Help- Can't get the glove box open

[gregbr]

It's my 2 year old ground up restoration truck, the 70 GMC shortbed factory 402. During the resto, I put in a brand new glove box latch (non locking). Now pushing the latch button only hurts your thumb, button does not move. Is there a way to get it open?? Keep in mind the nice paint & the plastic glove box liner that came with the vintage air kit. Thanks

[Lee H]

Can you push in slightly on the door and try to push the botton, maybe take some pressure off the latch??

[sir_talk_alot]

Well, a bfh is a bit overkill, so use a can of pb blaster and a sfh.
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[LockDoc]

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See if you can turn the button clockwise with your fingers. Even though these are non locking latches, if the button is inserted into the housing incorrectly at the factory they will be in the locked position. Would the lock bolt retract when you pushed the button before you installed it?

LockDoc

[gregbr]

Thanks for the advice. Have tried pushing on the door & using spary lube, no help. Will try turning the button. Thanks again.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by gregbr

Thanks for the advice. Have tried pushing on the door & using spary lube, no help. Will try turning the button. Thanks again.

If I remember correctly the button pushes on a slanted part of the spring loaded latch. I don't think you can turn the button though.

With the glove door open see if you can assist it by pushing the button at the same time you push on the latch piece. If the latch retracts but won't retract when using the button by itself you have a very rough or uneven slanted surface on the spring loaded latch or spring is too stiff. Try lubing it and working it up to see if it will loosen up.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by 68gmsee

If I remember correctly the button pushes on a slanted part of the spring loaded latch. I don't think you can turn the button though.

With the glove door open see if you can assist it by pushing the button at the same time you push on the latch piece. If the latch retracts but won't retract when using the button by itself you have a very rough or uneven slanted surface on the spring loaded latch or spring is too stiff. Try lubing it and working it up to see if it will loosen up.

The button pushes a pivot piece or "cam". The cam then retracts the latch (lock bolt). There is a small spring loaded wafer located in the push button that normally keeps it from turning. There are two positions that the push button can be inserted into the housing, locked and unlocked. If it was put together wrong at the factory you would be able to push the lock bolt down and insert it into the glove box door and then shut the door but you would not be able to push the button to unlatch it.

The problem is, he can't get the glove box door open.

There is no easy way to get it open without some kind of damage to either the lock, door or liner...

LockDoc

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

The button pushes a pivot piece or "cam". The cam then retracts the latch (lock bolt). ...
The problem is, he can't get the glove box door open.

There is no easy way to get it open without some kind of damage to either the lock, door or liner... LockDoc

I remember it was a 50's car that my dad had. Memory is faded but I seem to recall a ramp of some sort. Pushing on it moved the slide back and the spring restored it. Maybe I dreamed it.

"can't get the glove box door open."

I think if that's the case, I would cut the liner out and with a small flash light and screwdriver remove the latch asm on the door or the dash. It's would be the least destructive and can be easily replaced.

[gregbr]

Will mess with it this weekend and see what happens. After I installed the new latch on the freshly painted door, it worked for about six months, then one day....nothing.

Thanks, Will update soon.

[CC69Rat]

Little stuff like that happens to me all the time... I prob would have already taken a crow bar to it.

[gregbr]

No luck with pushing, turning or sorta beating on the latch. Will dig into it more when it cools off outside.

[Already Gone]

Old thread but I'm having the same problem. I've had the truck 10 years now and the original glove box door and push button intermittently worked sometime it would latch and sometimes when I hit a bump the door would flop down. Other times had a hell of time getting it to open but by pushing on the door and pushing the button sometimes it would open. After 3/4 years of that my buddy sold me a keyed one, and he might have got it from LockDoc but not 100% on that, and again worked intermittently and one time would not open after I locked it and thought the keyed lock was the problem so put the original back in and its been on and of working since. So I bought a chrome glove box door and painted the main part ( see picture) with wrinkle paint to match gauge surround and transferred the the original latch button to it. It did open again and sometimes had to fight it and lately it wont open and had a buddy in the passenger seat push and pull on it while I pushed the button but she won't open. From LockDoc post I'm thinking I got a button the was assembled back wards from the factory but if so why did the lock button act the same way. Does anyone know if it could be the non adjustable metal clip the button latches on to is not in the right place.

[LockDoc]

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Sometimes the latch/lock bolt will get a notch worn in it from movement and vibration of the door. That is why pushing in on the door will sometimes work. If the latch/lock bolt cam is broken nothing will make it work. Pushing hard or pounding on the button is what breaks the cam.

Here are pictures of GB locks with worn latch bolts. The first one the door would not stay closed. The second picture is what a bolt should look like minus the small notch. You can see why the one in the third picture would not retract unless you pushed in hard on the glove box door before pushing on the button.

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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Sometimes the latch/lock bolt will get a notch worn in it from movement and vibration of the door. That is why pushing in on the door will sometimes work. If the latch/lock bolt cam is broken nothing will make it work. Pushing hard or pounding on the button is what breaks the cam.

Here are pictures of GB locks with worn latch bolts. The first one the door would not stay closed. The second picture is what a bolt should look like minus the small notch. You can see why the one in the third picture would not retract unless you pushed in hard on the glove box door before pushing on the button.

Thanks for the info. I'm hoping I can get it open one more time without have to destry something to get it open .

[Rust_never_sleeps]

maybe probe around with a feeler gauge in case the plastic liner(or sum'n else) has slipped and is blocking the spring latch from moving to the open position

[Already Gone]

Okay next day. Temps in the night here are still real cool so took my truck to work last night and left in open air parkade all night. Metal does different things cold and warm/hot. This morning thought I'd try to open the gb door and pushed on it above the latch and pushed the button and it opened. When closing it woudnt latch completly so a sligt tug and it opened without pushing button. My question for LockDoc is my latch looks like the one u posted in the second picture and I'm figuring mine looks like it is supposed to, right ?

[best view]

Work ? How many times have you retired

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Already Gone

Okay next day. Temps in the night here are still real cool so took my truck to work last night and left in open air parkade all night. Metal does different things cold and warm/hot. This morning thought I'd try to open the gb door and pushed on it above the latch and pushed the button and it opened. When closing it woudnt latch completly so a sligt tug and it opened without pushing button. My question for LockDoc is my latch looks like the one u posted in the second picture and I'm figuring mine looks like it is supposed to, right ?

It looks like there is a little wear at the very end of the bolt, if so, the bolt is probably not going up into the striker very far. That is why you can pop it open without pushing on the button. Also it looks like the lock cylinder case is bent out a little bit behind the bolt which might let the bolt bind a little when it is retracting. The back of the case behind the bolt should be perfectly flat like the first picture. Pictures 2 & 3 show what the lock bolt looks like on a new case.

I would try shimming the striker down about a 1/16 of an inch and file the very top edge of the lock bolt a little bit just to remove the sharp edge.
.

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

It looks like there is a little wear at the very end of the bolt, if so, the bolt is probably not going up into the striker very far. That is why you can pop it open without pushing on the button. Also it looks like the lock cylinder case is bent out a little bit behind the bolt which might let the bolt bind a little when it is retracting. The back of the case behind the bolt should be perfectly flat like the first picture. Pictures 2 & 3 show what the lock bolt looks like on a new case.

I would try shimming the striker down about a 1/16 of an inch and file the very top edge of the lock bolt a little bit just to remove the sharp edge.
.

Thanks, I'll mess with it tomorrow.

[Jim Boy]

Now that you have it open, I would remove the box liner until the problem is solved WITHOUT QUESTION, leaving you the access needed to work on it. Good luck.