Trunk Pull-down

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

This afternoon, I braved the 37 degree temperature to try to swap the trunk pull-down on the '91 Seville. (Boy, do your hands get cold quick even though it's sunny.) I got the non-working one off the car fairly easily. (Ten M/M bolts by the way.) The three bolts were as shiny as if they'd just came out of the box. I tried hand starting them in the old unit which may have been from a '90 Seville. In any case, they did not want to hand start, so I used the socket to start them.

All was well until I tried the bottom one and the housing around the screw hole broke. So, I went down to my son-in-law's clock shop for some Super Glue. Upon returning home, I figured it needed to cure overnight, and so I put the old one back on. (It's arranged to "bang" the trunk closed.)

What I am writing about is first, is to not tighten the bolts much past where they won't move so as to not fracture the plastic. And secondly, to keep in mind the age of the plastic if you are in the same boat, having adjusted the latch so that it will hold the trunk securely closed when you "bang" it down.

It may be that GM used the next size up bolt for 1991. Or the bolts simply hit the threads at the wrong angle. Just a word of caution for you.

Tomorrow, we mount the new tires and go to the sound place to see if they can re-install the after market radio. (I bought the same one as the instruction book left in the glove box.)

[35-709]

I may be mis-interpreting what you mean by "bang it down" but it has always been my understanding (and my practice) that if you have a trunk pull-down you are never to bang/slam the trunk lid but should push it down easily until the closing mechanism takes over.  But I've never had a '91 Seville either.

[TJ Hopland]

I think he is saying he as a non working mechanism that he was able to one way or another adjust into a fixed position where it works like a manual trunk. 

I'm not sure about 91 but there was one commonly used version of that pulldown that you could buy a new plastic housing for.  The switch was the only part you could not buy last time I was looking for one. 

I seem to recall they used a sort of self tapping screw on those.  Those don't tend to have as consistent of a thread as standard threads and if you are not careful (or perhaps have frozen fingers) they are easy to start in a different position than they were originally in where they then try to cut new threads.     

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

The previous owner adjusted the loop on the part that usually goes up and down (by motor) when it stopped working. He got it adjusted to where the trunk lid should be when it's closed. But you have to "bang" it shut to make it catch, no matter how much it bothers me to do so. (This is/was a temporary solution I presume.) I was installing a replacement so that it will work like my '81 Seville and my wife's '79 Fleetwood. I.E. you press the trunk lid down gently until it catches, then it goes "grrr, grrr, grrr" and closes tight. I'm sorry that I may not have made it clear what I was doing.

I read up on "fixes" that were proposed relative to this problem on this Forum previously this afternoon and adjusting the catch to the approximate place to keep the trunk closed was one of the solutions offered when you couldn't readily find one that goes "grrr" and operates correctly. (For some years, the pull-downs are rather scarce it seems.) I can't remember if there was any mention of having to sometimes "bang" the lid down to make it catch, but there may have been. This sounds somewhat better to me than using a bungee cord to keep the trunk lid closed.

Hopefully my Super Glue fix will have set up nicely overnight and I can put the replacement unit in tomorrow and I will have three autos that the trunk closer works properly on. Just remember that the General didn't mean for the plastic where the attaching screws go in to hold up for more than one or two removals and reinstallations without breaking.

[TJ Hopland]

Found the part number for the housing, Doorman 747-001.   Looking at the list it appears that it fit everything GM 80-96 that had a power trunk.   Summit was the first hit I got at $28.95 so a possible option if the glue doesn't hold.    I notice some of the photos show it being a black housing.  I wonder if they changed to black?  Hopefully a less brittle plastic than the clear?  Have only seen clear ones in person.   Doorman has some stuff that is complete crap but they also have some stuff that is a much improved design over the originals so you never quite know with them. 

[jaxops]

TJ- The Doorman parts are good....but all plastic.  Don't overtighten!
I had to replace mine in the 1997 Town Car after about a year.  So far this Doorman part has been fine.  I think the sensor (trunk alarm) goes off when the car is moving if the pulldown can't keep it from moving a little. 

Good luck.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

TJ, thanks for the info. I plan to repair the original one as it's been so little used. I imagine that the grease has hardened from the car "just sitting" so much and that is what is keeping the plunger from moving up and down.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I lucked out and the Super Glue repair that I made on the plastic housing on my replacement pull-down unit held. I put it in and before I knew it, it was very softly growling and pulling the trunk lid down as befits a "top of the line" car. The quietest pull-down I've had of all the Cadillacs so equipped that I've owned. The one I took off the car looks brand new and the big
screw hole on the bottom is full of blue lithium type grease so that might be the problem. It may be simply gunked up. I brought the two special hex drivers up to the house and after my mid-afternoon snack, I'll take it apart and see if I can get it cleaned up.

The only two tasks remaining are re-charging the AC and checking the alignment again.