Author Topic: 1964.5 door will not shut latch works sometimes? (Read 3572 times)

Rob1964.5 · « **on:** February 27, 2008, 01:57:08 PM »

Any help would be great!

Soaring · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2008, 06:13:41 PM »

If this is a recent phenomena, then we will assume your hinges are in good shape and that the door is hung correctly. Now, take a look at your striker plate and determine if it has slipped back some so that the door latch won't grab it. Use a big Phillips screw driver and loosen the bolts, then move the plate toward the outside as much as possible and then tighten down the phillips head bolts. If the bolts won't budge, then get a pair of vice grips and clamp onto the handle of the big phillips screwdriver to give you some leverage. That oughta do it. If not, then get back. Your striker plate may be worn out, or the hinges may have worn and have put your door out of alignment.

66GTKFB · « **Reply #2 on:** February 28, 2008, 11:50:49 AM »

In addition to the things Glen spelled out, look for, and listen for, where any metal to metal rubbing is, and if you are in the rust belt of the country, you got a good potential of rust based car and/or door frame damage. And a big Phillips screwdriver is too small, a hammer driven impact tool with a Phillips tip is needed to loosen, and reinstall, the two screws on the striker plates. Using an air driven impact tool usually will NOT loosen the screws, just strip them.
Jim

Soaring · « **Reply #3 on:** February 28, 2008, 04:14:48 PM »

I got mine loose with a big phillips screwdriver, but it had only been a few years ago that they were off, so maybe yours will need to have the hammer impact tool that Jim mentioned to loosen them. Do not under any circumstances strip out those bolt heads, because if you do you will either have to give up getting them out, or will have to spend a great deal of time and a lot of sharp drill bits to drill them out, then have to retap.