Door won't latch on my '62 Valiant

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MOPARoldtimer

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I would really appreciate some more help with my '62 Valiant. The passenger side door has started refusing to close.:sad6:

It doesn't latch all the way, and it is difficult to re-open. The latch seems like it is not engaging properly when you close the door, and then hangs up and doesn't want to let you re-open it.

It would really help me if anybody could tell me whether this seems to be due to the latch itself, the striker adjustment or the hinge adjustment, then I'd at least know how to get started fixing it.

Thanks a lot.
 

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Someone else may have a more complete answer...but I had the same problem on a c-body and moving the striker plate 'out' just a tad got the door to latch properly again. However now I have some wind noise.
 
You are going to need an impact driver to tighten the screws on the latch after you adjust it. You can't get them tight enough with a regular screw driver to keep them from moving. I adjusted the latches on my '66 Valiant and didn't use one. The doors worked fine for a while and then I hit a pot hole and it turned into a 3 door when the latch moved. Never did get that door open but the other 3 got the impact treatment and are fine to this day.
 
grumpuscreature said:
You are going to need an impact driver to tighten the screws on the latch after you adjust it. You can't get them tight enough with a regular screw driver to keep them from moving. I adjusted the latches on my '66 Valiant and didn't use one. The doors worked fine for a while and then I hit a pot hole and it turned into a 3 door when the latch moved. Never did get that door open but the other 3 got the impact treatment and are fine to this day.
Click to expand...

grump have you tried kicking the door real hard while you pull the door handle? My door seemed welded shut but I got it open with a hard kick then I was able to adjust it, went from a 3 door back to a 4 door lol.
 
OK, I've got it pretty well diagnosed. The main reason it wouldn't latch was because the latch was not "cocked", so I pulled back on the handle inside the car to **** the latch into its proper position for latching, and now it latches closed OK. (I should have remembered to do this from my earlier experiences with '50s and '60's MOPAR products!! Doh.) Except that the outside pushbutton doesn't work. That must have been the original problem, before it got "masked" by the cocking issue. So I've got to remove the interior door trim to repair the pushbutton linkage.
 
Some people do overadjust the depth of latches on accident and it causes this.
(Take the latch part on the body off so it does not interfere with body alignment while adjusting)

Start by centering and aligning the door in the body, and then adjust the latch.
Back out the latch until the door closes, latches and opens easily, then start moving the latch in until you have a nice happy medium of latch tension and door moulding sealing.
 
MOPARoldtimer said:
OK, I've got it pretty well diagnosed. The main reason it wouldn't latch was because the latch was not "cocked",
Click to expand...

I almost mentioned that but couldn't figure out how to explain that it feels like it's way more solid of a stop when the door hits it.
 
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