Refitting Door Handle

[marojojoem]

Any tips on getting the pushrod back onto the ball joint on the latch. So far I must have made about 100 attempts to push it back on with a flat bladed screwdriver through the handle aperture (per Clarks Garage instructions) and its getting a little frustrating. Any help gratefully received. Thanks Mark

 

[scam75]

Yeah strip the door down! If you are fitting a new handle it may need adjusted and not be lining up right. And even if it is lining up I needed to use pliers to snap mine back in. Very fiddly and skint knuckles almost certain but you'll get there in the end with the door card off.

Stuart

 

[Greg James]

No tips it's a pain. That's how you do it where are you I'm in oxford would happily give you a hand I did mine last year.

 

[BenEngland]

I did mine a couple of years back. Removing the door card barely improved access as the window mechanism still obstructs.
After hours of frustration & skinned knuckles I contacted my local Indie, (Northway), they advised me to do the job using long nosed pliers through the door lock opening, (angled or straight I cannot remember).
Their advice was that the job could be done in 10 - 20 minutes, if you are lucky or quite a lot longer if you are not!!

Word of advice, tie a piece of twine or fishing line around the lever, makes it a lot easier to retrieve it if you drop it into the door innards, may also help it to hang at the right height for re-attachment.

 

[Mike_Pollock]

[quote}No tips it's a pain. That's how you do it[/quote]

Yup

 

[marojojoem]

Thanks for the responses, maybe the long nosed pliers is the solution.
I'm Bristol area so not too close but thanks for the offer

 

[marojojoem]

okay got it! This worked for me. Get some light inside the door. Spray some WD40 onto the ball.
Don't forget to put the plastic trim on before starting to fit the handle or you will have to do the job twice!!
Insert the pushrod into the aperture and rotate the handle down through 90 deg and carefully line up the plastic joint with the ball. With the joint all nicely lined up move the whole assembly forward so that the pushrod is against the front edge of the aperture.
Get a long flat bladed screwdriver. Place the flat end against the plastic joint then use the pushrod resting against the edge of the aperture as a pivot, the pushrod protects the doorskin from damage.
Using a steady force lever the plastic joint onto the ball - takes quite a bit of load to get it on.
You need to put the plastic lock arm back on its ball joint then fit the handle to the door.
In aligning the handle in its correct position you will need to depress the pushrod so that you can rotate the handle without the lug at the rear of the lock assembly scratching the doorskin. Yes I found out the hard way!
I hope this might be useful to somebody.
Mark