My drivers door lock is not quite right along with the exterior door open button. The key had gotten to the point of not turning in the lock at all. I think the tumblers may be warn, but with a bit of jiggling the key and WD40ing the linkage, it's moving better now. I don't see a whole lot of adjustment in the rods. I was wondering if anyone had any pointers in adjusting the whole door lock system. The exterior door button doesn't have any feedback when you press it. Looking inside the door, I see it just push a rod out to flip a lever that moves the actuating link. It feels like something isn't setup correct but I'm not quite sure what. I've got a '62 shop manual and am looking at the exploded diagram and reading the steps to replace linkage and locks but it doesn't detail any adjustments for "if this, then adjust that".
Unfortunately, there just isn't much to adjusting door button and lock linkages. However, inspect the latch levers very closely. Look for bent/cracked levers, broken or missing attachment hardware, and bent pushrods. If all is good, verify the actuator lever on the button isn't broken, and the button isn't bent or broken either. You must do this because adjusting out the slop can push bending parts to break, and now you can't unlock or open the door.
Thanks for the reply. The actuator rods look good, but something is not quite right. I am able to turn the lock with the key, but it still takes some jiggling. I am wondering if the tumblers are worn.
Chance is, they are. Disconnect and remove the tumbler from the door to verify the lock cylinder's condition.
Behind the push button there is a spring that returns the push rod. I have found that removing the latch, door handle, and lock to clean the old years worth of grime and grease usually fixes these problems. Adjustment of the rods is simply done by a slight bending.
Good to know, I thought there had to be a spring to give the button some feel when you press it. I'll definitely give that a try.
WD40 is a temporary lubricant, it dissipates away. If the moving parts need lube, try powdered graphite. I had the same issue on my 67 Plymouth, it fixed it pronto.
When I bought my 66 Fairlane, the driver's door lock would not turn, but the door could be locked/unlocked from the inside. None of the actuating rods appeared to be bent out of shape so I assumed it was the lock. A replacement lock set didn't fix the problem so I compared the latch mechanisms and rods in both doors. I discovered that the lever on the latch that attaches to the rod from the lock cylinder was bent. Twisted in a way that was not apparent that it was damaged. I decided to pull the mechanisms out of both doors to inspect and lubricate them. I also put some plastic in the rods guides to eliminate the rattle as most of the sheathing had disintegrated.
Yours is a good reason for close inspection, as any part that's bent, even just slightly, can affect it.
