Door handle & latch questions

[Radarsonwheels]

Hey fellas

 

Last week I heard something fall in my driver’s door and wouldn’t you know it when I got where I was going the inside latch didn’t work any more. Plus my door is ‘vented’ on the bottom ? so I didn’t recover the piece.

 

I found out today while investigating that the inside handle was still capable of locking the door, but not unlocking it! Thankfully the three screws and exterior handle that hold the latch mechanism in the door all unscrewed without a fight. It’s pretty obvious that I need a new rivet/nut&bolt to attach the inside handle linkage. I peened the rivet that holds the slider in place- marked #2 in the top pic- it was a little loose and now it’s better. Everything else looks ok in the latch mechanism.

 

What is a good option to use for a replacement for the rivet that used to live in hole #1 top pic/*arrow bottom pic? I’m thinking button head allen/nylock but it needs to be a snug fit and stay perpendicular in the operating linkage rod and very thin headed to fit in the slider groove in the latch. Maybe a 6pt bolt with the head ground thin?

 

I think if I pull the inside handle (how do I do that?) maybe I can do a peened rivet on the bench then reinstall as a unit but working inside the door it’d have to be nut & bolt. I want to learn to pull the handle anyway I want to make door cards and armrests soon. 

 

Also- I have no key but I do have a keyhole with a swinging cover on the passenger door. The driver’s side has none. Is it supposed to? Can I easily add one? Who makes a set with keys?

 

Thanks!

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

during that era many vehicles only had lock on the passenger side so you could lock it as you exited, you were not to open the drivers door into the lane of traffic....

[Radarsonwheels]

Ok so I managed to push back the rubber boot (escutcheon?) and tap out a pin, then the handle mechanism came free with three machine screws. It took some window up & down and some flipping, head scratching, and a little bit of pulling and stretching the door opening but now I have both internal latch mechanisms and linkage bar out and on the bench. 

 

I still need to find or make a pin to hold the linkage bar in the latch slot. Anybody been there done that before I reinvent the wheel?

[ggdad1951]

I'd just replace the whole assembly with a working one..plenty of those floating around.  

As for drivers side locks, if you got an Aussie latch you'd be set.   Davin brought a few over a few years ago.  Otherwise you have some interesting fab work to do.

[Radarsonwheels]

Ok so it’s all back together and working. I ended up using one of the extra large flathead stainless 1/4-20 machine screws in the tight spot. I flattened out the head first on the belt sander until it barely still had a slot for a big screwdriver. There is a nice access hole through the back of the bracket to install it. 

 

On the other side I put a washer and screwed a nylock nut down until it didn’t have any play but still slides freely. Then I hacksawed off the extra threads and smashed the nut a little in a vice so it hopefully can’t easily unscrew or work loose. 

 

I put on a nitrile glove and mushed a handful of axle grease all into and under all the lockwork on the latch then wiped off all the extra with a paper towel. 

 

Threading it back in past the window regulator and rear track was probably the hardest part but not too bad. It unsurprisingly works better than before now that it’s all cleaned and freshly greased and all the rivets are tightened up a little with less play. 

[Jeff Balazs]

Nice save!

Jeff