. Ask me how I know.
>
I already know how you know, but wonder if you did anything that makes
it work fool proof?

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd (with the drivers door scattered all over
the garage)

"Dad" > wrote in message
...
> "Yeni Penny" > wrote in message
> ...
> > The problem may be similar to what Wayne describes...
> > On your car, the rod that goes from the handle to the latch has a
> > slight
> > curve in it. If the curve has been increased(or straightened) the
> > rod
> > can hang on a part of the lock mechanism near the latch. Also,
> > while it
> > doesn't appear to need it for retention, there must be a clip
> > retainer
> > on the rod at the point where it attaches to the door handle. If
> > that
> > clip is missing, the rod will intermittently twist so that it hangs
> > on
> > the lock mechanism mentioned above. The door will work "20 times"
> > as
> > you described, but that 21st time after the door panel is on can be
> > when
> > the rod decides to twist and hang. Ask me how I know.
> >
> I already know how you know, but wonder if you did anything that makes
> it work fool proof?
>
> --
> Dad
> 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
> 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd (with the drivers door scattered all over
> the garage)
>
>
(Nothing can stop a sufficiently dedicated fool. Things can be made fool
proof, but not damn fool proof.) Same problem on my 1977. New clips, new
bend, and put the panel on just after the latest failure. That way you
should get twenty good openings before it fouls up again. However, I am
almost certain it won't work scattered on your garage floor.

Then again, in your case..... Nah, even you aren't that good.

Tried a thin walled flexible tube over the length of the rod on my last
install. So far it's holding. I think maybe things get wacky from the rod
scraping the inside of the panel over time. (It has only had about
seventeen good openings so far, however. The real test is when I get to the
21st.)

"BDragon" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Dad" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Yeni Penny" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > The problem may be similar to what Wayne describes...
>> > On your car, the rod that goes from the handle to the latch has a
>> > slight
>> > curve in it. If the curve has been increased(or straightened)
>> > the
>> > rod
>> > can hang on a part of the lock mechanism near the latch. Also,
>> > while it
>> > doesn't appear to need it for retention, there must be a clip
>> > retainer
>> > on the rod at the point where it attaches to the door handle. If
>> > that
>> > clip is missing, the rod will intermittently twist so that it
>> > hangs
>> > on
>> > the lock mechanism mentioned above. The door will work "20
>> > times"
>> > as
>> > you described, but that 21st time after the door panel is on can
>> > be
>> > when
>> > the rod decides to twist and hang. Ask me how I know.
>> >
>> I already know how you know, but wonder if you did anything that
>> makes
>> it work fool proof?
>>
>> --
>> Dad
>> 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
>> 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd (with the drivers door scattered all over
>> the garage)
>>
>>
> (Nothing can stop a sufficiently dedicated fool. Things can be made
> fool
> proof, but not damn fool proof.)

Wasn't looking for impute from a fool, just a correction to make it
more difficult for him. ;p

>Same problem on my 1977. New clips, new
> bend, and put the panel on just after the latest failure. That way
> you
> should get twenty good openings before it fouls up again. However,
> I am
> almost certain it won't work scattered on your garage floor.
>
> Then again, in your case..... Nah, even you aren't that good.
>
Again you ASSUME to much.

> Tried a thin walled flexible tube over the length of the rod on my
> last
> install. So far it's holding. I think maybe things get wacky from
> the rod
> scraping the inside of the panel over time. (It has only had about
> seventeen good openings so far, however. The real test is when I
> get to the
> 21st.)
>
Found what looks like the problem last night, needs one new part and I
think I'll replace the door handle while I've got it torn apart. Looks
like the latching mechanism could stand to have the staked pivots
reset to make the action more positive.

--
Dad

Life is a sexually transmitted condition that is always fatal.

"Dad" > wrote in message
.. .
>
> "BDragon" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Dad" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> "Yeni Penny" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >> > The problem may be similar to what Wayne describes...
> >> > On your car, the rod that goes from the handle to the latch has a
> >> > slight
> >> > curve in it. If the curve has been increased(or straightened)
> >> > the
> >> > rod
> >> > can hang on a part of the lock mechanism near the latch. Also,
> >> > while it
> >> > doesn't appear to need it for retention, there must be a clip
> >> > retainer
> >> > on the rod at the point where it attaches to the door handle. If
> >> > that
> >> > clip is missing, the rod will intermittently twist so that it
> >> > hangs
> >> > on
> >> > the lock mechanism mentioned above. The door will work "20
> >> > times"
> >> > as
> >> > you described, but that 21st time after the door panel is on can
> >> > be
> >> > when
> >> > the rod decides to twist and hang. Ask me how I know.
> >> >
> >> I already know how you know, but wonder if you did anything that
> >> makes
> >> it work fool proof?
> >>
> >> --
> >> Dad
> >> 05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
> >> 72 Shark Black/Black/4spd (with the drivers door scattered all over
> >> the garage)
> >>
> >>
> > (Nothing can stop a sufficiently dedicated fool. Things can be made
> > fool
> > proof, but not damn fool proof.)
>
> Wasn't looking for impute from a fool, just a correction to make it
> more difficult for him. ;p
>
> >Same problem on my 1977. New clips, new
> > bend, and put the panel on just after the latest failure. That way
> > you
> > should get twenty good openings before it fouls up again. However,
> > I am
> > almost certain it won't work scattered on your garage floor.
> >
> > Then again, in your case..... Nah, even you aren't that good.
> >
> Again you ASSUME to much.
>
> > Tried a thin walled flexible tube over the length of the rod on my
> > last
> > install. So far it's holding. I think maybe things get wacky from
> > the rod
> > scraping the inside of the panel over time. (It has only had about
> > seventeen good openings so far, however. The real test is when I
> > get to the
> > 21st.)
> >
> Found what looks like the problem last night, needs one new part and I
> think I'll replace the door handle while I've got it torn apart. Looks
> like the latching mechanism could stand to have the staked pivots
> reset to make the action more positive.
>
> --
> Dad
>
> Life is a sexually transmitted condition that is always fatal.
>
>
>
> Just when I thought I could escape being the fool, I gotta ask, what are
staked pivots? Is that the part of the mechanism that is hard riveted into
the inside of the door? How would one make adjustments to that?

When I did take both my doors down, I found a piece of some kind of covering
on one of the long rods. Do you know if there was something on those
originally? I slipped a piece of thinwall tubing over it because it seemed
like a good idea, but I don't know if it will make any difference.

My biggest problem was door sag, which I have fixed with new pins and
bushings. I also put in the new bushings or bumpers that keep the window
from rattling, but now it's really hard for the motor to get one of the
windows up. I'm backed off as far as it will go on the bumbers, and I
suppose over time it will get better, but can the angle be adjusted as the
window goes up and bends toward the inside of the car? I'd like to relieve
a little pressure that way. Are the track bottoms adjustable?

"BDragon" > wrote in message
...
>
>> Found what looks like the problem last night, needs one new part
>> and I
>> think I'll replace the door handle while I've got it torn apart.
>> Looks
>> like the latching mechanism could stand to have the staked pivots
>> reset to make the action more positive.
>> --
>> Dad
>>
>> Just when I thought I could escape being the fool, I gotta ask,
>> what are
> staked pivots? Is that the part of the mechanism that is hard
> riveted into
> the inside of the door? How would one make adjustments to that?
>
Correct, not to that point yet but will try it on a hydraulic press
first, which is doubtful but more controllable. If that don't work
I'll beat the hell out of it on the anvil with a 4 pound hand maul..
Right now I have the old handle setup in the mill to cut a slot in the
pushing arm of the paddle. My plan is to put a brass wheel in it just
a bit larger then the contacting radius to make a roller contact point
like roller rocker arms. If that works I'll do the passenger door
also. I never liked the way the C3 handles work and the little woman
always bitches about the damage they do to her nails. The screw on
connector on the paddle trip rod I'm going to make a new one with a
bigger stem and lock ring to tighten up the connection.

> When I did take both my doors down, I found a piece of some kind of
> covering
> on one of the long rods. Do you know if there was something on
> those
> originally? I slipped a piece of thinwall tubing over it because it
> seemed
> like a good idea, but I don't know if it will make any difference.
>
They used 2 kinds of sound dampeners, a cloth like sleeve and a rubber
grommet with a stem or neck.

> My biggest problem was door sag, which I have fixed with new pins
> and
> bushings. I also put in the new bushings or bumpers that keep the
> window
> from rattling, but now it's really hard for the motor to get one of
> the
> windows up. I'm backed off as far as it will go on the bumbers, and
> I
> suppose over time it will get better, but can the angle be adjusted
> as the
> window goes up and bends toward the inside of the car? I'd like to
> relieve
> a little pressure that way. Are the track bottoms adjustable?
>
Yes, tip in is adjustable.

I'll update it later and get some pictures but right now I'm cleaning
up 2.5 acres of lawn that had 18 pine trees that dropped many cones
and trash during some high winds. The kicker is that they are saying
more wind tomorrow.

Dad