P38A Drivers door latch assembly Removal & replacement

[DanClarke]

Help!
Trying to get the darn thing out but I cannot disconnect the link-pin from the door lock spindle to the latch assembly. Cannot rotate manipulate the latch end to unthread it from the latch and there seems to be a keeper on the lock tab that rotates to push-pull the link.

How do I get it off?

 

[DanClarke]

Oh dear. I broke it! The official workshop manual was about as useless as a chocolate teapot.
I have now snapped the operating arm off the door cylinder.
All FOB functions and outer door handle and inner pull-handle releases are fine.
But heaven help me if I end up with a dead battery, because without breaking a window it will be tough to gain entry.
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Does anyone know if you can get a replacement ?

 

[Grrrrrr]

Breakers?

 

[wammers]

Ham and fist come to mind.

 

[DanClarke]

Ham and fist come to mind.

You may very well be right @wammers , however, in my subsequent searches I can see that I am not alone in this and I am definitely not the first.
TBH, I think it is a horrible design, but clearly too much force was used in this instance.
Some chewing-gum and double-sided should sort it, I am sure.

 

[tomcat59alan]

You may very well be right @wammers , however, in my subsequent searches I can see that I am not alone in this and I am definitely not the first.
TBH, I think it is a horrible design, but clearly too much force was used in this instance.
Some chewing-gum and double-sided should sort it, I am sure.

Mine fell apart. Been using the key at the time because of the rf reciever issue.

 

[DanClarke]

Mine fell apart. Been using the key at the time because of the rf reciever issue.

Yes of course.
I have some JBWELD on its way, and hopefully a dab of that and a metal splint will effect a reasonable repair.
No idea where I got the idea from.

 

[tomcat59alan]

Yes of course.
I have some JBWELD on its way, and hopefully a dab of that and a metal splint will effect a reasonable repair.
No idea where I got the idea from.

Up norf.

 

[DanClarke]

Ok, The lock assembly is clamped together with the new "splint" and the old barrel-end swimming in a sea of JB-Weld and I'm sure I saw a little arm come up out of the sea and wave 3-times before it sank forever.
Goodness that stuff is a bit "thin" and wants to run everywhere. The 2 mating surfaces were well prepared, filed and then cross-hatched with an engineers scribing tool, so I hope there will be enough "stick-tion" (portmanteau-word) to keep the darned thing in place. Looking at it before and after application of the JB-Weld it occurs to me that I might also encase the thing in a "ball" of epoxy-putty as it has the space for it and its "belt & braces".
Oh, I also removed that annoying post that interferes with the door-handle returning to closed position and makes the opening all "notchy" and horrible while I was at it. Will silly-kone the door handle moving bits up after I have it ready for re-assembly.

 

[tomcat59alan]

Ok, The lock assembly is clamped together with the new "splint" and the old barrel-end swimming in a sea of JB-Weld and I'm sure I saw a little arm come up out of the sea and wave 3-times before it sank forever.
Goodness that stuff is a bit "thin" and wants to run everywhere. The 2 mating surfaces were well prepared, filed and then cross-hatched with an engineers scribing tool, so I hope there will be enough "stick-tion" (portmanteau-word) to keep the darned thing in place. Looking at it before and after application of the JB-Weld it occurs to me that I might also encase the thing in a "ball" of epoxy-putty as it has the space for it and its "belt & braces".
Oh, I also removed that annoying post that interferes with the door-handle returning to closed position and makes the opening all "notchy" and horrible while I was at it. Will silly-kone the door handle moving bits up after I have it ready for re-assembly.

Come on Dan, photos please. Dont know about jb weld ,I used a two part " liquid metal " came in a roll and you cut off what you needed and kneaded it until the two different coloured parts combined . Could have been Evo stick , I carn't remember what I had for breakfast these days. Luv, have I had breakfast today?

 

[DanClarke]

Come on Dan, photos please. Dont know about jb weld ,I used a two part " liquid metal " came in a roll and you cut off what you needed and kneaded it until the two different coloured parts combined . Could have been Evo stick , I carn't remember what I had for breakfast these days. Luv, have I had breakfast today?

Hi @tomcat59alan This is a 2-parter too. I have nothing really to show yet, but here is a picture of the splint (before cutting to size) and the splint clamped to the end of the lock barrel.
Both the splint and the end of the lock-barrel were prepared with the same file/scribe/clean process. Fingers are crossed.
The Milk-carton lid is there as a mould/barrier to stop the glue running down the barrel and will pull away so I can trim/file/cut the stuff away from where I don't want it.
The 2-part putty-stuff should be here tomorrow, so I will have a bash with that too as a "coverall".

 

[tomcat59alan]

Hi @tomcat59alan This is a 2-parter too. I have nothing really to show yet, but here is a picture of the splint (before cutting to size) and the splint clamped to the end of the lock barrel.
Both the splint and the end of the lock-barrel were prepared with the same file/scribe/clean process. Fingers are crossed.
The Milk-carton lid is there as a mould/barrier to stop the glue running down the barrel and will pull away so I can trim/file/cut the stuff away from where I don't want it.
The 2-part putty-stuff should be here tomorrow, so I will have a bash with that too as a "coverall".
View attachment 149698 View attachment 149699

Well that looks feck all like mine.

 

[DanClarke]

Well that looks feck all like mine.

Probably will last "feck-all" as long then
instead of your 8yrs of service.

 

[tomcat59alan]

Probably will last "feck-all" as long then
instead of your 8yrs of service.

Fingers crossed, did you manage to drill the steel splint and secure it with a small self tapping screw?

 

[DanClarke]

Fingers crossed, did you manage to drill the steel splint and secure it with a small self tapping screw?

Nope. Not because I think its a bad idea (from your experience it clearly isn't), but because I don't know how thick the end of the barrel is, or what's behind it. I do think that for the minimal key-turn twisting forces involved the JB-Weld will hold.
If it doesn't I will just yank it all out, file it clean and go again. But somehow I think it will be fine. Especially if I also put an epoxy putty string/ball around it too. I will let you know.

 

[Grrrrrr]

Come on Dan, photos please. Dont know about jb weld ,I used a two part " liquid metal " came in a roll and you cut off what you needed and kneaded it until the two different coloured parts combined . Could have been Evo stick , I carn't remember what I had for breakfast these days. Luv, have I had breakfast today?

Sounds like Quicksteel, although there are others.

You had breakfast earlier, duck.

 

[tomcat59alan]

Sounds like Quicksteel, although there are others.

You had breakfast earlier, duck.

Who said that ? You are correct on both counts Grrrrrr

 

[DanClarke]

I am delighted to report that Operation "Ham-Fist" has been a total success and my drivers doorlock is now fixed and working.
The JB-Weld was left to cure overnight and at 10AM this morning I took the clamp off and found the repair to be totally sound from a metal-plate attachment perspective.
I cleaned all of the excess JB-Weld off with a series of files till the end of the lock-barrel once more resembled the original shape with the cam/arm all cleaned off back to bare metal.
I slipped the retaining clip over the end of the replacement operating Cam/Arm I had made, oiled all the springs and pushed some copperease into the mating/moving parts of the door-handle.
I put it all back onto the door and connected up the various links. "Et-Viola" all door lock/unlock functions are restored (sill-button, key operation, remote fob & door-pull).
As I also removed (circled) the unnecessary metal post on the metal body of the doorlock and now the door-handle no longer sticks out by 1/4" when you release the pull handle and retracts fully instead.
Now it is all back together I do have EKA entry capability that I never had before (old latch with failing contacts). Not that I need EKA entry with a Nanocom but its vindication that indeed the door-switches were shot.
Not a mammoth feat of engineering by any means (and a self-inflicted wound to boot) but it is good to get a positive outcome.

 

[tomcat59alan]

Well done that man.

 

[DanClarke]

Well done that man.

Thank you kind Sir. @tomcat59alan much appreciated. I was kicking myself when I broke it. But it has been a relatively pain-free fix. I am dead chuffed!