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Sun Jun 20, 2010 7:32 pm

Since I've painted my door handles a couple times now and they continue to chip, I've decided to have them powder coated. Luckily, I have a couple extras, so I sat down today and took the time to take them apart. Below is a step by step guide for those who have never taken their handle apart. If this post has been done before, I apologize. If not, hopefully someone can use this write-up.

Moderator note: All these threads are related:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=553954
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392080
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=553863

This is what your door handle should look like after removing the handles from the car.

First, remove the punch pin as seen in the photo:

Second, remove the forked piece. This is a good picture of the location of the punch pin and the removed fork piece:

Be sure to note or photograph the handle at this point so you will have a reference as to how the spring is supposed to be place on the handle. See photo directly below.

After you make note, pull the spring off. Try placing all of the pieces on a rag in the order your remove them.

Then, after removing that spring, remove the lock tumbler (be careful not to allow the metal pieces to fall out of it).

Next, remove the small screw and then the small plate being held by the screw.

After removing the plate, the trigger part of the handle will pull straight out.

Again, take a picture of the trigger with the spring on it so you'll know how to reassemble it later.

Finally, remove the foam water guard and, you're done.

Your handle is now completely disassembled.

Sun Jun 20, 2010 7:40 pm

A+++.
Nice detailed how to.

Please show how to rekey each lock too.

dylan

Sun Jun 20, 2010 7:45 pm

Quote: Please show how to rekey each lock too.

Wish I knew how to do that! My plan is to simply transfer the tumbler right into the newly powder coated handles. . . hopefully without screwing up the keying.

Mike

Sun Jun 20, 2010 8:06 pm

thx much! I want to do that this winter.

- is this for your '85 or your '82?

Sun Jun 20, 2010 8:13 pm

randywebb, you're very welcome. My little way of repaying everyone on the Samba for all the info I've received from this site. They have helped me out beyond words.

randywebb wrote:

Quote: is this for your '85 or your '82?

I'm having the handles from the '85 powder coated to put them on the '82. Don't know if you saw my post a couple months ago, but I lent my '85 to my nephew and he trashed it beyond belief. So I'm pulling all of the parts off of it and using the ones in better condition to improve the '82.

Sun Jun 20, 2010 8:44 pm

Mikeyb wrote: Quote: Please show how to rekey each lock too.

Wish I knew how to do that! My plan is to simply transfer the tumbler right into the newly powder coated handles. . . hopefully without screwing up the keying.

Mike

Here is a quick and dirty way to rekey your lock cylinders:

1) Remove lock cylinders from handle.
2) Insert key you wish to use.
3) Grind off exposed tumblers so lock cylinder will rotate with key inserted.

Note: Yes this will make it so many different keys will be able to open the lock, but, it does work.

Sun Jun 20, 2010 9:28 pm

Quote: Wish I knew how to do that! My plan is to simply transfer the tumbler right into the newly powder coated handles. . . hopefully without screwing up the keying.
Stick the key into the cylinder and it will pop into it's new home easily.
Once you get your powdercoated handles back remove any powdercoating from the hole that the clyinder drops into along with the rectangular trough that the wafers drop into to lock with some paint remover on a Q-tip. The little area where the phillips head screw goes in the back should be clean also.
If I remember correctly the punch needed to drive out the pin is 1/16".
Tutorials are great.
Unfortunately I remember your van being TRASHED. :evil:

Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:54 am

Quote: Unfortunately I remember your van being TRASHED. :evil:

Yeah, I see it everyday when I walk out my back door (although I've put a cover on it. I've decided to just part it out. I'll disassemble it over the summer, keep the parts I want or think I'll need, and sell the rest of it. R.I.P. '85 Vanagon.

Quote: If I remember correctly the punch needed to drive out the pin is 1/16". OOOOORRRR. . . . you can use a very small finishing nail. :wink:

Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:28 am

For rekeying, just switch the wafers around to match your key, or hand file a key to match the wafers.

Hand filing is really quite easy. Just file each section of the the blank key until the wafers don't protrude.

I hand filed a blank key. There are a couple of posts on my blog for those interested.

http://88syncrodoka.blogspot.com/search?updated-ma...esults=100

Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:49 pm

Mikeyb wrote: Quote: Unfortunately I remember your van being TRASHED. :evil:

Yeah, I see it everyday when I walk out my back door (although I've put a cover on it. I've decided to just part it out. I'll disassemble it over the summer, keep the parts I want or think I'll need, and sell the rest of it. R.I.P. '85 Vanagon.

Quote: If I remember correctly the punch needed to drive out the pin is 1/16". OOOOORRRR. . . . you can use a very small finishing nail. :wink:

Mikeyb, do you have some brown interior parts I can buy from you? I need a couple of handles, the e-brake cover and both window rollers.

I am going to try to re-key mine this week. I will update.

Tue Jun 22, 2010 3:52 am

Quote: do you have some brown interior parts I can buy from you? I need a couple of handles, the e-brake cover and both window rollers.

I'll look this weekend. I know I have the brown shifter boot and I "think" the e-brake boot might be brown as well. The window cranks are definitely black.

What, specifically, do you mean by "handles"? The hand grab handle on the door?

I'll look at them this weekend to determine their condition.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:31 am

are all locks the same 80-91
or did they change design at some point
are the handles the same if you have power locks

Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:00 pm

All the handles are the same through the years except the slider door. There are early and late versions of them. The handles don't have anything to do with the power lock system so they are the same.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:32 pm

any info on the year that breaks the early and late versions of the sliding door handles?

Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:03 pm

Nice pictures. A few notes:

a. Ask your powder coater to tape off the openings for the cylinders so you wont have to remove the paint afterwards.

b. When removing the cylinder, best to have the key in the cylinder to keep all tumblers and springs in place

c. Check this thread for rekeying. Not complete but its a start.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:47 am

Quote: any info on the year that breaks the early and late versions of the sliding door handles?

Pretty sure it was '85. The earlier handles are longer and expensive. Around $100.00 new. Ouch. :shock: Ask me how I know.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:32 am

I was going to rekey a few of mine to take a BLANK key for the doors only.
how many people walk around with an uncut key?

Tue Dec 28, 2010 2:27 pm

Got the courage (and time) tonight to try to fix the stuck lock on the drivers door.

The pics and description in this thread illustrated nicely for me so - following the advice - got the lock barrel out - took handle off (you don't need to take the inside door panel off - I did - but no need to as the handle comes off easily when you undo the bolt in the door lock mechanism ).

I found that the barrel wafers were clogged horribly with what looked like either thick graphite grease or grease and alu oxide...? Flushed through thoroughly with WD40 - cleaned up nicely.

Could see that the end wafer (furthest in) was not dropping - due to clog at the inner end of the barrel. So reassembled and there ended 9 months of locking and getting out through the slider.....

Oh I love this forum - I have warm glow and a bottle of Inveralmond Brewery - Ossian ale as a reward.

Many thanks mikeyb - from mikeya :D

Tue Dec 28, 2010 3:49 pm

STICKY!

Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:17 pm

does anyone know of a source for parts?

things like the foam water guards, sealing ring for the lock cylinder, and the tiny roll pins that hold the yoke onto the end of the lock?