I'm sharing this experience, so maybe someone can benefit: I went to open the rear hatch on my project westy today. It would not open. No big deal, I thought, I'll just pop it from the inside. Installing a new interior panel with the original project at hand, so there was no interior panel. I could not get the "cam" to budge! I finally had to soak the mechanism in oil, and then use a screwdriver and small hammer to pound the latch cam from the inside to release. Wow, that took some doing, with scratched arms and hands! When it finally popped, I pulled the whole corroded assembly out, cleaned it, and oiled it. Since I had it out I also fixed the worn lock cylinder (which is a whole 'nother subject/story). So, the moral of this story is to make sure that latch assembly is well lubricated if you have the chance! Jon |
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