dutch doors stuck

[markmitch]

I am buying the complete dutch door set up off a 97 Astro van to install on my 89 BUT the doors are stuck shut and I know why but no idea as to how to get them open. The left door is closed fully but the right door is partially closed and the hatch is fully closed so I attempted to lightly push the right door closed but it won't close and that is why the hatch is stuck. Any ideas on getting the doors open so I can take them apart and off?

[RECox286]

To open the hatch, remove the pull handle ( inside, bottom, center of the hatch) and the cover plate, reach in to the

bellcrank and move it to the OPEN position by hand. This should release the two latches, one on either side of the

hatch/jamb. Doesn't the hatch release button up front work ? Is the fuse good ? Do the cabin lights illuminate ?

Uncle Bob

[thegreenmachine]

gotta get the hatch open first. if you pull the grab handle off, and a few screws holding the trim on the hatch, youll be able to manually access the switch, there is a connecting rod that goes to each side, if you can get the latches to move, you should be able to pop the hatch.

I don't know if you can do it with the hatch closed. and you might have to pull the panels off the lower doors to manually pull the latches.

I hear its cold there, so keep warm and have fun!

[thegreenmachine]

REcox289, was too fast for me.....lol

[markmitch]

its in a salvage yard so no power but I will try to open the hatch by what you guys said.

[RECox286]

If you have a power pack or a spare battery and cables , and can get the bonnet open, carefully hook

up to the battery, or the cables of the JY truck, then push the button on the dash for the hatch to unlatch.

Uncle Bob

[DRZ]

Yeah right, if one of the bottom doors isn't shut there will be too much pressure on the top door for the electrics to move the linkage anyway. Go with what the guy said about removing enough trim pieces from the inside to manually release the hatch. When I made the manual actuator on my Y2K it worked way easy until I put in all the proper rubber grommets and rubber strips and now I have to pull in on the hatch to use the manual setup with the real short lever I used. If you can pull the interior trim piece back a bit you will have all the leverage you need.