'59 Plymouth Forum

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Roger,is correct on the tab. Since i just installed these in my car it is fresh in my mind. To slide the tab towards you, (away from the front of the car, will slide it a bout a 1/2 inch or less, you don't take this tab out but just slide it by pulling it to you. When you re-install you insert the key cylinder and push the tab in (towards the fron to the car or hinge area) and it locks it into place. The travel of this tab is minimal.

Taking the door panel off helps to see this area. If you have the main 57/58 Yellow Factory Service manual a great view of this is on page 406. On page 405 it shows you to undo the adjusting pawl that attachs to the door handle to gain better access. This is thru the inner jamb area that has the door catch on it.

If you knock this tab off, you can re-install but in required me not having the door handle in to grap and position this tab back on. Do spray liberally with WD-40 due to the crusty conditon this part generally has being exposed.

I will try to take a picture of this area to see if it helps visualize the slide tab.

John Q.

Thanks, as always, John. Your pics remind me the door lock retainers are a bit more complex than the trunk lock retainers. The door lock retainers are a sort of self-contained mechanism, although it isvery difficult to see this from John's pictures.
Use a flashlight, and look for the upright "tab"....

Thanks for all the help, you guys. The visuals are great. I've got the door panel off on the passenger side and have had a good look at that lock. The bracket is a little bent, and I suspect that this is not helping me slide the thing over. I'm also having a hard time getting a good enough purchase on that tab to keep my tools from slipping off it when I give it a good solid pull. I may spray some more lube in there and leave it for a couple more days and see if that helps. I do have the yellow shop manual, but it makes this whole procedure look annoyingly simple compared to how it's playing out in real life. I suppose that's to be expected with anything that has 50 years worth of crust built up on it.

In the meantime, having the panels off the doors is a good time to clean out the goop piled up in the bottom of it. It's disgusting and it''s plugging the drain holes. I'm afraid my doors will start sloshing after I wash the car if I don't get them cleared out so the water can drain!

Revised:
The trunk lock is held in place with a springy-metal clip.
These "clips" have a right-angle bend (tab)...at one end. Use this tab to place a screwdriver against and then tap it (sometimes hard!) to slide it off.
The door lock retainers are a bit different. The doors have a slot to access the tab. For the door locks, you must PULL on the tab.
Maximum movement on these sliding clips is ~ 1/2" or less.

Maybe not needed anymore but Masterkey03 is back on Ebay and has listed another set of 2 door locks and one ignition including keys http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1957-58- ... ccessories Starting bid is $39,95 maybe even cheaper than going to a locksmith.

Ron

Yeah, I don't think I'll need to order new door locks. The local guy I found spent a couple of hours with me the other day trying every tool in his box to pry these clips off to no avail and he didn't charge me a dime. He also made a copy of my current key for free (and he has plenty of blanks to make more). I don't think he'll charge me much to re-do the existing locks once I get them out (and at this point I feel I owe it to him after he spent all that time at no charge). I just sprayed them again today, and I'm thinking I might go in there tomorrow with a hammer and screwdriver and see if I can't tap it from inside the door. I've got slender enough arms I can actually reach up in there where he couldn't.

My apologies...I modified John Q's photo for viewing, but now I just can't remember how to properly post it!

rogerh wrote:My apologies...I modified a photo for viewing, but I just can't remember how to properly post it!

Roger,

Send it to my email and I will post it for you!

Ron

Here's the artwork Roger made, I think this will help a lot!

Hallelujah!! I went in with the hammer and screwdriver and gave the clip a few good taps from inside the door and it finally slid over! I got the lock out of the passenger side now, and I'll do the driver side tomorrow once I get the door panel off. Thanks so much for all the help and the great photos and diagrams! Those were a huge help in figuring out exactly where I needed to smack the thing.