Removing the Driver's Door Handle

[Andras Nagy]

The cylinder lock of the driver's door handle is loose, and sometimes the lock works, and sometimes it doesn't. The silver key surround seems to be loose, and sticks out of the door handle by about 1/4" to 3/8", but is easy to push back in. If I do it just right, I can lock and unlock the door.

Otherwise, the key does not engage, and I can't lock or unlock.

Does anyone have any pictures of the door handle, and how it is removed from the door? I've removed the arm rest, and the inside door panel, but I can't see the second screw that holds the door handle to the door. I see the one directly through the access hole, but the other one must be very far in, and quite hard to reach. If I find it with a strong light, how do I remove it, and better yet, how do I re-install it, if I can't see it so well. Would hate to drop the nut into the bottom of the door.

Anyone with experience in this operation?

[Bill Verburg]

there are only 2, 5mm, studs holding it on, one at each end

[Andras Nagy]

Hi Bill,

How does one get to the nut near the back of the door (next to the lock cylinder)? I think I see it, but you'd have to have tiny, double-jointed hands to get in there with a socket, and how do I keep the nut from falling down into the bottom of the door cavity?

[daepp]

I took these last week as I replaced the broken door latch mechanism on my 72 911. Hope it helps a bit. For me, this was a fairly difficult job - but still doable.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by Andras Nagy

Hi Bill,

How does one get to the nut near the back of the door (next to the lock cylinder)? I think I see it, but you'd have to have tiny, double-jointed hands to get in there with a socket, and how do I keep the nut from falling down into the bottom of the door cavity?

I don't remember the specifics but probably a 1/4" drive thumb ratchet w/ a short extension.

You don't have eyes in the ends of your fingers?

[daepp]

A regular 1/4" ratchet worked for me. A little tight but workable.

[dtw]

I remove the door panel, then a ratchet, long extension, flex-joint, and IIRC, 8mm socket.

[rusnak]

Orchard Supply Hardware or Sears has flexible extensions for a 1/4" drive socket and driver. I saw them this morning when I picked up a u-joint so that I can tighten up my intake manifold bolts.....

[group911@aol.co]

Andras
On your SC, there is a hole in the inner door shell that has a piece of tape over it that allows access to the nut in question. It's a little tight but you can get an 8mm socket through it with a 6" extension and remove the nut.
Make sure to clean and service every moving part in the door while you have it open.

[Andras Nagy]

Hi Group,

Aha, I did notice that hole, and wondered what it was for.

Thinking about it, I'll try to magentize the socket or else put some sticky-stuff inside the socket, so that I won't drop the nut into the neather regions of the door shell. Especially critical as I try to re-engage the nut once I'm finished with the lock cylinder.

Thanks guys for all your suggestions and help. I'll try it this weekend; in the meantime, driving around without the arm rest is weird; funny how we get used to something, and how quickly we miss it when it's not there.

[group911@aol.co]

The nut isn't so bad. It's the washer I usually drop.

[defcon65]

I did this last year and it was a bear! Hopefully, you do not have gigantitis of the hands or care very much if they are fully-skinned. The small thumb-ratchet for a 1/4" drive socket worked for me. If there had been any kids hanging around, I certainly would have bribed one to reach in there for me. Spray some penetrating oil on the nuts to loosen and have your telescoping magnet tool ready for the fasteners you will be dropping into the door.

[moneymanager]

I don't quite understand why losing the nut to the bottom of the door is a problem. For me, with the door panel off, you simply reach in with one of those magnets on the end of a wand (Sears, etc) and fish it out. Sometimes you do this 4 or 5 times...

[group911@aol.co]

You are lucky if it falls to the bottom. They usually fall on top of the reinforcement bar inside the door which seems to be a black hole.

[gregg911]

I repaired mine during the "prep" day for a colonoscopy. I was told by the Dr. not to venture too far from the facilities so I thought this would be "a great day to fix that loose door handle". If you've had a colonoscopy, you'll know that this is a bad day to do anything.

I would work for 15min then run into the house for 5min, work for 15min then back to the house for 5 min repeat, repeat,repeat. Due the sense of urgency, all the time losing the 5 mm nuts inside the door, on the garage floor and anywhere else on the way to the bathroom. I got it done.

Repairing the doorhandle is fairly straightforward, you'll just wish you had smaller hands.

[Andras Nagy]

Hi guys,

I finally did it this morning, and the operation was a success.

The hole in the door is the key: once I removed the nut nearest the door edge (behind the key cylinder) the socket retained the nut, and I slowly pulled it out without dropping it. The washer came out with a wand-magnet.

The lock cylinder is retained by a phillips screw, which had come loose. Tightened it, and that was that. After cleaning up all the years of dried wax and dirt, put the entire handle back in.

Then I glued the washer to the nut with some 3M weatherstripping, and slowly threaded the long extension back through the hole in the door panel, and voila, was able to secure the nut onto the stud. The other nut was easier, though I also glued that washer onto the nut, and everything now works.

Placed the leather door panel back, secured the door pocket and the top trim, and now it looks as good as new. Naturally had to clean up the leather with Lexol leather treatment, cleaned up all the many pieces, and was done.

So I thank everyone who offered suggestions; the repair is a complete success.