Struggling to change driver's door lock

[MissMoppet]

Thanks Steve.

[MissMoppet]

Just to wrap this up took me another two hours to get the wretched bone/link fitted as it keeps falling out. Found it helpful to wrap a length of garden wire round and feed it back through a top hole so at least when I dropped it - frequently - it didn't disappear like the first one. And it only fits in a certain way. And of course all done by feel.

Put it back together and found it wouldn't unlock so had to redo the white plastic clip on the down rod: push the rod up as far as it will go then try and close the clip. (Mine is broken and Rimmers don't stock it, so if anyone comes across another please let me know.)
What fun we have . . .

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by MissMoppet

Just to wrap this up took me another two hours to get the wretched bone/link fitted as it keeps falling out. Found it helpful to wrap a length of garden wire round and feed it back through a top hole so at least when I dropped it - frequently - it didn't disappear like the first one. And it only fits in a certain way. And of course all done by feel.

Hi Dave.
Couple of ways to make sure the rod does not loose it's place again, due to it being plastic and the rod metal with a thread wonder who they would make a good match.

One is add a small nut to the thread wind it to the top fully, fit the rod find the correct adjustment/place on the rod, test the door open from inside and outside, then add another small nut to the thread, tighten that to the bottom of the white clip, so it can no longer slip down, which 99.9% of the time they don't anyway, the rod usually pulls up through the clip, once that nut as ben nipped only, then the first nut lower that to the top of the clip, it is now trapped between the two nuts and cannot move.

The other way is add cable ties instead top and bottom on the thread, and then one in the middle of the clip thus it grips the thread better.

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[MissMoppet]

Originally Posted by Arctic

Hi Dave.

The other way is add cable ties instead top and bottom on the thread, and then one in the middle of the clip thus it grips the thread better.

Thanks again Steve. I did add one cable tie round the middle which should, should, keep the clip closed. But what a pain! The neighbours must wonder why on earth I spend so much time fiddling around: still it keeps them amused.

[Francophile]

Hello Miss Moppet,


May I respectfully suggest that, while you have the lock out (if you still do), you check the state of the wire 'rope' in the banana-shaped extension. That 'rope' provides the link from the personal key to the latch, via the errant 'bone', and fails terminally due to fatigue.


PM me if you find it is fraying.


Derek.


PS My passenger lock has failed again, before I had time to remount the door card.

[MissMoppet]

Originally Posted by Francophile

Hello Miss Moppet,


May I respectfully suggest that, while you have the lock out (if you still do), you check the state of the wire 'rope' in the banana-shaped extension. That 'rope' provides the link from the personal key to the latch, via the errant 'bone', and fails terminally due to fatigue.


PM me if you find it is fraying.


Derek.


PS My passenger lock has failed again, before I had time to remount the door card.

Well it is back, thank you, you mean what us cyclists call a Bowden cable - agreed it has a kink but it's working at present so I'm leaving well alone - till I have to.


PS "Francophile"? As it happens have just booked gites in Burgundy, sorry Bourgogne.

[Francophile]

Miss Moppet: Bowden cable, indeed. 'Francophile' from a longtime love of France and the French, and years of owning a 1958 D-B HBR5. My logo is the D-B company logo.



Arctic: What size nuts were you suggesting? The rod is 4mm diameter, but my casual measuring gives an approximate thread of M4.5 x 0.75, implying that the thread is rolled, not cut. I couldn't locate nuts of that size to check.


Derek.

[Arctic]

Hi Dave.
I have the same always tinkering with the cars, but at least it keeps them amused and your car out of the garage.


I think most of us have had a door that will not open due to the white clip being out of line on the threaded bar.

It is always closed around the thread.
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We want to open it so we can open the door then adjust the clip to work all the time.
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With the lock inside there is not much room to flip this clip open, today i tried a trick with a 5p coin & a 1p coin.

Imagine the clip is locked round the bar inside the door as here below.
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Armed with the coins 5p or 1p which ever you have.
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Use either coin and insert it into the clip from the rear.
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Now push the coin forward as far as you can, it will pop open the clip tried it a few times and worked every time.
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Here is a little video using the coin the the bench.
https://youtu.be/91ew3Ws17IM

[Francophile]

That is an excellent solution to a tricky (by my reckoning) problem. I had doubts that I would be able to manipulate the coin with my dodgy fingers. It worked a treat in the rear door yesterday.

Thanks Steve.
Derek.

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by Francophile

Miss Moppet: Bowden cable, indeed. 'Francophile' from a longtime love of France and the French, and years of owning a 1958 D-B HBR5. My logo is the D-B company logo.

Hi Derek.
Your casual measuring it seems is correct, i tried a M4 nut it would not fit, so i went for a M5 normal nut it was loose, so i tried a M5 locking nut it fitted fine.

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So if and when my locks play up i will use the M5 locking nut, if a M4.5 was ready available then that would also be perfect.

Cable ties will not cut the mustard as they will just fall off.