removing door panels on the 1965 falcon...

[supertape]

this sounds really stupid, but I'm trying to take off the door panels on my '65 falcon, and can't figure out how to get the window cranks off.. anybody have experience in this?

[Hal Cogburn]

There is a simple tool you can pick up at the auto parts store for a few bucks...you slide it under the window crank and work it around a little and..it pushes the pin out and the crank should come right off. I have been told to watch so the pin does not get lost but the few times I have done it the pin stays on the crank...hope that helps.
Hal

[redfalken]

And the best few bucks you'll ever spend. Here's some photos I've found. It's a modern car but the concept's the same.

[Luva65wagon]

And looking at Kenny's photo on the right you'll see the clip pushes off in the direction going away from the handle lever (if the last person who installed it did it correctly). This means you need to insert the tool along under the handle lever, push in on the panel (there's a spring pushing the panel up tight against the handle) and once you've made a gap between the panel and the handle (and now you can see the clip and the direction it will need to come off), you can push that tool in and the clip will likely pop off and fly across the room. I usually cup my hand under the handle and use it to also push in the panel and then push the clip down and into my hand. It is true -- if you are careful -- you can push the clip off just enough to have the handle slide off.

Good luck!

[supertape]

Thanks all! does anyone know what the tool is called though?

[Luva65wagon]

Window Handle Removal Tool? Just about every parts house has them and would know what it is by this description. It's a pretty low-cost item.

[Luva65wagon]

...to replace my door panels. Getting the handles off is no problem, but it appears the means to remove the door panels themselves is to pull them out beginning from the center (edges) on the front and rear of the panel to bow the panel and get them out of the L-shaped moldings on the top and bottom of the door. Does anyone know if this is the way to do it? I did it that way a few years ago, but it was a pain. Of course my panels were (are) warped due to moisture damage, so that was fighting me. Perhaps nice flat panels will go in much smoother. I'll call Jake @OFI if nobody here knows.

[redfalken]

That's the way it's done. One thing that helps is get a really thick dowel about 3 feet long or even a broom handle and use it to help evenly bow the length of the panel. It's like having a long skinny arm to stick between the panel and the door to help push out as you slide them out of the rails.

[Luva65wagon]

Thanks Kenny. Got them out tonight and in fact I've pulled every window out of the doors and the quarters, and all the interior trim and gutted the doors and quarters too. Going to replace all the weatherstipping and window channels and blast and repaint all the interior trim. I'm also going to repair and lubricate all the regulators.

Found the support between the upper drivers door (at the wing window/mirror area) broken apart at the edge where the brace meets the exterior painted area. Always notice that area could squeeze together if I tried. So I've got to somehow weld that back together without messing up the paint, if possible. Ah heck, might as well weld up the "extra" mirror holes too and just repaint the top section of the door... while I'm at it.

I guess I ought to start a thread of my own rather than hi-jack this one further... to show the process. Although to kill this thread with one more question: I assume the new panels go back in by setting the bottom in and try to bow it to get it back in? It's easy to bow by pulling, but to bow it and go back in is going to be tricky.

Can't wait!

:banana: