IML: Interior Door Handles

["Eric" <gearhead@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'd like to counter this impression that the '60-63 handles break due to 
thin pot metal. These handles break because the roll pin has no provision to 
keep the stamped piece of steel that grips the door latch post from 
spreading apart, thereby losing contact with one side of the roll pin and 
making a loose and off center grip to the post. When this happens, the 
handle gets pulled back in an attempt to open the door, and when the 1st try 
doesn't open it, the operator exerts even more force and breaks the handle. 
A tight and square fitting handle will grip the door latch post allowing for 
an easy pull back of the handle to open the door.

The fix for this is to replace the roll pin with a rivet. I have done this 
to my '63 after finding all the roll pins only tight on one side of the 
stamped steel piece, and finding that each stamped piece was spread out more 
than when originally assembled, causing a loose and unsquare fit to the 
post. I've found that Arrow aluminum 5/32'' (4mm) 'Long' rivets are a 
perfect fit for the replacement of the roll pin. Remove roll pin, press the 
stamped steel piece back to being tight against the pot metal handle, then 
rivet together. After I did this, all my handles sit square and require a 
light effort to open the door with.

I bought an inexpensive rivet gun and some rivets at Home Depot, about $30 
total. This fix also applies to the '64-66 cars. I would bet that if each 
broken handle was inspected, it would be found that the roll pin had let 
loose of one side of the stamped steel piece in just about every case, and 
I'd welcome hearing if this was the case or not. As well, if you have a door 
that is resistant to open, an inspection of this part of the handle would 
likely reveal this to be the reason. This stamped piece can be returned to 
its original shape and the old roll pin can be refitted into it, but it will 
likely come apart again after a good tightening to the handle post, the pin 
was just not a good 50-100 year design. The fix is inexpensive and 
relatively easy, but if anyone would like this upgrade done for them, I 
would offer my assistance. Please email me off the list. I highly recommend 
the upgrade to save the handles not yet broken.

Eric
Portland, Oregon
______________________________________________________________________

From: Longramx2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 00:03:20 EDT
Subject: IML: 60-63 interior door handle breakage fix ?
Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Everybody who has owned a 60-63 imperial is probably aware of the problem
with the interior door handles breaking. I was pulling stuff off a 61 at a
junkyard last week and noticed that all four of the handles were broken on 
that one.
My blame for the problem is that the top of the handle is hollow and gets
real thin were it meets the stem, causeing it to flex, over time all the 
flexing
leads to breakage. My idea is to fill the hollowed top portion of the handle
with something. I believe that would stop the flexing, add strenth and save 
the
unbroken pieces that are left. I have considered lead, fiberglass resin, or
some sort of epoxy like maybe JB weld. As for the already broken handles
they're pretty much scrap metal, they're made of pot metal I believe,  and 
cant be
welded as far as I know. I would like to hear some of your opinions on this
fix. Has anybody ever did this before ? 



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