hatch latch

[Epixstar]

how do you hook this up are they just a bad design or what it took me a long time to find a working one in the junk yard and now hooking it up is even harder to do go ford on this one

[Safety Guy]

Better describe exactly what you "can't hook up."

I take it you are talking about the latch mechanism on the underside of the hatch.

Do you mean you can't screw attach it to the hatch? Or you can't get it to line up with the bottom "loop" on the sill?

Are you resetting the latch before you try to close the hatch?

Give us more info.

Karl

[gomer]

I haven't seen a Festiva yet that didn't have a hatch latch that fails to operate on occasion... lubrication may help ... or just try it again tomorrow ... they have a mind of their own..

[Epixstar]

ya the handle to the latch asbley

[Pgh5spd]

Asbley - is that like as in the best laid plans go aft agley?

Anyways, in 15yrs of Festivas (Crimony! Can it be 15yrs?) the only time I've ever had trouble was with my daughter's last winter. It was very samui (that's Japanese - translated as Fucking Cold), and removing & spraying with WD40 got it acting normal again.

The little gizmo that keeps the rod to the lock cylinder in place can be confusing if you've never encountered one before, but these have been SOP for at least 50yrs (as I recall my 51 Packard has some in its door innards) so once you figure it out it will no longer seem strange.

[4cylDreadnaught]

the hatch on my 93 loved to pop open. took to locking it and using a small bungie chord inside the trunk to stay it to place.

[Epixstar]

i got pissed off at it so i left it for anther day when im not so pissed off now i have to open it from the inside only but o well ill fix it later (as i put my foot throw the old hatch glass to stop anger problems )