79 Rear Hatch Re-Lock
 

After almost 40 years of completely hassle free use, my rear hatch glass is giving me a few headaches. As intended, via the push button on dash, rear glass latch will still unlock and pop up rear hatch glass. That's the continued good news.

All I've ever had to do was just let the rear glass gently fall down into the locking mechanism and the lock would re-secure.

Now the bad news:
For some 'gremlin-reason,' the striker (?) piece receiving & re-locking the locking mechanism is very very difficult to make go back down inside the locking mechanism......and consequently will not accept the U-hook mounted onto rear hatch glass., allowing rear hatch to re-lock.

Is there a relay that allows that piece inside the lock to recess, allowing the other corresponding mechanism inside the lock to rotate & re-engage with the U hook ?

Any advice from the 1st Gen Experts is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hey Ron-
Relay in the catching mechanism? I don't think so. The electric release - as you may have already checked - is an attaching component on the out side of the catch assy. Or, let me say, it is on the 1980 Latch. I recall the 79 latch is unique to that year, so this may be different?

May be the best way to diagnose the problem is to remove the catch assy so you can easily check the action of the latching mechanism? Also, did you check to be sure the whole assy is firmly attach to the car? If this loosened even a bit, then dropped, it would be harder to engage.

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

You could always spray the lock mechanism with some silicone lube and see if that helps.
The gunk in there is probably 30 years old..at least.

Mine has always required a very firm push down to get it latched. This is due to the weather stripping around the glass which I have never replaced. Does your latch at all?

Thanks for the ideas. Latch is currently on 'deep soak cycle' via bath of silicone spray. After a good time soaking, will take mechanism out of car and report back.

T.G. - prior to this recent problem, rear hatch mechanism worked perfectly just by letting the rear hatch 'go free' from about 6 inches above the lock.

I would bet the rear hatch seal leaks then because it needs a bit of pressure to make the
seal work. I've never heard of one being that easy to close.

BTW, I grew up in Manchester MO.

If lubing the latch does not cure it, you might want to remove the mechanism from the car and open it up. I had a problem un latching once and found a rubber bump stop that had turned to mush with time and jammed the whole thing up. This might also effect the latches ability to close. Here's a link to that thread to see some pictures of the inside and how to open it up.

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati.../#post11938895

This Forum is Grrrrr8 !!

I 'm not on here very often but when I do post an issue, many folks are able to respond with very helpful ideas.

After a week of silicone super-soak, my rear latch issue has resolved itself.

Back to 'normal' with latching simply by letting hatch glass loose from about 12 inches above latch.

Plus, T. G. Ferrel, never had a problem with water seeping thru any rear hatch seal.
PS - be glad you're not here during Christmas Season on Manchester Road - it's a parking lot !


Many thanks to all for you responses.

hi!

I know the answer to this!!!

your "U" hook has shifted slightly

by "resolved itself" what has happened is the U hook has shifted back into normal position.


IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, get a Phillips head, loosen the screws next to the U hook and move the U hook some in one direction. tighten them and see if it latches. if it doesn't, try again in a different direction. After years and years the screws come loose enough to let the U hook slide. Trust me I just went through the same thing you did and after weeks of frustration a member on the fb page (1st gen rx7) told me the U hook moves. I got lucky and the first time I moved it, it then was in the right spot and closed with ease. you shouldn't have to slam it! slamming it will break the electric latch eventually!
best of luck, hopefully other people will read this down the road and save themselves a headache for such an easy fix :D

Maybe I'll revisit my latch but I never slam it, just push it down firmly to make it latch.

About Manchester, I was back home this summer and I couldn't believe what they did to 141,
only took about 20 years. I know some folks whose homes got bought up in that right of way,
hell that was back in the early 80s too.

Recently installed new hydraulic units for rear hatch glass. Rear hatch now REALLY hard to get latched via J-Hook. Now have to slam rear hatch/glass so hard I'm afraid of breaking the glass. Not a good situation.

Also, now the overhead interior light stays on all the time - not as intended - nor ever the case before.


Could the U-hook on the hatch possibly 'ground' something inside the locking catch mechanism to make the interior light go off ?

Any suggestions from you fellahs is appreciated.

Thanks.

There is some adjustment in the latch..

I had a similar issue where the hatch required a really firm press to close it sometimes, but not always. I noticed that the little rubber bumper's contact surface was staggered rather than flat. All the years of interfacing with the offset landing spot had misformed the bumper to look like this.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9d161d9456.jpg


And being a round bumper, it would rotate and the longer part would hit the higher part of the landing spot and interfere. So I cut off the extra length and the latch works consistently now.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...26e542213b.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...6f6faa4745.jpg

That is ingenious! :bigthumb: