Just bought a 68 C10! Few questions
 

I love this truck. It's absolutely gorgeous and the previous owner took great care of it. However, two funky things happen with this truck. I noticed the front left turn signal in the grill was burnt out. I replaced it, but it didn't work. When the bulb is in backwards (ie the indexing posts are in backwards, so the bulb won't spin and lock into place) it works! How do I fix this!

Second, when I push the drivers door lock down into the locked position and close the door, the lock pops back up. The key can unlock the lock but doesn't want to lock the door when it's closed. What might cause this? Just lack of lubrication by chance?

Thanks a ton in advance!

Damon

Re: Just bought a 68 C10! Few questions
 

There are several threads related to door locks that say this is a feature to prevent someone from locking their keys in the truck.


Steve

Re: Just bought a 68 C10! Few questions
 

Thanks Steve, that makes a lot of sense. I'll have to see if I can free up the action a bit on the driver door lock so I can lock it with the key.

Any clue on the 1157 bulb only working when twisted 180 degrees?

Re: Just bought a 68 C10! Few questions
 

Damon, I haven't had to work on any of my lights, so I can't help with the bulb issue.

Here is a link to a thread that discusses lock issues: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=678170

I have replaced the latches on both doors, but still have to push on the door to be able to lock it with the key. My door hinges are badly worn, so after I rebuild those I will make some better adjustments.

Re: Just bought a 68 C10! Few questions
 

Try pushing in on the door to unlock it with the key. If you roll the window down and use a good flashlight you can see and lube the door latch and lock parts. Just look in the opening at the back of the glass.

I presume you have tried a different bulb. The new one may be defective....

LockDoc

Re: Just bought a 68 C10! Few questions
 

Have you traced the wiring back to see if it was cut off and spliced incorrectly at some point? That's my only thought on the light bulb, if it works when put in opposite of how it should.

As far as the locks, I had similar difficulty with the locks in my '68 C15. I found that cleaning with PB Blaster got it freed up and working significantly better. Though, I imagine that it's not the right long term fix, as the PB Blaster will likely attract a lot of dirt anD cake back up, though it worked well to get it working again. I probably need to now clean again and lube with the appropriate lube that won't attract dust and dirt.

Also, if you look at how your door lock mechanism works, if you remove the door latch, in a matter of a few minutes you could modify your door latches to no longer unlock themselves when closed. There is a small triangular shape protruding from the latch that is bumped when passing the strike plate on the truck. If that triangular shape were to be ground flat, it would prevent the unlocking of the door when closed. I will try to remember to take some pictures of mine. It was a feature to prevent accidentally locking yourself out of the truck, as stated above, but I wasn't a fan, either. It's a pretty simple modification, if you really don't like it.