'40 Ford electric door locks

[Learpilot]

Has anybody put electric door locks on a '40 Ford with stock door latches ?
Thanks in advance !!!

Rick

[crdnblu]

Check out this link:

http://www.progressiveautomotive.com/online013A.htm

If I recall, '38 latches are similar to 40's.......

[Learpilot]

[Okiedokie]

Wonder if the original locks will still work? Looks like they would.

[Learpilot]

[Okiedokie]

Yhanks Rick.

[57larry]

has anybody replaced their springs in a 40 Ford door latch ? should I start a new thread? thanks

[Okiedokie]

I haven't.

[enjenjo]

Yes I have. Don't remember who, but the springs are available. You have to pry up the tabs to get the housing apart, the tabs often break off when doing this, I just hold it togeter with some tack welds. If the guts are worn, and more times than not they are, it may be more effective to buy new latches.

[57larry]

Drake has the springs, which I have. Not sure if I have the nerve to tackle it

[Okiedokie]

Rick, any progress?

[enjenjo]

[57larry]

ok, thanks, I'll give it a shot, I got a torch & welder

[Okiedokie]

Looks to me like you should be able to still use outside locks with the key, but not the inside with the door handle. I assume that they found the actuator would not overcome the spring. Anxious to see what you use for the bell crank and such. I had my latches out this weekend because they would not lock from the outside. I used the Drake kit to add a lock to drivers door and discovered that they made the leg for the outside olock cylinder in such a manner that it bound up the mechanism. I was able to bend the driver side to work but not the passenger. Fortunatly I had a good original passenger side. Although I don't bad mouth any repro stuff for the most part [just glad to have access to some] but the quality of the repro latch is nowhere near the original. At least I can lock it up now.

[Learpilot]

[Okiedokie]

Rick, I am positive that your passenger door outside lock will still function normally. Joe

[Digger]

[Okiedokie]

Well, looks like I was wrong about the outside lock working. I had the opportunity to look at one of the actuators at a friends today. I don't think that the key lock could overcome the actuator. It did cause me to think, after I left, if the battery loses power do the actuators unlock? Does the controller somehow keep the actuators engaged? Anyone have any experience with these set ups?

[crdnblu]

I'm not too sure that you need to be concerned about the door-lock actuator (solenoid) strength being able to be over-ridden by your key; they typically operate on a "pulse" basis, & are not held in the locked/unlocked position by any current being present.
Hopefully others will chime-in here to confirm, or refute my statement.

[Okiedokie]

crdnblu, of course you are correct. Once I thoght about it and realized that it could not be powered at all times. I was correct the first time. the door key would still function.