Hi, All.
A couple of days ago I grabbed the outside door handle, pulled it, and nothing happened. There may have been a slight "snap" and a feeling of something letting go, but that may just have been my imagination. What I didn't imagine is that the exterior handle no longer unlatches the door. Has this happened to anyone else? If so, what should I expect to find after removing the interior door panel? Something broke or something detached?
Chris
Solved!
I found two broken parts when I got the handle out. One: About a quarter inch from the end, the plastic base had broken off. It had a tab/pad which the handle rested against at rest. Two: The metal lever that connects to the rod going to the latch had snapped. It is 'U' shaped and the cross-piece (bottom of the 'U') was what levered up when opening the door. I suspect the failure of the plastic base put a strain on the cross-piece, leading to its failure, but maybe it was just coincidence.
The repair job was fairly simple -- the most difficult part by far is removing the inner door panel. Actually, re-installing the inner door panel is more difficult than removing it. The handle is riveted on, so I punched out the pin (with a punch, of course;)) then drilled out the rest. I started with a small bit and worked my up to a 1/4 inch on the first rivet, used the 1/4 inch itself on the second rivet. Unlatch the rod from the latch below and with a bit of maneuvering, the handle and rod lifts up and out. I don't have a riveter, so I used an M6 X 15 bolt, lock washer, nut, and blue Loctite. Fingers crossed, that should hold it.
Chris
