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Just today discovered that one of my external door handles stays "popped out" - I assume that there is a spring somewhere within the door trim attached to part of the door which stops it from popping out - has anyone had the same happen to them and does anyone know the accurate return spring location ?

Best regards Michael

It is a torsion spring. Looks like the wire diameter is .062 and fits over a .312 diameter shaft. The shaft looks like it would push out if one were careful to support the pot metal. You may be able to find something locally at a UK supplier. It has only 3 turns or coils to fit in the narrow space so that may be an issue finding the same.

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You could try Century Spring, probably a stock spring or something easily adapted. But it also looks like a real easy spring to make yourself.

View this little tutorial; for something so small with only 3 turns you don't need a lathe, just a piece of wooden dowl with a suitable diameter.

deansphotographica.com/machining/projects/springs/springs.html

Thanks for the photo O.D - just another thought : both of the handles that have failed on my car were "first issue" handles - I understand that a "second issue" was introduced fairly early on in production of the 22nd Series which had a second screw through an extension of the back plate casting. This screw went though the extended back plate and was visible on the outside - perhaps someone has had some problems with the second series too if so we need to know - or are ALL the failures of the casting occurring in the first series ? - if the latter then perhaps I should be looking for the second series handles as replacements I'm sure they MUST fit ? That then leads to a question : how and what was the second screw fixed into ?

Having taken my offending handle off the car the problem was that the casting was broken, not just a broken spring.

My Restorer thinks there's very little chance of removing and replacing these springs anyways as he thinks the casting would break under the pressure - even if we could find or make a correct spring !

Thoughts please - and anyone out there got some handles ?

Michael

The later style handles can fail as well but only due to very heavy use. I have seen a few that were broken.

There was a captive nut on a reinforcing plate inside the door for the second screw on the later type door handle.
Some photos in this old thread.


22nd Series door handle