I Need A Part...Don't Know What To Call It

240 Views 13 Replies 4 Participants Last post by FabricGATOR, 5 d ago

Dragonwing

Discussion Starter · 7 d ago

Greetings, All!

My search for the replacement to Tilikum, my 2005 GC, from which I had to walk away at 376K miles has met with success! Found a lovely 2005 (go figure) T&C, about 90K, in superb shape and very clean inside. It's the Touring Edition, with all the bells and whistles, and power everything. Frankly, it's a bit too much automation for me, but beggars can't be choosers, I guess.

My issue with Pendragon (as I have named him) is that the PO bent the inner bulkhead holding the tailgate lift motor assembly in attempting to use that feature when the gas struts were all but dead. The motor (bless its heart) was then left with doing all the work lifting that very heavy tailgate. Now, everything is all cockeyed, the lift arm has separated from the stud on the tailgate, and right now, I'm not apt to be getting inside there and putting everything back in order. Ever. So. I removed the arm assembly from the lift motor, and am left with the hole in the interior panel where sits the lift motor. What I would like is to cover that hole with the same plastic panel that my GC (which didn't have a power liftgate) had in place of the mechanism.

I don't know what to call that panel, and I can't seem to find a fiche picture that shows it anywhere. Can anyone give me he official name of this plastic cover piece that hides the hole where sits the lift motor, or more precisely, where the motor would sit, if it were installed?

Thanks!
DW

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Road Ripper

· #2 · 7 d ago

You have to remove the entire lift motor/gears/arm assembly that is mounted on a cast aluminum piece, from the inner D pillar. Then you can get the interior panel that covers the driver's side D pillar, from a long wheelbase van that didn't have the power liftgate feature. Unless the short wheelbase D pillar is the same? They look different to me for some reason.

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FabricGATOR

· #3 · 6 d ago

Did Tilikum have some sort of fill plate or just a natural panel without accommodation for the lift mechanism?

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Dragonwing

Discussion Starter · #4 · 6 d ago

She had the fill plate. That's exactly the part I'm looking for. And now, perhaps, we're getting closer to the part's proper name?

DW

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Dragonwing

Discussion Starter · #5 · 6 d ago

Road Ripper said:
You have to remove the entire lift motor/gears/arm assembly that is mounted on a cast aluminum piece, from the inner D pillar. Then you can get the interior panel that covers the driver's side D pillar, from a long wheelbase van that didn't have the power liftgate feature. Unless the short wheelbase D pillar is the same? They look different to me for some reason.

Dan:

If I was apt to go through all the work removing the rear inner panel, removing the lift motor, and replacing the panel with one without the cut-out for the lift mechanism, I'd be as well off just repairing the assembly that I have in it now.

But, no....that's exactly what I DON'T want to get involved in. I just want the cover panel for the hole.

But thanks for your input, in any event.

DW

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FabricGATOR

· #6 · 6 d ago

Dragonwing said:
She had the fill plate. That's exactly the part I'm looking for. And now, perhaps, we're getting closer to the part's proper name?

DW

I'll keep an eye out at the yards for one.

Do you have any record of the old VIN number? Maybe you can enter the VIN at a Mopar part dealer site (some are better than others [I find 'parts giant' is tedious MPG] and then go looking for the interior panel. If it is there, you may find the part number and nomenclature. Once you have that, then it is going to be a challenge to find it.

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FabricGATOR

· #7 · 6 d ago

2005 Dodge Grand Caravan C/V 3.3L V6 D Pillar.

Diagram of OEM D Pillar. Contains 10 parts priced between $7.43 and $184.37. Fits 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan C/V 3.3L V6.

www.factorychryslerparts.com

Item 12 maybe?

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Dragonwing

Discussion Starter · #8 · 6 d ago

FabricGATOR said:
2005 Dodge Grand Caravan C/V 3.3L V6 D Pillar.

Diagram of OEM D Pillar. Contains 10 parts priced between $7.43 and $184.37. Fits 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan C/V 3.3L V6.

www.factorychryslerparts.com

Item 12 maybe?

Umm....maybe. That's a TERRIBLE picture, if that's indeed it. What? Too cheap to post a photo of the part?

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Road Ripper

· #9 · 6 d ago

Dragonwing said:
Dan:

If I was apt to go through all the work removing the rear inner panel, removing the lift motor, and replacing the panel with one without the cut-out for the lift mechanism, I'd be as well off just repairing the assembly that I have in it now.

But, no....that's exactly what I DON'T want to get involved in. I just want the cover panel for the hole.

But thanks for your input, in any event.

DW

I honestly had no idea there were vans out there with that bulged panel with NO motor/mechanism and a fill plate installed! All I've seen in the yards are with the power liftgate/bulge, or without and a plain panel. Added to my mental knowledge cache.

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FabricGATOR

· #10 · 6 d ago

Dragonwing said:
Umm....maybe. That's a TERRIBLE picture, if that's indeed it. What? Too cheap to post a photo of the part?

I know, it is a crap shoot. I did search the part number and found two or three on eBay that maybe you could ask someone to post an actual picture or some measurements.

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Dragonwing

Discussion Starter · #11 · 5 d ago

Road Ripper said:
I honestly had no idea there were vans out there with that bulged panel with NO motor/mechanism and a fill plate installed! All I've seen in the yards are with the power liftgate/bulge, or without and a plain panel. Added to my mental knowledge cache.

Dan:

They're very rare, as I'm beginning to find out. And doing a walkabout search in the local Pull-A-Part yards leads to another problem: Unless one has the key for the tailgate (good luck with THAT) it's impossible to open the tailgate to do a look-see....without breaking the window glass, of course. Geez! What would one do in a front-end crash where the only way out was through the back? There isn't even a pull latch to open the tail from the inside!

DW

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FabricGATOR

· #12 · 5 d ago

Dragonwing said:
Dan:

They're very rare, as I'm beginning to find out. And doing a walkabout search in the local Pull-A-Part yards leads to another problem: Unless one has the key for the tailgate (good luck with THAT) ...
... There isn't even a pull latch to open the tail from the inside!

DW

Mine is electric touch... good luck finding a battery out there

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GS21

· #13 · 5 d ago

Dragonwing said:
There isn't even a pull latch to open the tail from the inside!

From the inside, there's a small circle plug you can remove. Supposedly you can take a flathead screwdriver and insert and rotate it to manually open the tailgate, but I've never been able to find the slot inside the access hole.

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FabricGATOR

· #14 · 5 d ago

GS21 said:
From the inside, there's a small circle plug you can remove. Supposedly you can take a flathead screwdriver and insert and rotate it to manually open the tailgate, but I've never been able to find the slot inside the access hole.

Cheers, I'll have to look.

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