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1969 LTD Convertible Door Panel Removal

1489 Views 11 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Action, 
BadWolfBrice
I just got done with a long trip with my 69. After closing the passenger side door the window derailed. In order to rerail it I think I need to take the door panel off. Unfortunately there are 3 bolts bolting the door handle to the actual door that are 2 inches inward. I don't have a ratchet socket that will fit inside of those holes without getting them stuck. Any tips?

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Action
Those 3 bolts are either a 3/8" or 7/16" and require a deep socket with 3/8 drive. If you can get a 1/4" drive with a socket in there it will fit easier however I have been unable to turn the bolt because I could not get enough leverage. Even with that you will need and extension to turn the socket.
Highly recommend using some lubrication. A vinyl, rubber treatment or something like that would be good to place around the hole to those bolts.

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BadWolfBrice
Action said:
Those 3 bolts are either a 3/8" or 7/16" and require a deep socket with 3/8 drive. If you can get a 1/4" drive with a socket in there it will fit easier however I have been unable to turn the bolt because I could not get enough leverage. Even with that you will need and extension to turn the socket.
Highly recommend using some lubrication. A vinyl, rubber treatment or something like that would be good to place around the hole to those bolts.

Action
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Thank you very much! Will post how it goes. I know this isn't exactly the thread for it, but also ran into some overheating issues on the road. I think it's either a bad thermostat or old coolant, any thoughts?
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Action
If the coolant has not been changed for years or the car has been sitting for long periods of time .... could be all of those. AND
Sediment in bottom of radiator or bottom of block
Water pump not flowing enough coolant
The radiator cap is too weak

Overheating is defined as coolant boiling out of the radiator cap.
If and when that occurs can be important. What I mean is during low speed or high speed (over 45 MPH) operation.

You might get an IR thermometer and spot different points. You can confirm if the T-stat is opening, if the radiator is evenly cooling from side to side (Should be hotter on top than bottom)

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BadWolfBrice
I was able to get the panel off and the window reinstalled. It was a 3/8" bolt and the deep sockets worked a dream. Thanks for the tips!

p.s. I flushed the coolant and went to replace the t-stat and found out that someone had already taken it out. It was running without one, so it wasn't cooling properly. Also replaced the cap because it looked pretty rough.
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What was the old coolant looking like?

Typically, when someone removes the thermostat, they are working on an overheat issue. Rarely is the thermostat the issue. There is some other issue that running a cold engine masks the problem. Because they do not drive far enough. The problem with running without a thermostat is it can create long term problems with an engine that never reaches operating temps. Blow-by gases in the crankcase do not get burned up and the oil really suffers and does not lubricate as well.

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BadWolfBrice
Honestly, it didn't look too bad.
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TBIRD430
Well, what is the car doing NOW with a new thermostat & coolant???
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BadWolfBrice
TBIRD430 said:
Well, what is the car doing NOW with a new thermostat & coolant???
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It's doing just fine concerning heat (as far as I can tell, my car doesn't have a built in thermostat). I've ran into some issue with my points distributor though.
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What is a built in thermostat?

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BadWolfBrice
Didn't mean thermostat, meant engine temp gauge.
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Ahh


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