S/W Door Assembly Question

Doug in NJ

Doug in NJ

Well-known member
Hello,

Does anybody know if the door latch mechanism can be installed (or removed) with the window glass and regulator in place? Or is it necessary to install the latch mechanism first, before doing the glass?

Doug

(If I had taken better notes when I took may door apart, I would know the answer...)
 
I recently finished a slant window fordor, and installed the latches first. I cannot say for sure if you could install them later, but the glass is enough of a pain to install that I would not want to do it twice. I did have to do it twice, because the car was missing the lower glass channels, and the repros are JUNK. They are so thin that they will not grip the glass tightly enough to prevent the channel from being pulled off on the way down. I had the glass glued into the channels with modern windshield glue at the glass shop.
 
I just tried to take a lock mechanism out after putting the door together and found I had to take out the window and regulator. The channel on the lock side goes right through the lock. Sucks!
 
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A fellow club member and S/W owner ask me a similiar question last week. I wnet to my partially assembled S/W door to try to take the lock/latch out in order to answer his question. My discovery was the window, regulator nad channel had to be removed to get to the latch and on the front door especially that is a royal pain in the A*&^%.

In Bill's case the latch spring has broken.
 
Recently I had to replace two latch springs on my 31 S/W. First the plate on the top of the door has to be removed. Un-hook the window side channel from the top and bottom, as this channel runs through the door latch assembly. Slide the channel up through the top of the door about 8". Wind the window up to near the top as far as possible. This will bind with the channel holding it in place. I did not want to remove the window or side channel as I thought there might be a problem with re-installation. The door latch mechanism can then be un-bolted from the edge of the door and the inside panel and lifted out. Sometimes you may have to unbolt the window regulator from the door panel to obtain enough access to remove the latch mechanism. At this point, you may have to use a soft-ended long jaw wood clamp to hold the glass and channel in the upper most position. The latch mechanism's usually need to be rebuilt with new pivot pins (obtainable from Snyder's), also the outside door handle socket in the latch mechanism, needs to be silver soldered or brazed in opposite rotational direction to restore the action. This will repair the sag of the outside door handle, which is common with this style. These latch mechanism's were not made by the Ford Motor Company. I have forgot the maker's name. Not a nice job, but after awhile becomes necessary.
 
Thanks for all the detailed replies. My situation is this: My doors are freshly painted and hung, just the bare shells. The window regulators and bottom channels are almost ready, and I am about to order the glass, but I was planning to rebuild the latches over the winter. Based on everybody's advice, I will defer doing the side windows until the latches are done. (I can also do the windshield, quarter windows, and rear window in the meantime.)

Doug
 
I am confused: "First the plate on the top of the door has to be removed."
Is it me I have never seen a top plate on a Slant window 4 dr sedan.
 
I am confused: "First the plate on the top of the door has to be removed."
Is it me I have never seen a top plate on a Slant window 4 dr sedan.
Click to expand...

I thought the same exact thing. Sounds like a Tudor, etc.
 
Sorry....my mistake ! Senior years catching up I guess. I must have been thinking of a different vehicle, possibly a AA. My S/W is mid 1931 and its the top of the two piece window moulding that needs to be removed.
 
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