stuck doors!!

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barbee6043

barbee 6043
FABO Gold Member
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Location
Shepherd, Texas ( SE Tx)
I admit I have never had this problem before, but this 64 B body ply. post car has sat outside here in sorta dryish Texas for the last 40 years. I gotthe vent wind open, the window meanism is rusted and can;t rill down the glass. Doors are unlocked, I can move the inside door handle,, the outside handle seems to be working. Could not budge the door.
Since it is an Early B body, the floors are pretty much history, especially since it came new with the rubber floor covering!
So I jacked it up, front end still sitting on the car trailer, and cut out a little more rsted floor, and crawled into the beast. I had already taken off the 4 nuts holding down the front bench, and moved it forward. Got the door panel off, and the inside door mecansim is no dobt rusted froze.
Soaked it all with rust penetrant, day later still froze. I retired the acetelyn torch 4 years ago with it was woreout and both tanks were empty.
Question is will a map gas torch get it hot enough to free it up?
Any other ideas? Thanks
 
I admit I have never had this problem before, but this 64 B body ply. post car has sat outside here in sorta dryish Texas for the last 40 years. I gotthe vent wind open, the window meanism is rusted and can;t rill down the glass. Doors are unlocked, I can move the inside door handle,, the outside handle seems to be working. Could not budge the door.
Since it is an Early B body, the floors are pretty much history, especially since it came new with the rubber floor covering!
So I jacked it up, front end still sitting on the car trailer, and cut out a little more rsted floor, and crawled into the beast. I had already taken off the 4 nuts holding down the front bench, and moved it forward. Got the door panel off, and the inside door mecansim is no dobt rusted froze.
Soaked it all with rust penetrant, day later still froze. I retired the acetelyn torch 4 years ago with it was woreout and both tanks were empty.
Question is will a map gas torch get it hot enough to free it up?
Any other ideas? Thanks
I admit I have never had this problem before, but this 64 B body ply. post car has sat outside here in sorta dryish Texas for the last 40 years. I gotthe vent wind open, the window meanism is rusted and can;t rill down the glass. Doors are unlocked, I can move the inside door handle,, the outside handle seems to be working. Could not budge the door.
Since it is an Early B body, the floors are pretty much history, especially since it came new with the rubber floor covering!
So I jacked it up, front end still sitting on the car trailer, and cut out a little more rsted floor, and crawled into the beast. I had already taken off the 4 nuts holding down the front bench, and moved it forward. Got the door panel off, and the inside door mecansim is no dobt rusted froze.
Soaked it all with rust penetrant, day later still froze. I retired the acetelyn torch 4 years ago with it was woreout and both tanks were empty.
Question is will a map gas torch get it hot enough to free it up?
Any other ideas? Thanks

Have you tried P B blaster , has worked within 30 minutes on rust for me .
 
^^^PB Blaster and Liquid wrench!! also. Yankees have something they call Kroil they swear by but it must be a Northern commodity!!
Kroil is like in a orange 3in1 oil type container used by high end machine shops like $20 a small can.
It is now being sold locally here in the North east at "REAL" hardware stores.
The stuff is excellent but I've yet to use it as a penetrant only as machine oil for threading and cutting.
 
Question is will a map gas torch get it hot enough to free it up?
Any other ideas? Thanks

map gas used with oxygen will certainly heat metal cherry red. Years ago when I couldn’t afford oxyacetylene so next best was the Map with a small tank of O2. Has done the job over the years for me.
 
you'll probably get somewhere with some heat but I wouldn't think you need to get it red hot... PB, heat and repeat. Also, a punch and a hammer if you can get it in there just to shake it up
 
^^^PB Blaster and Liquid wrench!! also. Yankees have something they call Kroil they swear by but it must be a Northern commodity!!
You can buy Kroil from Amazon, you will throw PB and Liquid wrench in trash after using the Kroil.
Be warned, it stinks bad. I think it is bottled skunk piss.
 
you'll probably get somewhere with some heat but I wouldn't think you need to get it red hot... PB, heat and repeat. Also, a punch and a hammer if you can get it in there just to shake it up
Yes, I did the hammer/punch deal also.
I will go to Amazon and order some Kroil. With all the bad rust in New England, I figure those guys understand what works!
I drug home a 77 Volare wagon from the dry Tx Hill Country coue years back, got it for the perfect grill.$500 complete rust free n running wagon. I took me quite a while to get the floors open, latches worked, but..they were stuck at the door weather striping, like super glued together!!!! lo
 
Yes, I did the hammer/punch deal also.
I will go to Amazon and order some Kroil. With all the bad rust in New England, I figure those guys understand what works!
I drug home a 77 Volare wagon from the dry Tx Hill Country coue years back, got it for the perfect grill.$500 complete rust free n running wagon. I took me quite a while to get the floors open, latches worked, but..they were stuck at the door weather striping, like super glued together!!!! lo

We used kroll when I worked for the city of Tulsa , it never showed me anything special , except expensive , always thot p b blaster worked faster -----------------??
 
You sure it ain`t sagging jambing the doors tight?

I have gently pried on the doors thinking it could be that, but have not budged them. I soaked them with penetrant yesterday, hosed it out today best I could, I will get back at it tomorrow if the rain lets up.
I have had these old Mopars with most if the floors out and the doors still shut fine.
Yesterday I could not move the inside door latch mechanism with a punch and hammer! With the handle opening the inside latch to open.
You should see this old 72 yr old 6 ft tall, woreout man, climb in from underneath thru where the rear floor pan used to be. Yes tunnel is still there! lol
 
I had to use prybar and a block of wood and pried the doors open on my dart.
Never thought about it until now, but my porta power would have pushed the drivers door open after i got passenger side open.
Prybar to open trunk too.
 
i would try with it sitting as flat as possible to get a jack right under the door and jack it up
see what that does
 
Took the air cheisel and gave her some good knocks, finally the mechanism got loose and door popped right open. LIke I figured rusted and not moving even with 3 days of penetrant and beating it with the long punch and good hammer!
Now for the window, its rusted shut too!!!!!! lol, and the other door!!!
The floors have rusted out, but I had 2 of these back about '95 or 6 and they were in same shape!!! Sitting out in Tx does not bother the frames!!!
Like said, last time this sucker was on the highway was '80!!!!
 
Damn, was this thing a gulf coast salt water hurricane flood car? lol

No not really, just has sat outside since '80, thats 40 years! If it was an hour further West it would have done better though. Just humidity.
I have to out out and use the air cheisel on the other door now!!!!
Body is pretty solid except floors and some on cowl as all early b bodies are.
I had a twin to it I built back bout '95 with a 440 4 speed It was a slant 3 on tree car also. I'm getting too old for this!
 
Ca. coast cars? lol Lots of dry air in Tx just not in Huntsville. All cars rust somewhere early B cars rusted in floors and a few other places just like all models! Not sure why the door mchanisms were stuck so bad, Had to be just enough rust. Maybe fumes from th hiuge Tx rat turds! LOL
Other than floors, small place on cowl pretty darn solid old car. I have built many 68-70 Runners and Chargers 20 yrs ago a lot rustier!!!
 
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Help. My door on my 73 duster inst opening. The door is unlocked. The button goes down on the exterior and i can see the parts moving on the inside but the latch wont budge. Help.
 
Help. My door on my 73 duster inst opening. The door is unlocked. The button goes down on the exterior and i can see the parts moving on the inside but the latch wont budge. Help.
Mine were rusted shut. What I all the mechanism that keeps the door shut. I had soaked with penetrant several days and hit it hard with long punch and big hamer! I finlly gotit working with th air chesel an somegood pounding. Once free it moves and works great!!
The second dorr was same xcepththe lock was also rusted shut and almost catching th gear to lock it. It as just up against the mechanism and that mechanism was also rusted shut. The window regulators are also rusted and not moving!!!
This is a Tx car, NOT on the coast and sat with all windows up!! But had sat sine 1980!!!! LOL
I probably would have never got it unstuck without that air chisel, my torch was down and that could have easily got it loose. But..
 
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I'll try more penetrant. Im confused because I use that door every day. Somewhere along the lines a previous owner changed the driver side lock and lost the key. This is also my first car ever so i really dont know what im doing. Thanks for the tips!
 
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