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So the other night my door handle looks like this:
It's late, it's dark, cold... I'll look at it when I get home...
I did notice something weird, that when I pull the door handle on the inside the outside handle pulls up. I've never noticed that before, and when I checked the passenger side doesn't do that.
I pull into the driveway, go to get out of the car and, oh hell... that's not good:
so:
is the outside door handle supposed to go up when you pull the inside handle? If not anyone know what's wrong that would cause that
anyone have a spare handle or know of where you can get a new one?
Last edited by 83 Crossfire TA; Mar 16, 2018 at 06:26 PM.
Parts are available have to order online A! parts Rock Auto etc. Easy to install just remove door panel remove the remains of the old one and install the new one.
Parts are available have to order online A! parts Rock Auto etc. Easy to install just remove door panel remove the remains of the old one and install the new one.
What's the first parts place (I don't know of a A! and searching got me a bus parts place)?
I'm surprised that Rock Auto has them, the original is definitely not plastic but $13 isn't awful. Not sure I trust Rock Auto though since they recently got rid of all their customer service.
I'm surprised they have it, it's listed as plastic...
The handles are independent of each other. Something might be messed up with the handle rods (loose, bent) or the lock body might have an issue.
I think madden may have meant 1A Auto.
Site sponsors, ebay, craigslist, etc., plenty of places to find a handle. The unfortunate part is everyone may only carry the dorman plastic one (or a name variant yet, same part). Used will probably be the only way to get another all metal one.
I did notice something weird, that when I pull the door handle on the inside the outside handle pulls up. I've never noticed that before, and when I checked the passenger side doesn't do that.
I know what will cause that on my 89....not sure about year to year.
This is how mine works. There are actually two holes in that little brass spring loaded plunger thing. One in the top, one in the side. That plunger piece moves down and opens the door. It moves (obviously) whenever the door opens. In the "wrong" example, putting the rod through the side hole, you can see how if the inside handle (not shown) pulls that plunger down, it's gonna pull the door handle on the outside as well.
The right way is to go through the top. When you use the outside handle the little bend in the rod still pushes the plunger down, BUT....when the inside hadle pulls the plunger down, the OUTSIDE handle/rod just stays put as the plugner slides on the rod through the top hole.
I get the concept (the correct way the rod can move without actuating the latch/the latch can move without moving the rod, at least in one direction), but I honestly haven't disassembled the door to be familiar with the parts that you're describing.
I figured I'd wait till I had replacement parts before I looked inside. I also figured that it wasn't likely that something was broken causing the problem, that most likely a PO assembled something wrong which resulted in my broken handle (I bought the car from the second owner, a mechanic that worked on it for the first owner that was very proud of his work, almost everything I've found that was touched was somehow misassembled/done incorrectly so it wouldn't surprise me).
I've been looking for a handle, ended up finding a pair of used ones on ebay that I'm waiting for and have a set of visegrips clamped on so I can open the door.
Hey, it works...
You'll never guess what I just realized?
Parked in front of my '87 TA (this car with the broken door handle), I have a perfectly good '87 Formula 350 parts car with 2 perfectly good door handles... ARGHH...
I know what will cause that on my 89....not sure about year to year.
This is how mine works. There are actually two holes in that little brass spring loaded plunger thing. One in the top, one in the side. That plunger piece moves down and opens the door. It moves (obviously) whenever the door opens. In the "wrong" example, putting the rod through the side hole, you can see how if the inside handle (not shown) pulls that plunger down, it's gonna pull the door handle on the outside as well.
The right way is to go through the top. When you use the outside handle the little bend in the rod still pushes the plunger down, BUT....when the inside hadle pulls the plunger down, the OUTSIDE handle/rod just stays put as the plugner slides on the rod through the top hole.
does that make sense?
I finally got to messing with this thing, you were very close. You were in the right place, but the wrong problem. In my case it was assembled correctly but at some point someone zip tied the rod into the spring loaded part so it acted like it would when you assemble it incorrectly.
I give up, the image upload/embed seems to be broken, does the same thing in 2 different browsers, I'll leave it in here, maybe it will show up/work later:
Last edited by 83 Crossfire TA; May 9, 2018 at 07:29 AM.
FWIW, I found out that the camaro door handles are different than the firebird, the 'bird handles have an extra bracket riveted to them that is used to bolt the trim down. I ended up taking the door apart again and adding it.
broken 'bird at the top, camaro at the bottom
bracket rivets drilled out and bracket sitting next to the handle
And sometimes they show up when you're uploading sometimes the don't they seem to eventually show up in the thread if you wait but that makes editing pretty difficult. I've tried 2 different browsers on 2 different computers and tried clearing my cookies/cache. I don't post that often anymore but It's probably prevented me from posting 4 or 5 useful pics in the last week...
