Solenoids for door openers

[Kenneth Kristiansson]

Hi Ulf.

You might have a point in that they weren´t very often used but I like them and I´m not building a kustom exactly how they were built back then. I like the 40´s earley 50´s style kustoms and trying to build one with era correct parts that I like and who knows, if it was 1950 now I might have done the same.There is some more Lincoln parts I´m gonna use so I think they will fit the theme.Allmost like a baby Lincoln.

About hooking them up you nailed it.Don´t know if can read my minds but go thru a switch connected to a solenoid is exactly what I have in mind.Thinkig of a keylock in the engine compartment to disconnect the solenoids and in that way lock the car.

[Kenneth Kristiansson]

Bert Gustafsson wrote:

There is a tech article on installing Lincoln push buttons in the latest Rod & Custom (Feb -14 issue)

Still waiting for my issue.Looking forward to read that article

[mark wojcik]

I have to add some info to this discussion, as I can see a lot of guys don’t have much experience with electric door openers.
Yes, they did use starter solenoids “back in the day”. But there are problems with them. They draw a lot of current, so switches either have to be very heavy duty, or use relays (back in the day, they might have used a remote style solenoid, like a Ford one, to actuate the integral starter type solenoid). In any case, I’ve seen quite a few cars that have had electrical fires due to solenoids sticking, or relays sticking, causing a dead short to ground with the wiring to the solenoid. This can be disastrous!
Fuses are the obvious solution, but you have to use a pretty large amperage one to withstand the initial draw of the solenoid, esp. with the old car latches. Sometimes even they are not enough to prevent problems.
In the 80’s my mentor and I began using Ball’s gear reduction motors to op the latches. They sold kits with relays, and magnetic switches (as in burglar alarm door and window switches), or remotes. These motors, I believe, are use on RV’s or similar for different uses. they work very well, and draw much less amperage than solenoids, take up less room, and are less prone to fail disastrously. I’ve been suing them on AALL the customs I’ve built since then, and have very little problem with them. Ball’s is still in business, out of Florida now, and still sell the kits.
They do not quite have the “oomph” to pop some old car latches, without a bit of work. First, clean and freshly lubricate your latches, this helps a lot. Next, find the actuation arm you are going to use to pop the latch. Measure the amount of travel needed to actually release the latch. Usually is is about 1/2″ on an interior door opening lever. Now the motors have a bit over 3/4″ of travel, so if you extend the lever on the latch, and figure the point to attach the motor to it, and have 3/4″ travel, you have more leverage to open the latch. this works almost all of the time to get more pull from the motor.
Next, be sure to use relays and fuses in your system. Also, I use either hood release cables, or cables from “Control Cable Co.” and attach them to the latch as a mechanical back up in case the electricals fail. I run them trough the door jambs, into the engine compartment, or to the inner wheel well, or under the chassis for easy access.
Hope this helps!

[mark wojcik]

Oh, yes…..and another common problem is that a lot of kits contain steel cable to attach motor to latch. It makes it much easier to put the motor where you can inside the door. There were even pulleys in some kits to change directions with the cables. I’ve found that over time, sometimes very quickly, the cables stretch, and they stop working. I try to use solid steel rod wherever possible to attach motor to latch. I use welding rod, 1/8″ usually, never had a problem. Just have to be creative where you locate the motors, sometimes.

[Tony]

The R&C tech story is interesting. If only because I had not considered frenching them, now I am wondering.

Kenneth, I am also using several Lincoln parts, door buttons, steering wheel and wheel covers being the main ones.

[Kenneth Kristiansson]

Thanks for the input Mark.
There is some really helpfull tips you´re coming with. Ofcourse there will be both fuses and relays when I´m wiring this up and a mechanical back up wire is a must. Using a welding rod instead of a wire is a neat trick I will copy.

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