auzivision

Just finished my freshman year fixing the infamous broken door handle and what a year it has been (or should I say half year). It all started back in late May when I was talking with Jeannie about having to cancel my SITM registration due to mechanical difficulties. I was frustrated at the amounts of money I’d been pouring into my car and had another multi-thousand dollar estimate in my hand. She encouraged me to try it myself by just ordering the parts and getting on Rennlist. I thought what the heck.

Needless to say it’s been a life-changing event. Rarely a day goes by when I don’t at least peek at what’s going on over here on Rennlist. I’ve learned so much in the last six months and am happy to report I’ve completed my second right of passage to true 928 ownership. That being the removal and installation of the door latch hinge mechanism, the first one was the R&R of the MM and a few WYAIT items.

To help others that might want to tackle this project I’ve compiled a few tips I’ve learned along the way. First and for most do some research. At the bottom are some pretty good links to help with that, but not everything was included in any one write-up

Optimum tools: 10 mm and 13 mm gear wrenches (one of my favorite Christmas presents this year), 4 mm & 5 mm Allen wrenches (preferable both long handled with a ball and the socket variety), 10 mm socket for a couple panel fasteners that don’t allow enough room for the gear wrench, both a small and large screw driver and a medium sized Phillips, a work light, flash light, extra long nosed pliers, and magnetic tool/part retriever.

In a nutshell… remove the door panel, loosen the lock mechanism, remove the anti-theft shield, remove the lock mechanism, R&R the internal handle-hinge mechanism (some loosen the lock cylinder, but I didn’t need to), reassemble in reserve order. There are plenty of write-ups on how to get the door panels off, but things got a little sketchy after that. The WSM weren’t much help either so here is my first attempt at giving back to the community.

After removing the panel, carefully disconnect the wire to the lock mechanism, then remove the two 4 mm Allen bolts on windowsill and two 5 MM Allen bolts in the jam connect to lock. Raise the window and loosen (but don’t remove) the 13 mm bolt that attaches the shield to the side crash bar (look up in there and you’ll see it). Then remove one shield screw on the windowsill and one in the door jam. Then hold the shield in one hand while you lower the window with the other and the shield just falls right out.

Now for the fun part… The lock mechanism is still connected to the handle hinge and key cylinder. Each one is a ball and socket joint. First I removed what’s left of the lock **** (2 Phillips screws and a little jiggling) along with the vertical shaft connected to the lock post (just pull the shaft towards you and it snaps out of the plastic holder, then down). The ball sockets are make of plastic and they just press out. The trick is getting leverage in the correct spot while peeking through the hole that used to contain the lock ****. This is where the large screw drive and long needle nose come in handy. I do recall using an Allen wrench as a mini pry bar through one of the holes in the door jam as well.

Once the electric lock is out of the way, the next couple steps aren’t too bad. Remove a couple 4 mm Allen bolts and a couple 10 mm bolts and replace the defective handle-hinge, just make sure you press on the socket coupling first and remember if you drop anything, either use you magnetic retriever or roll the window up and reach into the door cavity. Through out the process I ended up doing both several times.

Make sure the outside handle raises and lowers freely with the handle-hinge mechanism in place. Now more fun, the two other end of the ball socket couples need to be pressed into place. The nice thing is the need to be pushed on (as opposed to the pulling off we did earlier). Peek through the hole, Line them up, get the big screw drive on them and push. Once you have both sockets pushed on… It’s all down hill so grab a beer and celebrate!



Before you have too much beer, get the vertical post and the inside know reconfigured. The rest is very straightforward reassembly so grab another cold one and have at it. I would recommend you check your work at each step before moving to the next and hopefully you won’t have too many bonus parts after all is said and done.

Some have opted not to reinstall the theft shield, it only took a few extra minutes… just remember window down, insert into place, 2 screws… then window up for the 13 mm bolt. I hope this helps and following are the previously mention links along with a few more pictures.


http://928.jorj7.com/wk-door-handle.html
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=42802
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=42802
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=42802
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=42802
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=42802
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=42802

Rockoosi

Welcome to the team. I have had this same problem for about five years and now I feel inspired to fix it. How much did you pay for the hinge and where did you get it?

auzivision

I got mine for about $50 from 928 Specialists... I’m sure 928 International also stocks them.

I went a few months with the routine of having to open the passenger door and rolling down the driver’s window just to get in... that was driving me nuts.

Overall the job is not that bad, but it takes some time trying to wiggle and contort hands and tools into position. I still think the toughest part is the ball joints on the little linkages, but they just pop off and on with a little pressure in the right spot.

Just do, you will be very happy when you are done... nice feeling of accomplishment.

IcemanG17

Door handle fix is a right of passage for all 928 owners.....I've done (or helped) on three....luckily none were on my 928!!!! Its a pain, but gets easier each time you do it (or so I tell myself)

AO

Kurt-
That's a nice writeup. Good work. I have not ahd to fix this one yet, so I'll just file it away for when I do need it! Thanks.

So is SITM on your list for this year?

auzivision

2007 SITM is definetly on my list. I made mt reservations last summer.


Also want to go to Hell and to Greenbay on the SS Badger (or is that redundant?).

AO

Not redundant, but avoid the SS Badger. Not worth it. Better off gathering Chicago on a Friday night and well... use your imagination!

Hell will be definately take place again this year.

But we can talk about it at SITM... Man I can't wait!

928autobahndreamer

I thought this thread was going a whole nother direction when I read the title. I could have done a write up on my freshman year of college and the door handle rules. If theres a tie on the door **** just keep on walking . But that is a different rite of passage.

greg928GTS

I have to use a lot of force and pick the handle up all the way on the drivers door handle of my GTS. I do this while pushing in on the door at the same time in order to get it to open. Is this write-up about the "fix" for that problem too, or is it just for when the handle breaks completely?

auzivision

Greg,

This is exactly the fix for hard to open doors. At first mine required extra force on the handle, but then broke to the point where it wouldn't open at all.

My guess is one side of the internal hinge breaks before the other. Then eventually the other gives way.

Mine lasted a few months in the high force mode before giving up the ghost.

YMMV

gruffalo

Yeah! The fun really starts when you can't open the door at all.

Try removing the door panel with the door closed! BTDT, I had that happen to be with my first shark back in 1992, but I got it fixed eventually, with some help from 928intl

callouie

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but this is the one that helped me the most when my handle broke. The rear arm was just cracked, front one seemed to still be attached ok. I could not figure out how to get the stupid anti-theft plate out, but in one of the referenced threads, there was mention of lowering the window. Bingo! Once that was out of the way it was a 15 minute job.

A couple tips.

1. If the door handle is still in roughly the right spot when you start, put some painters tape on it to hold it there. It makes removing and replacing the allen head bolts MUCH easier, I wouldn't know how to have located it with one hand, while trying to line the holes up on the inside of the door.

2. Install the plastic tie rod thing on the ball socket before you put the new handle in. It's a piece of cake to put the other side on once everything is mounted solidly.

Thanks to Roger for shooting me the part out in a hurry.

Buddha_Kip

Just in time with the writeup. My car is currently sitting in my shop with the door in a billion pieces...couldn't locate the lower bolt for the lock shield...I was about to pull out the angle grinder.

Dean_Fuller

One of the "to do jobs" before SITM next weekend. Thanks Kurt for the write up!

Jadz928

Or how about a tech session at SITM?