How to open hatch?

The hatch latch on my 1999 OB has rusted again to the point that I can't open it. In the past I have crawled into the luggage area, removed the upholstered panel, and lubricated the mechanism inside to fix this.

Is there an easier way? I tried spraying WD40 on the latch mechanism under the handle from the outside, but that didn't work. (I think someone suggested that somewhere.)

Ben

Reply to
Uncle Ben
Loading thread data ...

WD40 is a poor lubricant at best. It is mostly Stoddard Solvent and will wash away other lubricants leaving behind a thin film of some 'proprietary' substance that never seems to last long. I know some threads on the issue have been posted at

formatting link
a few times. You might try searching/posting there to get some ideas.

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

few times. You might try searching/posting

Thanks, Carl. It's nice to know that you are always around to help out.

I found a post, but what it says is to pop the interior panel, just as I did before. I guess there is no shortcut. This time, however, I will not use WD40 but wheel bearing grease instead.

Ben

Reply to
Uncle Ben

few times. You might try searching/posting

lol! Other than some trivia about WD40, I don't think I helped much! Not a lot of rust down here to fight. Sorry no one had any more specific experience help at USMB - lot of guys over there keeping old rusted soobs running and many of them DO have experience fighting rust.

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Actually a *thin* application of white lithium grease on the moving parts of that assembly will stop rust and it wont drip or migrate with high heat. Why Subaru can't spend a few cents on that at the factory is being "Cheap" beyond imagination.

Reply to
Bob's Backfire Burrito

WD40 is a "Water Dispersant". It replaces water with, um, SOMETHING that replaces water...

Head over to your GM dealer and get a can of their stuff used to free stuck nuts and bolts/lubricant. It's $9`12 a can depending where you get it, but it works GREAT!!! It will actually remove the rust from rusty parts and replace it with a graphite-type lubricant.

I did the nuts and bolts on an '83 Tercel AWD I had a couple years ago, and they came out so clean it was almost like they had never rusted...

Reply to
Hachiroku

I use PB Blaster for loosening rusted bolts on my '65 MGB project. Works great.

Dan D

Reply to
Dano58

I've been thru this issue twice. '00 OBW

First time was PB Blaster. It freed up the mechanism, but only lasted about 6 months, then it got 'iffy' again.

Second time around, I had the panels off the hatch to install the OEM grab bar (which is a great item to have). Since everything was out of the way, I removed the mechanism to clean and lubricate it. I used the stick-type white lithium grease from NAPA. (there's also a slightly thinner version in a squeeze tube). So far, this fix has lasted a year and the latch still feels silky smooth.

Reply to
deleted

Yeah, the Litium grease is the best, it's 'tenacious' and can also be used for other things.

In the "old days" it was used for the door mouldings, but now silicone spray is much better.

But the lithium grease will last for quite a while before wearing down...

Reply to
Hachiroku

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.