Door Handle

[mulwyk]

I went to disassemble my doors yesterday...and couldn't do it!

It looks like the key to disassembly is to get the door handles off, and I was unable to remove them. They seem to be held on with pins, and I tried to tap the pins out with my little collection of small punches, but nothing happened. Is there some trick?

This is the aluminum doors on a BC12D. The handles have an approximate 1/8 hole on the bottom (for the pin, I suppose). On the top of the handles the pin holes is rivited over? soldered shut? or something...no hole. What's this? There has to be some way to get to the inside of the door. Right?

Bob Gustafson

[M Towsley]

Re: Door Handle

Bob,

Perhaps it is an allen screw, if it has only one opening. I believe mine has them.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Door Handle

I think they are peened over. It was a struggle to get the pins out of my doors, but a good quality parallel punch and the assistance of a friend to hold the handle (door 'n' all) over a vise for support.
This photo shows the handles after removal of the pins...holes on both sides.

Rob

[crispy critter]

Re: Door Handle

Every t-craft I have ever owned had a hole all the way through and the pin was a rolled pin(hollow)or in a couple of cases a finishing nail(these were easy to remove).However the hollow rolled pins were a different story.I think I had to drill most of them out.

[birdlegs]

Re: Door Handle

Yep I'm in the boat with C.Critter I had to arm wrestle 'em .Then finally bored them out. I've also got one that I cold forged out of an aluminum horseshoe! Turned out rather nice.. I welded a hunk of the shoe to a predrilled piece of round stock, then peened on it till it looked correct,,,,,,, can't tell it from the others!

[selje]

Re: Door Handle

When you replace the inside door handle, point the tip forward. This gives more room in our limited cockpits and you have to lift up the door handle to open which decreases the chances of opening the door by accident.

[crispy critter]

Re: Door Handle

I completely done away with the original inside door handle assembly on Crispy Critter and modified a set of door handles from the inside of a VW.Looks great,wooks great,no chance of opening unless you pull the handle out,plus it will be flush with the inside door panel and will not stick out in the way.I'll try to get some pictures and post them.

[hangarb7]

Re: Door Handle

Crispy,

I would love to see how you did this. My whole door handle assembly is really loosey-goosey and will need attending to before the next annual.

Jack Dernorsek
N44057

[crispy critter]

Re: Door Handle

Jack,
I'll try to post a couple pictures.I completely scraped the inside part of the door handle,used the same latch and rod on the back(rear)of the door.I had to bend the rod 90 degrees to make it work.I simply make a plate to stand out from the inside of the door to match my inside door panel then rivited an inside VW door handle assembly to the plate and rivited the plate to the inside of the door.....very much more simple than I make it sound.

[mulwyk]

Re: Door Handle

Cute design, Kevin. BETTER than original!

I flashed back to 1968 when I saw that VW handle. At least I think it was '68...

Bob Gustafson