Door handle repair
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
-
Topic author - Posts: 36
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:15 pm
- First Name: Skyler
- Last Name: Kimball
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1916 Model T Touring
- Location: Waterford ME
Door handle repair
Could this door handle be repaired? It is from my 1916 Model T touring. The two pieces appear to be soldered together. Although the handle itself is good the spring mechanism has gone bad, and every time I get a few feet down the road the door swings open. What can be done?
-
- Posts: 2952
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
- First Name: Jerry
- Last Name: Van
- Location: S.E. Michigan
- MTFCA Number: 24868
Re: Door handle repair
I'm pretty sure nothing has been soldered together, at least not originally. The back cover should have small tabs that fit into small slots on the mounting plate. Those tabs would have extended through the mounting plate just a bit when first assembled. Then the tabs got peened over. You can try grinding off the peened part of the tabs, tapping or prying the cover off, installing a new spring, then brazing the assembly together.
-
- Posts: 4308
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:18 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Tomaso
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Touring, 1919 Centerdoor, 1924 TT C-Cab Express, 1925 Racer
- Location: Longbranch, WA
- MTFCA Number: 14972
- MTFCI Number: 15411
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Door handle repair
Recently did this on the right front door of our '14 Touring - follow Jerry's advice but the trick is finding a replacement spring !
-
- Posts: 1922
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:23 am
- First Name: Rich
- Last Name: Bingham
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 runabout
- Location: Blackfoot, Idaho
Re: Door handle repair
What to do depends on the details of the original piece. Repairing my door latch, I was able to file off the upset which left tabs proud of the back plate and enough material left to upset and hold on re-assembly. If you have to grind the tabs flush with the back plate to disassemble it will require to build up the tabs so they can be peened over on re-assembly.
Springs are not hard to make. Spring steel stock is available from McMaster-Carr. Anneal the stock to form your spring, polish it bright, then heat to blue/purple and quench. Small springs can be heated easily on an electric hot-plate like your kitchen range.
Springs are not hard to make. Spring steel stock is available from McMaster-Carr. Anneal the stock to form your spring, polish it bright, then heat to blue/purple and quench. Small springs can be heated easily on an electric hot-plate like your kitchen range.
"Get a horse !"
-
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:21 pm
- First Name: George
- Last Name: Andreasen
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 0...building from parts
- Location: Alturas, California
Re: Door handle repair
Everyone is suggesting to grind off the tabs.........if they're exposed, why not heat them with a small ox-acetylne torch tip until they're red hot (not white) and bend them straight with a screw driver? The two pieces can then be disassembled and repairs made. Since the heating will anneal (soften) the tabs, they should bend right back into place. Voila!
-
- Posts: 6796
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 10:51 am
- First Name: Richard
- Last Name: Eagle
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1909 TR 1914 TR 1915 Rd 1920 Spdstr 1922 Coupe 1925 Tudor
- Location: Idaho Falls, ID
- MTFCA Number: 1219
- Contact:
Re: Door handle repair
Narrow the tabs with a chisel or punch until they will pull through the slots. If you grind them off they will not be long enough to peen back over.
When did I do that?
-
- Posts: 1922
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:23 am
- First Name: Rich
- Last Name: Bingham
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 runabout
- Location: Blackfoot, Idaho
Re: Door handle repair
What Rich E. said.
George, I have not seen any latches with "fold-over" tabs. If a latch is made that way your suggestion is a good one.
George, I have not seen any latches with "fold-over" tabs. If a latch is made that way your suggestion is a good one.
"Get a horse !"
-
- Posts: 4308
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:18 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Tomaso
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Touring, 1919 Centerdoor, 1924 TT C-Cab Express, 1925 Racer
- Location: Longbranch, WA
- MTFCA Number: 14972
- MTFCI Number: 15411
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Door handle repair
I've also never seen "fold-over" tabs on early latches - mine were somewhat swedged so I took my Dremel cut-off wheel and "trimmed" the excess and had meat left to expand again.
-
- Posts: 201
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:21 pm
- First Name: George
- Last Name: Andreasen
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 0...building from parts
- Location: Alturas, California
Re: Door handle repair
My mistake guys.......I'm not all that familiar with the door latches and inferred from the comments that tabs were involved.
-
Topic author - Posts: 36
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:15 pm
- First Name: Skyler
- Last Name: Kimball
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1916 Model T Touring
- Location: Waterford ME
Re: Door handle repair
Thank you so much advice! I do not own any metal melting equipment such as a soldering iron or acetylene torch, so I will try and use a the chisel method and hope enough of the tabs are left.
-
- Posts: 425
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:07 pm
- First Name: Charley
- Last Name: Shaver
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913
- Location: MO
Re: Door handle repair
i have been fixing these for years. this is how i do it.grind a punch 1/6 x 3/16.then support the body as close to the tab as you can then take the punch and drive it thought. then flatten the tab & body then file the tab to fit to fit the slot. then brad it back over.it works. charley
-
- Posts: 2952
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
- First Name: Jerry
- Last Name: Van
- Location: S.E. Michigan
- MTFCA Number: 24868
Re: Door handle repair
Even better!HornsRus wrote: ↑Wed Mar 27, 2019 8:15 pmi have been fixing these for years. this is how i do it.grind a punch 1/6 x 3/16.then support the body as close to the tab as you can then take the punch and drive it thought. then flatten the tab & body then file the tab to fit to fit the slot. then brad it back over.it works. charley
-
- Posts: 6796
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 10:51 am
- First Name: Richard
- Last Name: Eagle
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1909 TR 1914 TR 1915 Rd 1920 Spdstr 1922 Coupe 1925 Tudor
- Location: Idaho Falls, ID
- MTFCA Number: 1219
- Contact:
Re: Door handle repair
This is a later one to give an idea what it looks like to any who haven't seen one. I'm sure Charlie's is a good method and I will try it. I'll still narrow them a little with a chisel first. Grinding the tabs would leave less metal to peen over so consider not doing that.
When did I do that?