Door Handle Repair

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Do you have to pull your Corvette’s inside door handle way past center to open your door from the inside? maybe the inside handle will no longer release. The only way you can open the door from the inside is to roll down the window and use the outside handle. This not only looks bad, but if it is raining, you are going to get wet. These problems are usually a sign of a broken or out of adjustment door handle rod. The repair is relatively simple. Start by making a call to Zip Products, Inc., 8067 Fast Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111, (800) 962-9632. They have all of the necessary parts to totally repair the inside door lock mechanisms. The whole repair project should take less than one afternoon and the results are well worth the effort. Our Project 77 had more than its share of problems with one of its doors so we decided to do a complete rebuild. Follow along as we repair our inside door mechanism and make it easy to open the door from the inside again.
	01: These are the new items that we received from Zip Products: New lock rods, handle rods, grommets, clips, retainers, outside handle, handle and lock gaskets and the handle rod pin. You will also need some standard hand tools, degreaser or mineral spirits, lubricating grease and one afternoon.
	02: Start by disconnecting the battery. Remember the door will be open for sometime. Now remove the window, lock, inside door handle and assist strap. Then carefully remove the door panel.
	03: We needed to replace the outside handle so we carefully removed the handle rod retaining clip, unscrewed the retaining nuts and pulled the handle out of the door.
	04: You will remove the door lock rod from the door latch mechanism. Start by removing the door lock rod retaining clips. Slide the clip up until you can pull the rod end out, then remove the clip.
	05: Remove the upper door handle rod clip. This clip is different from the lock rod clip. It is clipped to the rod. Remove it and then remove the rod from the door latch mechanism.
	06: All of the rods should be removed from the latch mechanism. Use a screwdriver and remove the three retaining screws on the door jamb. Now pull the latch mechanism out through the lower door access hole.
	07: Thoroughly clean the latch mechanism in a cleaning solvent or degreaser. Mineral spirits works great. When it is clean and dry, check all of the working mechanisms for wear or sloppiness. If everything works correctly, lube all of the moving parts with white lithium grease or its equivalent. It is now ready for re-installation. If the door latch mechanism is worn, contact Zip. They have new ones available.
	08: Remove the door lock cylinder retaining clip and then remove the cylinder. You can now thoroughly clean, polish and lube it before it is re-installed.
	09: Now remove the door lock and door handle rods from the inside handle and remote. In this picture you can see what our problem was. The rod on the right had been repaired with a sleeve and lock nuts. This made the handle have to open too far and then flex the rod so the door would not open from the inside. The handle on the left is the new correct one sent by Zip. Sure is a big difference, isn’t there?
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	10: You are now ready to start the assembly. Install all of the slide-on retaining clips on their respective levers. This will make the assembly go much easier. Re-install the door latch mechanism into the door and tighten into place.
	11: Next thoroughly lube all of the moving parts on the outside door handle. Now install the door handle rod onto the handle.
	12: Slide the outside lock cylinder with a new gasket into place. Make sure the lever on the lock cylinder engages the door latch mechanism. Now push the door lock cylinder retaining clip into place. Make sure the key slot is facing the right position. You can install the lock upside down. When the lock is installed, carefully place the outside door handle with a new gasket into place. Connect the handle rod to the latch mechanism and tighten the handle into place.
	13: Slide the rod grommets into place. One should be installed on each upper handle rod and the door lock rod. Spraying the grommets with a spray silicone will help them slide into place. These grommets are an anti-rattler. They will keep the rods from rattling against the door frame.
	14: Now adjust the rods so that they line up with their respective levers. You will have to adjust each rod to fit. When you think they are right, put them into place and install their retaining clip. Now open the handle. It should open about 1/3 of it’s total movement and release the door latch. If it does not, adjust it until it does. Do the same with the outside handle. This is the most time consuming part of the whole project. Just take your time and keep adjusting.
	15: Attach the lock rod to the door lock mechanism. Then totally lube the entire inside handle assembly with white lithium grease. Make sure that the door lock also works properly with the inside knob and the outside key.
	16: When everything is adjusted properly, you can then re-install the door panel. If your door does not have an inside watershield to keep moisture out of the back of the door panel, you can easily make one. Open up a large garbage bag. Place 3M strip caulking or two-sided tape on the outer edge of the door. Place the garbage bag onto the caulking or tape and then trim off the excess. Now cut openings for the handle and window crank. There you have it. A perfect watershield.
	17: Next re-install the door panel, assist strap and all of the handles and you are done. It is that easy. You can now exit your Corvette by just pulling on the door handle.
	68 TO 82 INSIDE DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM REPAIR SOURCE: Zip Products, Inc. 8067 Fast Lane Mechanicsville, VA 23111 (800) 962-9632 PARTS LIST Outside Door Handle (Imported) 69-82 1 or 2 Outside Door Handle (GM) 69-82 1 or 2 Lock Rod Clip to Handle 69-82 As Required Lock Rod Right/Left 69-82 1 or 2 Lock Rod Repair End (68-77 Lock Control Rod is NLA) 1 or 2 Handle Rod Swivel Pin Adjustment 69-82 As Required Rod Grommet Anti Rattle 68-77 1 to 4 Lock Remote Control Rod Upper 68-77 1 or 2 Lock Remote Control Rod Lower 68-77 1 or 2 Handle Rod Clip to Mechanism 56-82 1 or 2 Pair Lock Control Rod to Mechanism Clip69-82 Right Hand As Required Lock Control Rod to Mechanism Clip69-82 Left Hand As Required Lock Cylinder Retainer 67-82 1 or 2 Lock Gasket 56-82 1 Pair Door Handle Gasket 69-82 1 Pair White Lithium Grease As Required Degreaser or Mineral Spirits As Required Silicone Spray As Required The Author would like to thank Scott Coral of Greg Donahue Collector Car Restorations, Inc. for his assistance with this article.

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