Follow this link to fix your door lock actuator problems
http://bellsouthpwp.net/l/r/lrichker/Mustang_tech/door_actuator_fix/1_of_8_door_actuator.htm
Stuck with door lock actuators that don't work and don't want to pay the $50+ for a new one? Tried the junkyard ones and found that they last six months and freeze up?
A new actuator for less than $8 Fix one side for $20, do both sides for only $30.
I don't sell parts, I don’t make any money off of the upgrade, I just tell you how to do it cheaply and easily.
Here’s a picture of the new actuator installed:
By the way, i am still using the same $4 actuators I bought in 2002 and this is the second Mustang I have installed them in! Beat that with your fancy replacements!
Hinge pin & bushing kits are available at many auto parts stores. Or see
http://www.texasmustang.com/ or
http://www.mustang-unl.com/. Usually less than $8 for the kit with one pin & 2 bushings.
The hard part is to get the old pin out. Some were spot welded in, others were hammered so that the end mushroomed. Either way, it takes a grinder or cutter bit in a drill or Dremel tool to cut the pin or grind off the weld. Once it is off, tap the pin out with a hammer and a pin punch. Only remove one pin at a time so that you don't have the full weight of the door to manage. I highly recommend that you have a helper standing by to hold the door.
Once the old pin is out, lower the door and tap out the old bushings. Put the new bushings in and have the helper lift the door in place so that you can slide the new pin in. It may have to go in differently from the way it came out. That's OK, as long as you put the cotter pin in the hinge pin.
OOOPS!!!The important thing to remember is that the hinge pin isn't supposed to move once you are finished. If it does, then you will end up like me - the pin moved, it wore the door hinge instead of the replaceable bushings. Now in order to fix it right, I had to remove the whole thing again and drill out the hinge to the same size as the bushing and use 2 sets of bushings in each hinge rather than one set.
The fix for the OOOPS was very time consuming and if you aren't up to some very interesting machine work, do it right so you won't have to do it again. I fixed the OOOPS but I had $65 worth of drill bit and specialized reamer plus pulling the fender off to fix it.
I ended up removing the fender and removing the hinge bracket. Set the hinges up in a drill press to insure that the holes will be drilled straight and in line with each other. Getting the hinge bracket set up in the drill press is very important. The top hole and bottom hole are drilled and reamed without taking the hinge bracket out of its mounting on the drill press. This insures that the holes are in prefect alignment with each other.
Then I used a 15/32 drill to the old hinge pin holes out. Next, I used a .4780 straight reamer in the drill press to ream the holes out to the same size as the replacement bushing. Push the bushings in and use a little hard setting Locktite to secure them. If I did it again, I would probably go with .001-.0015 smaller reamer for a press fit.
A word or warning, if you choose this method, mike the bushing OD before you order the reamer. You bushings may not be the same OD as the ones I used. The reamers can be purchased with almost any size OD you need, but be sure to get the right size the first time.
Drill bit and reamer are available from MSC direct (
www.mscdirect.com)
Reamer P/N 72034788 - $45
Drill bit P/N 84579861 - $17
