outside door handle locks

[bazzamon]

Ive just had my vanagon's exterior repainted & its a bloody bootiful job. My situation now is that the outside door handles need to be powdercoated. But my dilemma is .... How does one dismantle the damn door handles? I have them off the 2 front doors & the sliding door. I have to take the lock barrel out of all 3. The front door lock I can see a miniscule roll pin to punched out somehow. But the sliding door has.. well... nothing???. What holds it all together? & what holds the plastic inner cover on the grip part of the slider handle? Bazz

[Crankey]

I just tore apart my locks but I don't have a slider...no idea about that.

the fronts do come apart with that little roll pin you see. I used a piece of 1/16" weld rod to push it out.

[Grizzly_black]

I am trying to do the same thing. Can I just change the lock out of my old handle and install them in nicer looking handles? If so, how?

Grizz

[bucko]

On the sliding door, there will be a tiny hole that most likely has crud in it, making it hard to see. Clean out this crud, and you will see a small set screw that needs to be removed to take out the lock. A very small flat blade screwdriver is used, like the one you would use to tighten the screw on a pair of eyeglasses.

The other handles are similar. Some say it's a pin that is punched out rather than a set screw. My Vanagon is an 84, and it had these small set screws.

As to the handles, I used two good coats of Krylon paint, followed by two coats of clear, and the results were great. Did the same on the outside mirrors.
_________________
Current VW drives: 1984 Westfalia

Past VW drives: 1967 Beetle, 1973 Beetle, 1977 Bus, 1971 Military Type 181

[bazzamon]

Thanks guys for your help I have gotten front door locks out but that slider door handle has got me nackked. Has anyone got a broken one that they can mangle apart to see how that plastic grip piece comes out? I suspect the lock barrel is held in by something under that plastic cover. Bazz

[Sitka Steve]

[Sitka Steve]

Writing onto the forum must have been the energy my Vanagon needed....
The cylinder carefully slid out when I went back to it! Piece of cake....was able to swap out the cylinder from the broken handle to the replacement.
Save the old handle nub for the correct key code...
Cheers to The Samba!

[mikey9]

To ressurect an old one - I have my sliding door handle on the kitchen table - have removed the small grub screw - and for two days have soaked in penetrating oil, then plus gas and other "releasers" - in attempts to get the barrel out.

Key goes in - but the barrel won't turn (which is why I am doing this). I have a small (10 degree) amount of turn - but otherwise no sign of the barrel coming out.

Any suggestions please?

[syncrodoka]

You don't want to turn the barrel, you want to pull it straight out. A pick tool with a 90 degree end should work.
It has been a while since I have taken one apart but I do remember that part.