Zoider

My manual door locks are really hard to lock. I'd like to clean and lubricate the door latch. I've got the door panel off and if I stick my finger up inside there is old gunky lubricant on the inside of the latch. I sprayed a generous amount brake cleaner on it from the outside and inside last night. Looking at it in the sun today, it's still really got a lot of dirt and crud on it and the inside still feels sticky from old lubricant.

The FSM has 8 steps to removing the latch. They include removing the outside door handle, lock cylinder, all the rods and the power lock actuator. Not being mechanically inclined and just learning to do the work myself I find them fairly intimidating, especially times 4 doors (although the back doors don't have the lock cylinders.)

Is there an easier way to get it clean?

On a side note, if you drill out the rivets holding things to the door panel what do you replace them with? What size drill bit? What don't they tell you about what not to screw up?

I think I remember seeing nuts and bolts as the replacement, can someone tell me the size to use?

Tx9h6e4cuda

I had a issue with a old 78 impala 2 door where the door was locked and the latch was seized up. I removed the door panel (with the door closed that was fun) without destroying the panel and used seafoam deep creep and a product called Kroil on it. I started working the rods in the lock and it released. I did remove the latch but in your case I would use more Carb cleaner and keep spraying it until it cleans off (it will with enough cans) and wiping the mechanism down. I'm sorry but I don't know the size you need for bolts other then bringing in a dead rivet and comparing with some small bolts.