No no no! Much easier way. Just put the key in the lock and jiggle it around and keep trying to push the plunger in. Eventually the cam will jiggle into place and it will catch. Then -- once open -- immediately tighten the fastening nut on the cam so that it doesn't happen again. 99 percent of the time the cause of this horror is the loose cam underneath, the one that swings around with the lock assembly and is supposed to push the plunger when moved into place. It can stop swinging! An old Jaguar mechanic in L.A. from Coventry named Mike Power showed me this trick. Took about eight seconds to get the boot open.
Shortly after my bootlid giving temporary! problems again one final remark. Because John made his help PULL the lid, while he was trying to open the lock, he failed. He should've let him PUSH it against the rubber until he was able to activate the mechanism and only then let him pull. The reason: the closing mechanism grabs around the rail and pulllng the bootlid will only strengthen its hold. I managed to free my bootlid from a too tight hold on vacation by pushing & pulling alternatively.
After buying a new lock and spending a week repairing the rot on the bottom edge of the boot lid and repainting it over the winter I got around to refitting the lid today and guess what when I closed the boot lid it wouldn't open again. Aggggh I made another tool and this time it was successful took about an hour though. Thanks for the tip because without this tool its impossible. Now all I have to do is find out why the button dosnt work. its no big deal.
Oh no! John, did it hurt when you fell off your pedestal?! ;-) I'm glad to see that even you sometimes get stymied by our LBCs. Perhaps the answer is to install a wire on the inside latch and run it through the back wall, much like we do on the bonnet latch in case of a broken release cable.
How about sticking the camera (and a light) in the trunk to get a view of what's going on when you use the tool? Might be educational for all and help you see what's going wrong.
That just looks like the kind of thing you have to fiddle with. Thanks for the demo, and thanks for demonstrating patience, which is key on old cars :^)
In support of Hitchcock1960: I once had the half circular wheel underneath the pushlock coming loose. After a lot of wiggling I was lucky it fell off completely after which the lock came out. And indeed, then it is easy to push the lid open with a bent pushrod made on my own. So be carefull: use Locktite to secure the small bolt fastening of this special part! Only when tightly fitted, will it push far enough for the mechanism to open...
My issue was not the catch, but the rotating plate that presses down on the latch to release the catch. The bolt that holds that in tight to the lock/tumbler had loosened and the plate would not rotate back (down) to engage the latch. Removing both reverse lights, I snaked in an inspection endoscope camera (Depstech wifi model) and from the other side, bent a brazing rod to have a small right angle turn up at end and curved as needed to reach in and fish about the lock. With the camera, could see where I was, and was able to shift the plate back in place so could open the trunk. Yay! Then tightened everything up properly. TIP: Open your trunk now and make sure lock is tight with the large toothed ring, and the nut is tight, with good lock washer.
This wAS me fall '07. I tried everything in the video but also no luck. Advised by yahoo grp to drill a hole into boot lid just below exterior latch. But couldn't bring myself to do it. Finally broke down called a locksmith and he used a circular drill bit to reem out center of the push button. Then latch was visable. Then popped lid with a screw driver. All I had to do then was buy a new lock, (34.99) and pay him 95.00. What a nighmare.
I second this approach. After towing the car across country with a trunk full of "stuff" that shifted, my trunk latch jammed. Tried going through the reverse lamp and the fuel pump openings to find both paths blocked. Drilled out the push button and finally got to the latch.
Entry from the reverse light location is a good approach. Can we make a mod to the latch which would make it easier to grab with a tool like JT’s ? I’m thinking of drilling a hole in the top of latch and securing a 6” eye-hook in the hole extending toward the drivers side. May have to put an offset into the eye-hook. That could be easier to grab blindly than the back of the latch. 🤔
No no no!
Much easier way. Just put the key in the lock and jiggle it around and keep trying to push the plunger in. Eventually the cam will jiggle into place and it will catch.
Then -- once open -- immediately tighten the fastening nut on the cam so that it doesn't happen again.
99 percent of the time the cause of this horror is the loose cam underneath, the one that swings around with the lock assembly and is supposed to push the plunger when moved into place. It can stop swinging!
An old Jaguar mechanic in L.A. from Coventry named Mike Power showed me this trick. Took about eight seconds to get the boot open.
Shortly after my bootlid giving temporary! problems again one final remark. Because John made his help PULL the lid, while he was trying to open the lock, he failed. He should've let him PUSH it against the rubber until he was able to activate the mechanism and only then let him pull. The reason: the closing mechanism grabs around the rail and pulllng the bootlid will only strengthen its hold. I managed to free my bootlid from a too tight hold on vacation by pushing & pulling alternatively.
After buying a new lock and spending a week repairing the rot on the bottom edge of the boot lid and repainting it over the winter I got around to refitting the lid today and guess what when I closed the boot lid it wouldn't open again. Aggggh
I made another tool and this time it was successful took about an hour though.
Thanks for the tip because without this tool its impossible.
Now all I have to do is find out why the button dosnt work. its no big deal.
Oh no! John, did it hurt when you fell off your pedestal?! ;-) I'm glad to see that even you sometimes get stymied by our LBCs. Perhaps the answer is to install a wire on the inside latch and run it through the back wall, much like we do on the bonnet latch in case of a broken release cable.
Ah...the best laid plans of mice and men. It takes a man of character to air his failures as well as his triumps. :-)
I know you will get it to work sooner or later.
Happy holidays John,
How about sticking the camera (and a light) in the trunk to get a view of what's going on when you use the tool? Might be educational for all and help you see what's going wrong.
Thanks so much Redesigned the lever you had and successes after about 5 minutes
That just looks like the kind of thing you have to fiddle with. Thanks for the demo, and thanks for demonstrating patience, which is key on old cars :^)
In support of Hitchcock1960: I once had the half circular wheel underneath the pushlock coming loose. After a lot of wiggling I was lucky it fell off completely after which the lock came out. And indeed, then it is easy to push the lid open with a bent pushrod made on my own. So be carefull: use Locktite to secure the small bolt fastening of this special part! Only when tightly fitted, will it push far enough for the mechanism to open...
My issue was not the catch, but the rotating plate that presses down on the latch to release the catch. The bolt that holds that in tight to the lock/tumbler had loosened and the plate would not rotate back (down) to engage the latch. Removing both reverse lights, I snaked in an inspection endoscope camera (Depstech wifi model) and from the other side, bent a brazing rod to have a small right angle turn up at end and curved as needed to reach in and fish about the lock. With the camera, could see where I was, and was able to shift the plate back in place so could open the trunk. Yay! Then tightened everything up properly. TIP: Open your trunk now and make sure lock is tight with the large toothed ring, and the nut is tight, with good lock washer.
What you have to do is close your eyes and concentrate on touch and feeling for the latch. You have to become a part of the tool.
I have just had the same problem I tried this method but I couldn't get it to unlock so I had to drill the centre of the lock out and buy a new one.
search (mgb boot lid locked and cant get it open ) see my video using this method to open my mgb boot. Thanks to John
Hope you don't charge by the hour for this job.
This wAS me fall '07. I tried everything in the video but also no luck. Advised by yahoo grp to drill a hole into boot lid just below exterior latch. But couldn't bring myself to do it. Finally broke down called a locksmith and he used a circular drill bit to reem out center of the push button. Then latch was visable. Then popped lid with a screw driver. All I had to do then was buy a new lock, (34.99) and pay him 95.00. What a nighmare.
I second this approach. After towing the car across country with a trunk full of "stuff" that shifted, my trunk latch jammed. Tried going through the reverse lamp and the fuel pump openings to find both paths blocked. Drilled out the push button and finally got to the latch.
Entry from the reverse light location is a good approach. Can we make a mod to the latch which would make it easier to grab with a tool like JT’s ? I’m thinking of drilling a hole in the top of latch and securing a 6” eye-hook in the hole extending toward the drivers side. May have to put an offset into the eye-hook. That could be easier to grab blindly than the back of the latch. 🤔