© 1998-2008 Joe Weaver

 

 

Doors &

Windows

Part 3

Removing Door Locking & Latching Mechanism

The complete door locking mechanism after removal from the car.

All the linkages in the doors are held on by self retaining clips. The three photos below show how to attach linkages to them.

To remove the linkage, use a screwdriver to pry the retainer off the linkage, then pull the linkage out.

This is the door lock. It is held in by three large screws (although one is missing in this photo).

This is the retaining clip that holds in the key lock on the outside of the door.

The two pictures above show the retaining clip holding the key lock as viewed from inside the door cavity. To remove the key lock, remove the retaining clip, undo the linkage to the door lock, and pull the key lock out from the outside of the door. Note the picture on the left also shows the rear glass run for the roll up window--it has been removed in the right photo. The right photo shows three of the four linkages going to the door lock. The one on the left is (as discussed) from the key lock. The center one is from the outside door opening handle. The one in the right of the photo comes from the inside door opening handle at front of the door. The linkage not seen here is just off the right of the photo and comes from the "push/pull" locking knob that you use to lock/unlock the door inside the car. When I removed the door lock assembly, I left all the linkages attached to the door lock (after undoing the linkages from the other end) so that I had four linkages dangling from the assembly. This should make it easier see where each linkage goes when reassembling the car. See the photos below.

This is the door lock mechanism removed from the car. Although the contrast is less than desirable in these two photos, you can get a better idea of the relationships of all the components and linkages when outside the car. You can see all four linkages to the door lock; the outside door handle, the key lock, the inside push/pull lock, and the inside door opening linkage.

The screw on the right in the left picture is one of two that holds on the outside door handle. The other end of the handle is held on by a nut and can be seen in the top left of the right picture and is accessed from inside the door cavity. The right photo also shows the outside door handle button mechanism and the linkage going down to the door lock. The linkage is held on by a clip on each end as described above. Once the clip is removed, the door handle can be removed by removing the nut and screw, and pulling the handle out and upward.

The door handle after removal. The nut is on the left and the screw is on the right.

The left photo shows the linkage from the inside door opening handle to the door lock (looking up and to the rear of the door). It is attached to the door lock with the same type clip mentioned above. Also visible is the rear glass run for the roll up window. The right photo shows a retaining clip that the linkage passes through which holds it in place about half way between the door lock and the inside door opening handle (looking down inside the door cavity). This linkage is covered with a cloth sheathing to prevent rattling. If yours is deteriorated, it can cause rattling while driving and squeaking when operating the inside door opening handle.

The linkage from the inside door opening handle to the door lock after being removed from the car. Note it is labeled as to which side door it was taken out of.

After the door lock, the key lock, the outside door handle, the inside door handle mechanism and all linkages are removed, the door has been completely stripped. You probably noted the rust inside my door cavity. It is normal for the inside of the door cavity to get very wet when driving in rainy weather (in fact, if you choose to put speakers in your doors, you need to get ones with waterproof cones, or get covers to protect them--be sure to check the clearance with the window going both up and down). After the door cavity is empty, remove all rust and prime, or remove all loose rust and use a good rust converter, then prime. Note that sound deadener was often sprayed in the doors, and often it has gotten water between it and the door metal--make sure you get off all loose deadener and take care of any rust underneath before priming and painting. Consider installing a good sound deadener such as Dynamat, or a spray or brush on coating. It is not cheap, but proper liberal use of a good sound deadener (along with the weather stripping being in good shape) can help make your Falcon as quiet as a $50,000 luxury automobile.

A quick note on the window frames. The vent window frame structure is chromed pot metal. It is a large piece and expensive to re-chrome but worth the cost if you are doing a full restoration. The frame on the top & rear of the roll up window in each door is stainless steel and can be buffed & polished to look as good as chrome. The bottom frame for these windows is pot metal but is not seen so chroming is not necessary. The frame around the actual vent window glass is also stainless steel. (The rear window removal will be covered in another issue, but as a note, the rear window frame is chromed pot metal on the front of the glass, and the rear of the frame around the glass is stainless steel). Removing the stainless steel frames from the glass is difficult and they are easily bent. If you choose to do this (as I did) so that the frames can be buffed, use extra care and take your time. Also, there is a rubber gasket between the glass and the frame, and when the windows are separated from the frames it is often discovered that the rubber has deteriorated to the point of being unusable. This has been the cause of leaking vent windows to many Falcon and Mustang owners. I will cover in another issue the replacing the rotted rubber gaskets when reassembling the windows.

This is the end of the Doors & Windows Edition

Part 3

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Feel free to save this page to your computer for your personal use and future reference--no other use is authorized without prior written permission from me. All illustrations from the 1964 or 1965 Falcon Shop Manuals used pursuant to permission granted by Ford Motor Company. Disclaimer: This site is not intended to instruct or teach anyone in proper or safe methods of working on or maintaining any type of vehicle or use of any tool and the author takes no responsibility for the use of the information contained herein.

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at joe@joesfalcon.com