Doors Stuck Shut

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Hey Guys new to the forum so need your help. Just picked up a nice 71' K20 Cheyenne about three weeks ago and for the life of me can not get the doors open. Was able to get the passenger side window down and the door handles both inside and out actuate but the door will not budge. I don't want to resort to force or prying it open. Any suggestions a lot of PB blaster and kroil have already been used. The truck has been sitting outside since 2009.

[AJC]

Is it locked? Did it open before for you? Looks like a nice truck.

[DuckDudeWRYF]

I just pulled it from the bushes to my house on a flat bed and washed it. That's all I've done to it so far. I got the passenger side lock up driver side is still lock down.

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Have no idea when the doors where last opened.

[notsolo]

EWelcome...Beautiful truck, Great score....keep working the locks, is the push button outside depressed? move the lock mechanism
Up and down, apply pb blaster, nudge the door from inside with some one outside pushing the button. Good luck...more photo's please unusual for the black around the grill to still be there.

[AJC]

With the passenger side unlocked will the door open maybe 1/4 of an inch?

From service manual.

[lowrollin70gmc]

Make sure both locks are pulled up, even cycle them a few times.

Try pushing on the entire door as you push on the door handle. This may help the latch release if it’s under pressure. And you can alternate pushing on the door and pulling on the handle while keeping the button pressed.

Further, if you can get the window down, you should be able to see down to the latch and/or be able to spray it with a penetrant to help work it loose.

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Thanks guys yeah the window is down I was thinking of climbing in and taking off the panel. No it’s not open even a 1/4”. I haven’t done anything to her except pull it out of the bushes and was it. Don’t want to force anything. I know it takes years to lick up so it will take weeks to unlock. I’ll keep you posted I guess. Is it unusual to still have the black boarder on the grill this is all new to me.

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Here’s how I found it in the bushes

[trac209]

Nice truck and wow it looks super clean after sitting in bushes like that. Very nice work on cleaning it up.

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Thank you it is super clean and straight. I’ll keep adding photos thourhout the process.

[dmjlambert]

I love those pictures of it covered with vines. I recommend adding those to the artistic shots thread; those are something to behold. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...448277&page=41

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

You should name that truck "Tarzan" because you found it in the jungle on the vines!
And speaking of "vines", I wonder if they grew up into your door lock mechanism...?

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Thanks guys. I will add them to the artistic thread.

[LockDoc]

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Like lowrollin70GMC said, with the window down and using a good strong flashlight you can see the lock and latch mechanism. Spray it good with some PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench penetrating oil. Also spray some inside the door lock cylinder. Use the key to unlock it and push in on the door while turning the key. Don't force it or you will break the key off in the lock. There is really no reason the doors shouldn't open.

LockDoc

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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Like lowrollin70GMC said, with the window down and using a good strong flashlight you can see the lock and latch mechanism. Spray it good with some PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench penetrating oil. Also spray some inside the door lock cylinder. Use the key to unlock it and push in on the door while turning the key. Don't force it or you will break the key off in the lock. There is really no reason the doors shouldn't open.

LockDoc

Thanks LockDoc I’ll try that in the morning and let you know how it goes

[AussieinNC]

The drivers door lock button is down meaning one of two things...
the door is locked...lift the chrome button on inside of the door at the rear of window opening...

or

the door is locked and the release rod is unhooked from the latch...remove the inner door cover and reach in and pull the release lever up...then open the door...

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
Like lowrollin70GMC said, with the window down and using a good strong flashlight you can see the lock and latch mechanism. Spray it good with some PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench penetrating oil. Also spray some inside the door lock cylinder. Use the key to unlock it and push in on the door while turning the key. Don't force it or you will break the key off in the lock. There is really no reason the doors shouldn't open.

LockDoc

Ok hit it hard with the PB blaster right on the mechanizums doors still solid will not budge.

[68 TT]

One of my trucks does this now and again even with the door unlocked and having functioned properly the last time I opened & closed it just minutes before let alone years like you are dealing with.

In my case I think it is a worn spot on the latch mechanism gear that is allowing the door to sag just enough that the latch mechanism housing on the door shell is hanging up on the latch portion attached to the cab. It is possible you are dealing with something like this as well. Try gently lifting the door at the back bottom edge right at the rocker panel with a wooden wedge. It only needs to move a very small amount in my truck to get the door to open again. I would guess it is under an 1/8". Worth a shot.

Same truck has a door lock that sometimes when you pull the lock rod up it does not unlock the door. You have to push it back down and pull back up again until it comes up further. You can hear it make a different sound that cues you in to it actually being unlocked. Does the same with the key from the outside. Another possibility for you.

On my 67 Suburban that sat for 34 years in a farmers back yard before I bought it the barn doors were stuck shut. It was the lock / latch mechanism inside the door that was gummed up. Even with the key turned back and forth a few dozen times and moving full range through lock and unlock it wouldn't unlock the latch mechanism. Since the doors were locked the outside button is non-functional so no amount of trying from the outside would ever get it open. Had to pull the access panel off the inside and hose it down with penetrating oil then manually move the parts from the inside to free things up so it would open. This could be your case too. The outside button on the handle does nothing if the door latch is stuck in the locked position.

Do you have access to the inside of the door yet? I would disconnect the linkage rod from the inside door handle and take the lock cylinder out of the door then try working both the lock and the latch release mechanism back and forth several times. After having just rebuilt several inside door handle bell crank mechanisms and seeing how much carnage and slop there is in them this could be contributing to some of your problem on the driver side since it gets the most use and wear. A badly worn inside handle mechanism might not be pulling the linkage far enough to disengage the latch.

The inside door handle does not automatically unlock the door on the 67-71 trucks I have owned unlike some later model ones that will so just trying the inside handle with the door lock mechanism stuck in the locked position is no help.

I am leaning toward your problem being a gummed up lock mechanism inside the door but it could be a combination of some of the mechanical oddities I noted above as well

Hope some of this helps. Good luck.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by DuckDudeWRYF

Ok hit it hard with the PB blaster right on the mechanizums doors still solid will not budge.

OK, did you try pushing in on the door when turning the key to the unlock position? Put your knee on the door along the back edge, right under the door lock, and push in with your knee at the same time you turn the key to the unlock position. I have to do that with the passengers door on my Panel Truck to get it to lock or unlock since I put a different door on it. If the inside lock button is going up and down all the way when you turn the key then you have another problem. Maybe the door is just stuck to the rubber door seal in which case you would have to pry on it with a plastic tool while pulling on it.

I'm still betting that you are not getting the lock mechanism unlocked all the way.

LockDoc

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by DuckDudeWRYF

Thanks guys yeah the window is down I was thinking of climbing in and taking off the panel. No it’s not open even a 1/4”. I haven’t done anything to her except pull it out of the bushes and was it. Don’t want to force anything. I know it takes years to lick up so it will take weeks to unlock. I’ll keep you posted I guess. Is it unusual to still have the black boarder on the grill this is all new to me.

71's had a black boarder around the grill. Almost nobody bothers to put the boarder back.

Those doors will never open, so you might as well let me come and pick the truck up.

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

OK, did you try pushing in on the door when turning the key to the unlock position? Put your knee on the door along the back edge, right under the door lock, and push in with your knee at the same time you turn the key to the unlock position. I have to do that with the passengers door on my Panel Truck to get it to lock or unlock since I put a different door on it. If the inside lock button is going up and down all the way when you turn the key then you have another problem. Maybe the door is just stuck to the rubber door seal in which case you would have to pry on it with a plastic tool while pulling on it.

I'm still betting that you are not getting the lock mechanism unlocked all the way.

LockDoc

LockDoc yeah I tried all that I’m 6’5” and 320 pounds I put all of me into it and still nothing. I think now that I have the windows down I’ll take the door panels off and acsess the mechanism. I don’t want to keep forcing things and break something

[DuckDudeWRYF]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

One of my trucks does this now and again even with the door unlocked and having functioned properly the last time I opened & closed it just minutes before let alone years like you are dealing with.

In my case I think it is a worn spot on the latch mechanism gear that is allowing the door to sag just enough that the latch mechanism housing on the door shell is hanging up on the latch portion attached to the cab. It is possible you are dealing with something like this as well. Try gently lifting the door at the back bottom edge right at the rocker panel with a wooden wedge. It only needs to move a very small amount in my truck to get the door to open again. I would guess it is under an 1/8". Worth a shot.

Same truck has a door lock that sometimes when you pull the lock rod up it does not unlock the door. You have to push it back down and pull back up again until it comes up further. You can hear it make a different sound that cues you in to it actually being unlocked. Does the same with the key from the outside. Another possibility for you.

On my 67 Suburban that sat for 34 years in a farmers back yard before I bought it the barn doors were stuck shut. It was the lock / latch mechanism inside the door that was gummed up. Even with the key turned back and forth a few dozen times and moving full range through lock and unlock it wouldn't unlock the latch mechanism. Since the doors were locked the outside button is non-functional so no amount of trying from the outside would ever get it open. Had to pull the access panel off the inside and hose it down with penetrating oil then manually move the parts from the inside to free things up so it would open. This could be your case too. The outside button on the handle does nothing if the door latch is stuck in the locked position.

Do you have access to the inside of the door yet? I would disconnect the linkage rod from the inside door handle and take the lock cylinder out of the door then try working both the lock and the latch release mechanism back and forth several times. After having just rebuilt several inside door handle bell crank mechanisms and seeing how much carnage and slop there is in them this could be contributing to some of your problem on the driver side since it gets the most use and wear. A badly worn inside handle mechanism might not be pulling the linkage far enough to disengage the latch.

The inside door handle does not automatically unlock the door on the 67-71 trucks I have owned unlike some later model ones that will so just trying the inside handle with the door lock mechanism stuck in the locked position is no help.

I am leaning toward your problem being a gummed up lock mechanism inside the door but it could be a combination of some of the mechanical oddities I noted above as well

Hope some of this helps. Good luck.

I have managed to get the windows open so I can get inside now

[AJC]

Can the door panels be removed with the door shut? I thought the seat is in the way.

[lil hoodlum]

I love your truck! She sure cleaned up well after hibernating in that briar patch!