I took my '79 E-150 into a shop for a complete color change paint job. One of the things they did was to remove the sliding side door so they could bag the interior and paint the door jambs and sliding mechanism.

When I got it home I realized the slider's door lock didn't work. I also found they hadn't fully installed the door handle as it was flopping around loose. I found the stamped metal retainer clip for the handle laying in the bottom of the door and put it on. The door still wouldn't lock.

I removed the door's front latch assembly and put it in a bench vise and tested it. I worked okay, so I reinstalled it. The door would lock up until I connected the long rod for the rear latch assembly.

I removed the nuts and disconnected the rear part of the rod linkage and tried adjusting it to give it more slack, and at first it seemed to work while I had the linkage connected together but not fastened with the nuts. As soon as the nuts are tightened the lock ceases to work. I tried both shortening the rod and lengthening it. All the linkage moves freely with no binding or obstruction whether you work the lock with the **** or the key.

Right now the only way I can lock the door is to leave the rear latch rod disconnected. I don't know what to try next.

 

Have you contacted the shop that did the work? I would think they should put it back correctly?

 

You could try lubricating the rear latch, making sure to get it inside the mechanism. I'd first give it a full flush with something like brake cleaner to remove any congealed or hard grease that might be causing other issues with operation.

When I've encountered something similar the portion of the latch the lock rod actuates has failed leaving the catch and hold parts working normally.

Hopefully your issues are easily resolved---being a '79 parts might be a bit scarce these days.

Please let us know your eventual fix---might be helpful to others with similar year vans.

 

I have the manufacturer's Ford Shop Manual for my truck. I read every thing I could on the sliding door and followed their recommendations for assembly.

So far I discovered I can only get the door to lock if I either lift up on the outside handle about 1 1/4" or push the inside handle forward a bit. Then the inside lock button drops about 1/4" and the door locks.

The outside handle remains in that tilted position until the door is unlocked. It always used to remain level.

 

This is sounding more and more like the latch itself has failed, possibly coincidental to its R&R of the door but most likely age related.

 

I'm thinking it's probably the latch too, although the door has had light use over the decades...

There's a "pull your own parts" wrecking yard not too far from here. I might go there later and pull a latch off a donor truck and give that a try, after testing it to make sure it works okay.

 

Clem I don't have any direct experience with the sliding side doors---I think an '88 E150 once owned had that feature but can't honestly remember.

At almost 40 years old even light use might have caused that latch to fail. Sadly those doors almost never received any maintenance or renewing of parts, would wear without too much indication anything needed inspected---until the door stopped working properly.

Hope your matter isn't something more than a simple replacement. If you're interested in a new old stock part FTE member NumberDummy might have the Ford factory part number which would aid an internet search---someone somewhere has a brand new unsold part for sale.

 

Today I got a surprise. I didn't mention that the paint shop broke the big screw that holds the outside handle to its shaft. For some reason they tried to remove that even though you really don't want to do that to remove the handle from the door.

I had been using a different handle from a slightly newer truck I had picked up at a wrecking yard. Just to make sure I wasn't missing anything I tried my old handle and the whole thing seems to work now. No lifting up on the handle to get the door to lock. The shaft seems to be locked into the handle okay and is not slipping.

Comparing the two handle/shaft assemblies there doesn't seem to be any real difference so I don't know how to explain this.

 

Consider it "magic" and put it outta yer mind forever more!

 

Amen to That!