Outside Door Handle on my Monte Carlo

[rmorman]

My one casuality on the Hot Rod Power Tour was the driver's side outer door handle. It has always had more play then the passenger side door handle, but now it just flops and has come unattached from the latching mechanism. I have taken the inside door panel off and can see that the bar that connects the latch to the handle has came off of the door handle and now hangs off of the latch. I really can't see up in there to re-attach it. I was wondering if anybody has a link showing pictures with instructions on how to re-attach it? It is on a 1979 Monte Carlo.
Thanks!!!!
Russ

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Go To Ebay and buy a new one. They are less than $10 the last time I looked, and not worth rebuilding. NAPA may also have new ones in stock, as may your local parts store in the HELP! section. To remove it, you need to slip the retaining clip off the linkage rod, and then use a 10 or 11mm wrench to remove the 2 nuts that retain it to the door skin. I usually remove the door glass to gain access to the handle and linkage. To remove it, you will need to position the window so that the retaining nuts are accessible through the inspection holes in the inner door frame. All GM cars have these holes, and the window comes out with a 10 or 11mm socket. You may need to remove the rear alignment pin on the top of the inner door frame, at the rear to get the window out. I have a complete set of factory service manuals and can look it up if this does not help. I would scan and post it, but can't figure out how to use my all in one as a scanner.

 

[rmorman]

I think maybe the retaining clip is what broke. I don't know if the handle is broke at all. Does the handle have to break for the retaining clip to come off? The rod does not have the retaining clip on it. Suppose the clip broke and the rod came loose from the handle????

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Could be. Try to get another clip from a wreck then. You need not go inside the door by the handle to get it either. IIRC, the clip used on the bellcrank for the lock rod that is accessible on the outside of the door frame will be the same as the one on the handle. It is rectangular, with a slot on one side. The side with no slot has a tang that engages a hole on the item being held to, and needs to be pried up a little bit to disengage it and allow it to slide off and be reused. I usually strip all of this stuff when I get rid of a door so that I have extras.

 

[Uncletruck]

The handles are castings. The clips usually fall off as the slots the pin clip "clips" to starts to wear out- in Pig-Latin the handle wears out before the clips do, this is why the clips fall off. It is a good idea to keep good donor handles and clips as spares, and especially important to handle these doors as gently as you can, and never pry or force them. When they break or wear, as seen it's a major PITA to deal with them.

-UT-

 

[rmorman]

Thanks for all the help everybody! Sounds to me like it has been wearing for a while. Looks like I'll just buy the clip and handle so I don't have to do this again for a while. Thanks again!!!

 

[Ellert]

This has happend 3 times on my GP(mainly because I didn't replace the clip until the 3rd time). It helps a lot to loosen up the weatherstripping on the door(the hole on the handle for the rod is behind it) for a good view and to install the clip.

But in my case the door got stuck on the ride home, and still is.

 

[rmorman]

What I ended up doing was going to my local O'reilly's and getting one of their "HELP" branded door handles. It comes with the new clip for about $25. I've openned and closed the door a dozen or so times & it is still working. Seems to match almost like an OEM. Thanks for all the help!