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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Door Handle Dilemma

To quote the Beatles - 'Help, I need somebody'
Somebody who might have done this job before.
The external door handle has fallen to pieces (midget 1500). New door handle has been obtained c/w fittings , gasket etc.
Escutcheon plate,winder handle and trim card have been removed.
Problem is how do you get the exterior handle off? Does the door capping have to be removed and if so , any idea of the a/f size of the two (nyloc?) nuts holding it on.
To get at the fittings that hold the handle on, access is obstructed by the window glass when it is wound down, and by the bottom glass channel when it is wound up. Haynes is pretty vague on the subject.
Dave
Penwithian

are you sitting down...

Ok... the glass has to come out. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If you're taking the door cappings off then its a 5/16 or 8mm spanner needed. infact i think its BA, but these are so close they work fine. A ratchet spanner saves a week of fiddling.
Nick

My advice....

It may sound extreme, but having been there...I think its the easiest option and the one Ill go next if I ever need to do this agian....and this goes for glass replacement as well.

Go to ebay...buy a whole new COMPLTETE door in great shape, re-paint it, clear coat it and install....DONE!


prop

PS leave the handle on, tape it off, and paint around it.


.
Prop

I didn't find stripping my doors bad enough to warrant buying complete ones ;-)

Take the time and they do come apart - definatley not a job for the sausage fingered though !
Dean Smith ('73 RWA)

>>>>>>Take the time and they do come apart <<<<<<


LOL. Yeah with a Sawzall...

http://www.milwaukeeconnect.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_27_40028_-1_684466_192213_192137

prop
Prop

You could try removing the quarter light, then undoing all of the bolts that hold the mechansim in place, this may give enough claerance to tip the drop glass forward to reach the bolts on the handle.
I Pickering

decent great working door on ebay $ 90

A pint of matching paint and clear coat...$20 dollar...to prep, paint, and install door.. 1 hr

total $110


sell complete old door on ebay $85...

total cost of fixing this problem....$25 and 1 hr of time

its a no brainer to me

prop

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MG-Midget-Austin-Healey-Sprite-Right-Door-Shell-65-80_W0QQitemZ170079603694QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p4506.m20.l1116
Prop

dope,

sorry...I didnt read the fine print...still Id have the guy leave everything in and charge a little extra for your door...or wait 10 minutes til (ANOTHER) door shows up that is complete and working great at a decent price

prop
Prop

Make sure you have alot of time before removing the window. It can be done. It is a bit of a puzzle when you take everything apart. So don't. Remove the bolts that hold the rear felt guide in place. Then remove the small bracket on the bottom of the felt guide. With the window up the felt guide can be removed. Try to get the window off the track. If you can't then remove the 4 bolts that hold the winder mechanism. You should get the window off now. I can't recall if the large lock unit has to come off to get to both door handle nuts. DO NOT REMOVE THE LOCK TUMBLER. The retainer kit that Moss sells does not work on 1500 Midgets with the safety door panel. Are they also on the UK 1500's? I had to make a modified retainer to put the lock tumblers back on.
J Bubela

IIRC, there is a stop at the bottom of the travel. Remove that and the glass goes down enough to get a tiny 5/16 AF spanner on the handle mechanism. Just looked at mine (stops missing, presumably in a box somewhere) and the nuts are accessable from above after I wind the window down. Removing the waethersrtip might help!
rob multi-sheds thomas

The handle can be removed and replaced without removing the window glass.
Remove the door card and using a 1/4" drive socket set you can undo the rear fixing bolt through a hole in the inner door skin.
Next, if you wind the door glass up as far as you can reach up between the glass and the outer door skin witht a small ring spanner. With the spanner balanced on your fingertips you can just about slacken the nut a quarter turn or so after which you hold it still and unwind the complete door handle unit from the nut.
Replacing is a tad harder but can be done if you are patient! Stick the small nut into the ring spanner with some blue-tack or gum. When you get the thread started wind the handle on again but not so tight that you canot align the rubber gasket. Then fix the 2nd bolt and tighten them both up.

Final job is to wash the blood from your hands!

One other tip - before fitting the handle adjust the bolt which secures the button so that it rests flush with the handle. Use some locktight on the bolt so it doesn't work loose later or you will need to remove the handle again which is something to be avoided!

Guy
Guy Weller

Thanks folks,
Taking all the advice into consideration, I shall re-assemble the bits I've already taken off and save this unrewarding job for the Winter. I have enough on my hands with the braking system at the moment.
The door can be opened and closed woth the handle, it's just that the press button has sheared off. Broken spindle of gunmetal or some such material.
It would save an awful lot of hassle if it could be stuck back on! Super glue or something?
Dave
Penwithian

Dave,

sorry a bit late to this thread.
Guy is right you can do it without removing the glass, it's fiddly but not as bad as taking the glass out...
Jeremy
Jeremy 3

Yep, can be done with the glass in, If I remember rightly, pulling the door locks off gave a useful access hole as well. Make sure Children and the religious are kept well away though!
mike

Dave

There are adhesives that would probably do the job,clean the part well and try araldite(not the 5minute). Maybe even drill a hole in both parts and glue a small bolt or similar between the two parts.
Out of interest the track rods etc on an F1 car are glued on to the ends of the wishbones!

Carl
C Bintcliffe

Hey, if the button is your only issue, you can access that through the latch assembly hole on the rear face of the door. Just remove that, and you can easily reach the nut that holds the button in the handle. I've had to re-tighten mine a couple of times when the nut has loosened and the button has worked its way outwards.

So my suggestion is to remove the latch plate, reach in with the appropriate spanner and remove the nut that holds the (broken) button. Then replace the busted button with a new one, tightening the nut through the latch hole.

That way you won't have to remove the handle at all.

Best of luck,

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

Try talking to rich amos, he lost half his finger just the other day, so his hand might fit alittle better then those with all complete 10 fingers.

prop
Pro P

This thread was discussed between 17/08/2008 and 04/09/2008

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