Nick, there's a discussion of this/your problem, on our forwardlook.net website, on the last (or 2nd-to-last) page on the What-did-you-do-to-your car-today thread, on its General Discussion message board. As I wrote/showed on that thread, the door latch's lower set of gear teeth (which are not visible, due to their relatively hidden location insidethe latch's interior---see my pics on that thread), may have had a tooth break off or jam-up the release mechanism, so that the door will not open. In my car's instance, a lower-gear tooth broke off & fell into the interior of the door cavity, but I was able to have the door continue to open & close(as you can see/read in that thread), so, I was able to get direct access to the door latch and to replace it, relatively easily.Recently, a man with a 57 PLY, on that thread, has reported that his car's door has jammed up to the extent that it, too, will not open, at all.Before an air-chisel might have to be used on the stuck-latch, to remove/release it from the door jamb, and allow the door to open, I suggested that the owner create a sort of lever that might be lowered into the door interior (as he had not, yet, removed the trim panel from the stuck-shut door--a not pleasant protocol, for sure).I also suggested that a replacement latch be obtained before that latch-surgery be performed.I further recommended that any replacement latch have its lower gear teeth be inspected, for deterioration, as the lower gears are not visible unless a latch is removed from a car, and their condition is MUCH more subject to wear-outthan are the upper, visible gear teeth---which gives 'everyone' a false sense of security, regarding the general condition of their door latches.To date, that man with the stuck-door has not posted any further results of his efforts to open that door.I've got a good condition spare passenger side door latch, but, the driver's side latch is the one that is really vulnerable to catastrophic failure, and, no matter how nice your car may look, its (driver's side, anyway) door latch has a very serious potential failure prospect in it, in its "hidden-from-view" lower gear teeth mechanism. This long message is a caveat to all of us.... Neil Vedder Neil Vedder Nick Sperduto wrote: I went to get into my 56 Plymouth today and the door wouldn't open. After I got home, I was able to get the door panel off and the outer door handle. Something is broken in the latch assembly so when you pull on the outer handle or the inner handle, the mechanism moves, but whatever piece inside that mechanism that unlocks the star wheel doesn't move, so the door won't open. I have another mechanism to put in which is how I figured out something inside that mechanism is broke. Any ideas? I've been messing with it for almost 2 hours now. While climbing in and out like Bo Duke would be fun, I'm sure it would lose it's appeal quite soon. Nick ************************************************************* To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1 ************************************************************* To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1
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