1980 Chevy Half Ton Tailgate Latch Repair

[@ziptiesnbiasplies]

Good to see ya up and giviner ol' timer! Keep atter eh?

[@Narendra--Modi]

WOW Ketchup dude watches Elderly too, I heard you Canadians planted the Ruski Biden virus on the pipelines

[@ElderlyIron]

If they don't fall in line, I beat 'em with my stick, now!

[@colefrick]

So glad to see you still making content!

[@ronringel9132]

Well said colefrick.

[@tagoooU]

A friend likes 1967 Chevy pickup trucks. He has 14 at last count. We would tease him that he had one license plate and one battery and would put them in the one he was driving that day.

[@rockerpat1085]

That's the way it ought to be!!!!!

[@jusinhelman6011]

Sir your videos are done very well. I appreciate watching your hard work fixing good ol American Iron. Please keep going!

[@FJ80Coop]

On old bolts like that my go to is the trusty old hand held hammer driven impact with correct bit size and it's never let me down,yet... Also heat applied and penetrant sprayed liberally about halfway through the cooling seems to work wonders as the heat draws the penetrant down the threads and helps to break that electrolysis effect aka rust or corrosion..

[@richardbates2367]

Me too except that is another tool I get to have to replace since someone had walked off with about 65 percent of my tools I noticed that I still have the hand impact driver but the metal blue case, and all of the screwdriver long bits are gonnee... Yay .

[@genehasenbuhler2594]

I've had to do this so many times- most recently to my 99 Ranger XLT! I think I'm a master at rigging them with junk parts!

[@DanEBoyd]

I just did something lake that last year, on my 1977 Ford. I adjusted the strikers to line up and engage with their pockets, and lubed it up and adjusted and tightened the (loose) hinges. Works perfect now! I didn't know that the Square Bodies were push to close - I have to lift my latch handle and retract the strikers to latch mine closed. That straight six and three on the tree are a classic combination. My truck has that drivetrain format too! Hope you show a lot more of this truck!

[@richardunicorn7879]

Ironically, my friend started having trouble with her tailgate handle on her '78 Chevy this past week, and we joked that "Maybe ole Jeff will post a video on fixing this thing." Well guess what! You done it! Thanks.

[@DoubleRRestorations]

Good to see you Jeff. Those things sure can be aggravating.

[@J.n.A.1993]

Somewhat stormy here today as I watch this video, so the chimes on our front porch are singing, making an interesting harmony with the chimes at your place.

[@ElderlyIron]

Quite lovely indeed...

[@Themachinegun]

The latches don't be latching! Instant subscribe!!

[@terrywarbritton3094]

Been watching for many yrs good guy and I appreciate the no bad language love old iron

[@xcop4511]

Tell everyone to watch Jeff do stuff, They will never get tired of it.... xCop

[@corneliusestep9409]

Awesome work, glad to see and hear from you.

[@amfinc2]

Great timing! I just had to fix my tailgate latch on my '90 yesterday. A little cable lube and some fiddling with the strikers got her going again.

[@amfinc2]

3:27 exactly!

[@chatrkat]

Cool old truck. I love those square body Chevys from that period, almost as much as I love the 70’s Fords. I’d like either now.

[@jimrawlings8567]

Good to see you somewhat back to your old self. I agree with you that the power tools, as great as they are, can take away the feel in these tricky situations. I think you call them a shake-and-break they are cheap and work really well bcause you can apply your own (click!) torque but still have the impact element. Take care of yourselves!

[@jonnycando]

Shake and break is worth the money and then some!

[@billygarrity4379]

I love it when plans work out ,keep on tinkering ,love me some old chevy s.God bless y'all real good good .

[@TheWattanneh]

When me and my buddy work on our cars we always go 'click'!

[@richardmead9225]

1980 is a rare year for U.S. cars. Not many were built. I had a 1980, six cylinder, wide ratio 4 speed on the floor. Ran great at altitude, ran cruddy at Missouri altitude.

[@sgj4aj]

Had to do the lube thing to my '79. Works very smoothly now. Close the tailgate with out slamming

[@oldschool6345]

Glad to see your gettin back to breaking tools lol. How long till you can loose the whomping stick.....I mean walking stick? Thanks for sharing

[@sidviscous5959]

when I have blind fasteners like that where they turn but won't come out, lot of times I can get them out with vise grips by exerting a steady upward (or outward) pressure.

[@davebetker8788]

#5, keep the old iron running, better than the new plastic chit.

[@thejerkofalltrades3862]

Why was this one mans fight aginst a bolt so epic?

[@RosaStringWorks]

"to a degree" as he heats it up... No pun intended

[@tommyhall2535]

Good. To see you Jeff take care buddy

[@mostlymoparih5682]

Busted bit and stripped socket, and my knees don't kneel as good as they used to. If at first you don't succeed, then lube it up real good. Happy Motoring.

[@MrJim0823]

Thanks Jeff

[@ImpalamansGarage]

Why do these tailgate latch handles get cockeyed like that? (Left hand side is lower than the right)

[@ahnbra]

All you had to do was heat it up correctly and say that (you) " I should probably beat on this first". Things deside to come apart nicely after that. I think you scared it (ha! ha!). Glad that you are still working on Elderly Iron in the form of old vehicles or in this case a truck. I hope you are still healing vs. not healing. Consider being a little more careful that usual for you own good please.

[@garethleitner9547]

By Jove, you DID it!

[@davekimbler2308]

Did you have a new latch or just wanted to lubricant it ?

[@jacobcarter9189]

is that truck four wheel drive?

[@greenmule4634]

thanks Jeff enjoyed it

[@DesertDigger1]

It takes a lot of patience to work those threads.

[@shawnfaloon2343]

I'm curious and probably to nosey. Are you going to have to use the cane for the rest of your life or do the Dr's think your leg with strengthen out of using one. Either way I'm glad to see you getting around so good. You had a nasty break my freind.

[@nrgate]

how much for the truck sir ?

[@talfacprez]

1980 and 1981 six cylinder Chevy and GMC trucks have an odd exhaust manifold General Motors only made for those two years and for the past 25 years I have been trying to find a new one for my 1981 Chevy Cheyenne pick up. Does ANYONE know where I can still find one?

[@ElderlyIron]

Tom at 12bolt.com. Used only.

[@Prowbar]

Not easier to just grind the screw head down or cut it off?

[@t44e6]

You could always use a longer ratchet handle.

[@RandySchartiger]

6:55 when all else fails... spit on it! lol

[@larrygilmore1007]

Well what was plan a

[@tomrausch7014]

Yes!

[@dfross87]

I'm watching Jeff struggling here and thinking, "Aren't over centre tailgate latches* wonderful?" I don't know if that's what they're actually called. The old fashioned kind with a handle on each side you close individually.

[@MRrwmac]

Usually another way to get er done and you know most of them!

[@ImpalamansGarage]

I need donuts too.

[@Gordonseries385]

I think I'm east of you so I am facing 270 degrease yelling Hello. Can you hear me? Over

[@ElCaminoGuy2005]

Sometimes ya just need more lube am I right? ... I'll see myself out.

[@markc5593]

Almost sounded like a diesel on this end.

[@katmandu8208]

🔧👍🍻

[@johnrosier1686]

They don’t make them that good anymore. The plastic latch on my 2010 started to get weak around 2015.

[@billw4746]

That pickup is too new for this channel. I have taken out a lot of bolts that way.

[@walterwhitaker1395]

Never light your torch like this with it pointed directly at a can of highly flammable WD-40!

[@justinstearns9723]

WD40 isn’t really that flammable anymore. They used to use propane as a propellant and you could use it as a safer substitute for starting fluid. But not anymore.

[@shanewright6958]

👍👍🇨🇱

[@milfordcivic6755]

Gotta stop buying tools at Home Depot!

[@JayTX.]

Wellp guess I'm gonna keep using a screwdriver 🪛 to open mine