So my hatch pull down has stopped working again. Both the LID Fuse and ACC are fine. I replaced them any way but no issue. About 2 years it died on me again. I replaced the motor with an entirely new assembly and after two years it goes up but doesn't want to pull down. I manually moved it and the rear hatch catches and stays shut just has a lot of play.

Reading old threads on the topic. Most of the old threads from circa 2001-2009 tell OP to just replace the motor. It's not that hard it works better. Manual latches shatter glass, etc. A few threads from circa 2011-2014 or so tell OP to go to a junkyard and pull the manual hatch components off an 82-84 car or an RS that has them. Great. However, it's 2026. There are no Third Gens in Junkyards any more. At least not near me. So finding the manual parts has proven to be tough, I can't find any, anywhere. Been Googling around and nothing.

Even when i went to the drag strip recently for a bracket race. There were third gens. Two IROCs and a Trans Am. All three had manual hatch set ups. They had gutted rears, battery in the rear with a kill switch in the tail light and manual closing.

I would love to start converting my car into a street and strip car. I would hate to be at the drag strip and the stupid motor/switch fails for the 20th time and then I can't make a pass or drive home. Anyone know where to find parts these days?

 

Yeah, it’s crazy hard to find manual parts for Third Gens now that junkyards barely have any. I’ve seen some people check sites like CARiD. They sometimes have replacement latches or parts that can help with a manual conversion. You can check the CARiD reviews if interested. Might not be exactly like an old RS setup, but it could save a ton of headaches at the drag strip.

 

This is the bracket that the 86+ PPD hatch motor gets mounted too:



While I do not have a picture of the 82-85 "manual" Hatch Release Solenoid bracket,... the bracket that was used in 82-85 was NOT the same as the one needed for the 86+ PPD motor. So; to install an 82-85 Hatch Release Solenoid you would need to drill the spot welds from a 82-85 bracket, Drill the spot welds and remove the bracket from the 86+ body, and then install the 82-85 bracket in it's place.

Most guys in your situation that don't want to repair their PPD hatch motor don't want to do all that work. They simply find a way to forever secure the PPD motor in it's lowest position (drill a hole & bolt it in place forever, weld it,.. what-ever )

 

I have the sheet metal and the latch mechanism from a non pulldown style hatch. I can drill it out and ship.

 

Ill have to get a photo when i see my friend. He drilled out the rivets for the latch from the power pulldown and bolted it to a plate with 2 bolts that mount to the factory pulldown holes. time consuming but you use what you have.

 

Had the pull down fail on me in the extended position when I was taking a crankshaft to an engine builder for the 310 LS in our Firebird. Since it did at least latch, I pulled the light bulb and just finished my trip. Once I got home, it miraculously started working again.

Fast-forward a few years, and it's failed again, only this time in the pulled-down position. Luckily, it'll still latch with just a light push on the hatch. Can't you just spin the mechanism down and leave the power removed from the pull-down mechanism?

 

In my personal car I ran some self tapping screws through the mechanism because I never cared for the hatch pulldown assembly. I do have a few good examples of each style for sale if anyone needs one aswell. I have the 92 only style and the earlier versions.

 

New motors, gears, and nylon guides are all available from Amazon $60 & up (unless you have 91-92, they claim has different motor).

For 91-92 - I'm convinced that the motor is the same motor, it's just the housing holding the gear is different. I'm so convinced that I bought a motor to have for future. I figure I can put in my housing or alter housing it comes with to work on my hatch plate. I'm sure it's just a difference in where holes are drilled - after all, these motors were all the same and used in various Ford's as well.

Another option (I have done this as well) is to wire a window switch into console instead of the hatch button. Takes away all the calibrating, adjustments, etc of the mounting bolts and open/close switches on the latch. Simply wire like window - one direction up one direction down. Then open/close it manually with that switch. When it runs up and I can see daylight, I stop get out and "pop" release with key. To close I gently latch it, get in, push button other way and when it's coming down, I let it squish the hatch seal some then stop.