Just put my roofs on to wash my IROC when I noticed the hatch not all the way down. I pushed it down and the hatch motor started running and did not stop until I pulled the plug. Is there an easy way to get the hatch to lock without the motor until I can find a replacement hatch motor assembly? I replaced it about a year or two ago and the install went fine. Guess the junk yard version is a crap shoot.

 

heres how its done...follow instructions carefully...

~take off the plastic piece in the very back and take off that F$^#ING motor...cuss at it for goin bad,and throw it in the trash-can.
~next,use vice grips to set the section that got pulled down to the main stationary part (i was a long time ago when i did this so try and work w/ me here) make sure everything is lined up and opens and closes ok
~find out where the hatch will stay closed and weld it in place. then bolt it back in place makin sure the hatch still stay closed and everything is lined up once again. then bolt it back together.

i dont know how mechanically inclined you are (no offense) or if u have access to a welder of any type but i recommend this.

i have that "setup" on my car now and it works great! i no longer have to worry about that POS pull down motor ever again.

hope this helps or gives u an idea...

 

Thanks for the reply. How does you setup work for you? Do you fear closing the hatch too hard and breaking the back glass? I've heard that glass is expensive. My used parts supplier may have this part by Friday. I can get someone to weld this, but I want to keep it as close to original as I can. I was hoping the holes were there to just take the motor contraption out and bolt it up for manual operation. As long as I can get the pull-down assembly, I'll keep replacing it for originality reasons. Thanks

 

Look on the subsiquent pages of third gen tech, there is someone who lists a website of where to get a new rear hatch pull down for real cheap. I think they said 40.00 bucks but dont qoute me on that. I know they run an arm and a leg in year one and from GM.