The Ford Barn

Tom in TN · 09-24-2022, 08:48 AM

Hate to bother everybody, but my trunk handle went belly up last night and I'm not entirely sure how the thing works.
I can see a small square protrusion that appears to USUALLY engage in a slot on the handle and when you pull back/up on the handle, the square item should go up and the 'arms' going into the trunk would head towards the front of the car and release the latch. The handle right above the square slot appears to have a fresh break as if another 'arm' or something, broke off.
Of course, this would be much easier if I could get the trunk lid open...but how to do that?

So, Fordbarn, does anyone have any intimate knowledge about the trunk lid mechanism on aa 1950 Ford? Is there a way to push or pull the arms that go into the inside of the trunk lid and make it release, so I could get the trunk open? Maybe even stick something in along the 'arms' and get it to release?

All suggestions are appreciated- fast replies from experienced experts, most of all... haha

A bones · 09-24-2022, 09:01 AM

Can't say I know how to overcome this. That said, any time in the past ( there have been more than a few ) that I've been faced with this deal, it's been remove the rear seat, take some hand tools and a flashlight. Wriggle wriggle crawl and cuss. Best of luck to You.

joe 1950 · 09-24-2022, 11:22 AM

the best way is like A Bones said take out the backseat and crawl in there if your a small fellow there’s cross braces in there and take along a hand full of extensions and i believe it’s either a 7/16 or 1/2 inch bolts should be 3 of them and last resort go find a real small neighborhood kid and hire him to crawl in there and take them out good luck

joe 1950 · 09-24-2022, 11:25 AM

Not that it’s my business but what’s the hurry is that where you keep your whiskey ��

my4dv8 · 09-24-2022, 02:11 PM

At least your trunk isn’t full of 750 x 16 tires and transmissions for a swap meet and you are leaving early that morning. Had to take out back seat completely , 18v cut off saw and remove X brace, haul out 700r4 transmission . Nothing pressing on the latch ,opened easily with a screw drive. Never happened again.

5851a · 09-24-2022, 02:32 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Tape all your extensions together. Yes I can remember weighing about 70# and crawling through several flat spare? tires. Extensions and a bright light are a bonus now.

Tom in TN · 09-25-2022, 09:28 PM

First the good news- I got the back seat out, with help from a friend. now the bad news, one of the features of the car is the wooden enclosure (box) that contains 2-12" woofers- care to guess where it is bolted in at?
Yep, right smack in behind the seat braces. Plus, there are two folding rocker chairs inside the trunk, that are blocking everything.
And on top of the, my lock assembly is like a bear claw- A piece on each side swings in and latches under the latch post. I was able to hit it with a 34 ford brake rod, but I cannot see the link anywhere and with the chairs in the way, it almost impossible to see it.
I almost reached the point of cutting my trunk hinges in half...but not yet
Gonna try lifting both chairs and looking under them, around the end of the speaker box, and see if I can put an eye on the bolts that hold the latch post in place. If I can see them I should be able to use my LONG extensions and unbolt it and open the trunk.
Say a prayer for me, if you don't mind.
Oh, Joe 1950- no whiskey, but I have been thrashing on this thing for almost 2 years to finally be able to drive it and we have a get together next Saturday and I don't want to miss it. She may have to go without a back seat, but she could go.

leon bee · 09-25-2022, 10:58 PM

Sawzall cut that dam box.

Dick · 09-26-2022, 03:09 PM

Here are a few pictures that may help. I'd guess the broken piece is on the lock/latch mechanism showing in pictures 1 & 6. The long cast/chrome piece that goes into the trunk. Or is the pivot bolt missing?

The nuts holding the latch assembly is attached with 11/32 nuts. I worked mine off very slowly and didn't break any of the studs.

Might create an L shaped tool to slip in where broken piece went in through the trunk. If you can lift the handle piece up, shown in pic 3, it will release. the broken piece is the pivot point for the latch. I can take more pictures if that would help.

Hope this helps or gives you some ideas. good luck!

Dick · 09-26-2022, 04:14 PM

This may be an easier way to do it. I could open my trunk doing this without
the latch assembly on the car....but I think you can do this with every thing in place.

The 1st pic shows how the latch handle goes into a slotted piece that lifts the latch. You can see the notch in the handle that keeps the slotted piece in place.

2nd picture: I held the outed end of the latch handle down and pushed up with the screw drive shown. that slotted piece has to move as straight up as possible.

Tom in TN · 09-28-2022, 08:56 AM

Ok, Y’all…trunk Is still locked, but I have plan 7 in mind and I need some expertise. Yesterday I had an idea that if I could remove the chrome lock retainer, it would leave two openings in the trunk lid- through which I might be able to drop a magnet into and hook the link, then raise it up enough to stick a screwdriver into and lift up- releasing the trunk.
So I took all the lock retainer to handle screws out and tried pulling the assembly out.. NOTE- the shoulder bolt fell off, so it is not a factor, but it would pull out only so far, and then it stuck- won’t come out any further.
So, the question, can the lock retainer come off if the handle is still bolted to the trunk?
Any experience doing this? Chime in..please.

Dick · 09-28-2022, 11:02 AM

Should have posted this first!
If the trigger is moving with it, it may be the lock handle bolt is still engaged.

tubman · 09-28-2022, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom in TN

.......
So, the question, can the lock retainer come off if the handle is still bolted to the trunk?
Any experience doing this? Chime in..please.

I don't know about a '50, but on my '51, there were fasteners that had to removed from the inside when I replaced the trim piece which contains the lock mechanism.

Tom in TN · 09-28-2022, 01:57 PM

I have the trigger loose, but that bolt is still there...and I can't get any reaction by pushing the pin down to be able remove the lock cylinder. I'm guessing this is my hangup...
What holds the lock retainer bolt in place?

Tom in TN · 09-28-2022, 09:19 PM

SUCCESS!!
The trunk lid is open.
I MADE the lock retainer assembly come out of the handle. I put a powerful round magnet on a piece of #9 wire and slipped it in the slot and it pulled the link to it immediately. I found the upper slot in the link and poked a long screwdriver in it,.pointed radically upward, then I notched a different screwdriver and shoved the link upward as far as it would go and then lifted the handle...and holy cow- it opened !!!
Now, does anyone have an original link for the later version 'bear claw' latch and a shoulder bolt they might want to sell? My shoulder bolt is so worn, there isn't much shoulder remaining...and the link was homemade by someone else and I would rather have stock parts in it.
What do you have laying around?

09-24-2022, 08:48 AM	#1
Tom in TN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 258	50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT Hate to bother everybody, but my trunk handle went belly up last night and I'm not entirely sure how the thing works. I can see a small square protrusion that appears to USUALLY engage in a slot on the handle and when you pull back/up on the handle, the square item should go up and the 'arms' going into the trunk would head towards the front of the car and release the latch. The handle right above the square slot appears to have a fresh break as if another 'arm' or something, broke off. Of course, this would be much easier if I could get the trunk lid open...but how to do that? So, Fordbarn, does anyone have any intimate knowledge about the trunk lid mechanism on aa 1950 Ford? Is there a way to push or pull the arms that go into the inside of the trunk lid and make it release, so I could get the trunk open? Maybe even stick something in along the 'arms' and get it to release? All suggestions are appreciated- fast replies from experienced experts, most of all... haha

09-24-2022, 09:01 AM	#2
A bones Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: CLAYTON DE Posts: 1,282	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT Can't say I know how to overcome this. That said, any time in the past ( there have been more than a few ) that I've been faced with this deal, it's been remove the rear seat, take some hand tools and a flashlight. Wriggle wriggle crawl and cuss. Best of luck to You. __________________ Enjoy yer day. Tom Hate can't fix what it started.

09-24-2022, 11:22 AM	#3
joe 1950 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Green Bay Wi Posts: 400	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT the best way is like A Bones said take out the backseat and crawl in there if your a small fellow there’s cross braces in there and take along a hand full of extensions and i believe it’s either a 7/16 or 1/2 inch bolts should be 3 of them and last resort go find a real small neighborhood kid and hire him to crawl in there and take them out good luck

09-24-2022, 11:25 AM	#4
joe 1950 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Green Bay Wi Posts: 400	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT Not that it’s my business but what’s the hurry is that where you keep your whiskey ��

09-24-2022, 02:11 PM	#5
my4dv8 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,111	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT At least your trunk isn’t full of 750 x 16 tires and transmissions for a swap meet and you are leaving early that morning. Had to take out back seat completely , 18v cut off saw and remove X brace, haul out 700r4 transmission . Nothing pressing on the latch ,opened easily with a screw drive. Never happened again.

09-24-2022, 02:32 PM	#6
5851a Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: NE Iowa Posts: 1,664	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Tape all your extensions together. Yes I can remember weighing about 70# and crawling through several flat spare? tires. Extensions and a bright light are a bonus now.

09-25-2022, 09:28 PM	#7
Tom in TN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 258	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT First the good news- I got the back seat out, with help from a friend. now the bad news, one of the features of the car is the wooden enclosure (box) that contains 2-12" woofers- care to guess where it is bolted in at? Yep, right smack in behind the seat braces. Plus, there are two folding rocker chairs inside the trunk, that are blocking everything. And on top of the, my lock assembly is like a bear claw- A piece on each side swings in and latches under the latch post. I was able to hit it with a 34 ford brake rod, but I cannot see the link anywhere and with the chairs in the way, it almost impossible to see it. I almost reached the point of cutting my trunk hinges in half...but not yet Gonna try lifting both chairs and looking under them, around the end of the speaker box, and see if I can put an eye on the bolts that hold the latch post in place. If I can see them I should be able to use my LONG extensions and unbolt it and open the trunk. Say a prayer for me, if you don't mind. Oh, Joe 1950- no whiskey, but I have been thrashing on this thing for almost 2 years to finally be able to drive it and we have a get together next Saturday and I don't want to miss it. She may have to go without a back seat, but she could go.

09-25-2022, 10:58 PM	#8
leon bee Senior Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Arkansas Posts: 611	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT Sawzall cut that dam box.

09-28-2022, 08:56 AM	#11
Tom in TN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 258	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT Ok, Y’all…trunk Is still locked, but I have plan 7 in mind and I need some expertise. Yesterday I had an idea that if I could remove the chrome lock retainer, it would leave two openings in the trunk lid- through which I might be able to drop a magnet into and hook the link, then raise it up enough to stick a screwdriver into and lift up- releasing the trunk. So I took all the lock retainer to handle screws out and tried pulling the assembly out.. NOTE- the shoulder bolt fell off, so it is not a factor, but it would pull out only so far, and then it stuck- won’t come out any further. So, the question, can the lock retainer come off if the handle is still bolted to the trunk? Any experience doing this? Chime in..please.

09-28-2022, 01:57 PM	#14
Tom in TN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 258	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT I have the trigger loose, but that bolt is still there...and I can't get any reaction by pushing the pin down to be able remove the lock cylinder. I'm guessing this is my hangup... What holds the lock retainer bolt in place? Last edited by Tom in TN; 09-28-2022 at 02:24 PM.

09-28-2022, 09:19 PM	#15
Tom in TN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 258	Re: 50 deck lid mechanism broke- URGENT SUCCESS!! The trunk lid is open. I MADE the lock retainer assembly come out of the handle. I put a powerful round magnet on a piece of #9 wire and slipped it in the slot and it pulled the link to it immediately. I found the upper slot in the link and poked a long screwdriver in it,.pointed radically upward, then I notched a different screwdriver and shoved the link upward as far as it would go and then lifted the handle...and holy cow- it opened !!! Now, does anyone have an original link for the later version 'bear claw' latch and a shoulder bolt they might want to sell? My shoulder bolt is so worn, there isn't much shoulder remaining...and the link was homemade by someone else and I would rather have stock parts in it. What do you have laying around?