Well, after fumbling about for a while trying to find the link rod so I could disconnect the link rod between the actuator and lock, I gave up on that. Then I tried to find out to find an easy way to pry the actuator out of it's saddle, since Conanski advised there was no need to remove saddle from the door.

No joy, so I located the drill and drilled out the large rivet holding the actuator to the door and dropped the unit into plain sight. Strange, no link rod reaching to the lock... looks like the top part of this actuator has ripped itself apart and the link has gone walkabout, leaving no clue of how it fits up to the lock. Still sounds like a miniature rattlesnake on meth when the switch is pressed...

Now removing the remnant from the saddle, I find a matching unit ( made in China! ) will cost me around 75 US devalued dollars, and I still have no idea how to link it up!

Saddle modified by adding an aircraft nut plate to it and reattaching it to the door, I am now ready to obtain and Install a new actuator and reinstall link rod, if it is included and I can figure out how it attaches to the lock...

I am beginning to think this idea of using a Ford original replacement unit may change. General purpose, non-Chinese replacement actuators are available at a price starting around $15.00, and I can tear down the original scrap unit to salvage the electrical connector and yield a carrier for the generic unit which will moiunt it in the stock location.

Links are included with the GP replacement, and hopefully I can figure out how to link up the replacement to the lock. If someone has an illustration of how Ford connected the original to the lock, I sure would appeciate seeing it.

I plan to put the replacement unit back into the old, salvaged and modified saddle using the corpse of the original unit as a carrier and linking it up to the lock just as the original links up. Cheaper, and hopefully giving a unit which won't fall apart and will be fast, easy and inexpensive to replace if it does die.

What has the experience been on GP actuators? The ones I am looking at are Swiss made! Ya, I would prefer US made but nothing is made here any more... Praise our political leadership and our corporate profit seekers...

Chains we can believe in, President 0 promised... I think that's what he said.

Shell