'93 Metro Broken Door Handle Lever

[DOCTORBILL]

The driver's side door handle on my '93 Metro 2 Door Hatchback broke and
subsequently, the door cannot be opened from the outside.

This must be a common problem! --- But I fixed it.

I took off the inside panel and found that the lever that pushes the lock rod had
broken clean off. It is a flimsy plastic lever!



I went to a local wrecking yard here in Spokane, WA and asked for such a handle.

The counter man laughed! He said, "...that one item is the item most in demand.." at
their wrecking yard. Geo Metro Driver's side door handles.

Chinzy products strike again!

So, I went to a local Pull-n-Save and waded thru the mud and looked at 5 or 6
Geo Metro "hulks" and wouldn't you guess - absolutely every driver's side
door handle was gone! But...almost all the passenger side handles were still there!

So I pulled one passenger side door handle just in case mine broke on that side....


However, when I got home I noticed something....

Look at the backside view.....compare it to the top picture of the broken handle!


Notice that the handle part that you pull on has two levers one either side
of the mechanism.

When it is normally closed, the levers are in an UP position


When you pull out the handle the levers go down....


But that isn't what I noticed.

The pull handle is symetrical - there are levers on both sides.

I suspect that one can take out a door handle from either side and by tapping
out the two pins holding the moveable lever, one can transfer it into the broken
door handle....

You'd have to move the spring also - that might be daunting.

I will pull my broken DS Handle tomorrow and try trading the movable part.

Any suggestions on how to tap that pin out w/o breaking the plastic?

I will get back here with the results.

Big point - most passenger side door handles are still on wrecked cars!
If this works.....no worries about broken Driver's Side door handles any more!

DoctorBill

PS - if this was an obvious thing to everyone....kindly tell me.

[Crvett69]

if you can't fix it let me know and will send you one

[DOCTORBILL]

Have you ever heard of anyone doing what I suggested, Crvett69 ?
Once the pins are out, you could use a long screw in its place, maybe.

I am mostly worried about trying to move those pins out. They look to be
ridged lengthwise and forced into the plastic parts with some special press tool.

I'd hate to break my Driver's side Handle Frame....then I'd truly be screwed!

If you really have one to part with, I would appreciate it.

Please contact me via PM and we can discuss it.

If you have a spare one, then I could try what I wrote about previously and if
I screw it up....I won't be up the creek w/o a paddle.

You know - it would be nice to take that flip handle off of a Metro door
and make a mold and make them out of ALUMINUM.

Make some sort of lost wax mold, if possible, and pour molten Aluminum and make
Door Handles that won't break!

Even Brass or Bronze would be better than that weak, cheap plastic !

DoctorBill

[DOCTORBILL]

I now understand why this door handle lever broke off.

The rod which goes down to the latch is threaded at the upper end.
Look at the Adjustment Push Rod Nut in the following photo -



Those threads allow for the nut with the 90° side rod to be adjusted.

If it is not adjusted properly, the plastic handle lever pushes down on the rod
and keeps pushing when the rod travels as far down as it goes.

Any further pressure upon lifting the handle just strains the plastic handle lever
until it breaks. This adjustment is CRITICAL!

The Body Shop guy should have known this and adjusted it properly - he didn't...

Onward => I removed my Driver's Side Door Handle and inspected it.



Mine has one long hinge rod instead of two small ones. No worries!

I started tapping on the left side



The right side plastic Frame Arm started to bend - the rod was not coming out.
I had to tap it back into the proper position or it would have broken off!
I supported the right side plastic Frame Arm on the edge of my vice and tapped
the left end of the rod again.
The rod started coming out on the right side.
I finished by carefully pulling it out with a pair of pliers.

Here is the DS (L) Door Handle taken apart.



I will emery paper off the corrosion so that the pin goes back in easily.

I will also Instant Glue the pin back in place when I replace it. One little
drop on the right side should keep it from coming out...

Now to take the lever out of the PS (R) Door Handle....

I put the Handle frame into my trusty old vice jaws such that the pin is forced out and
the pin can exit the other side....



Once it was protruding (don't force it too much or the plastic will crack), I grabbed it with
some gas pliers and pulled it out while twisting...



Here are the right and left side lever parts of the '93 Geo Metro Door Handles.

They are Identical !



Now I can assemble the new lever into the DS Handle mechanism....the spring should be FUN!

But First! I am going to fix a big bowl of STAGG Ranch House Chicken Chili with Beans....
Melt some Cheddar Cheese in it and eat it all with a bottle of Beer to wash it down...

Working on car doors is thirsty work. Makes me hungry for Chili - my favorite food!

DoctorBill

PS - I will show picture(s) of the "fixed" door handle in the next post - if all goes well.

[frets14]

Important information of special interest to Chemistry Professors, but worth sharing with everyone!

CHEMISTRY OF MAN AND WOMAN

Element Name: WOMAN
Symbol: WO
Atomic Weight: (don't even go there!)

Physical properties: Generally round in form. Boils at nothing and may freeze
any time. Melts whenever treated properly. Very bitter if not used well.

Chemical properties: Very active. Highly unstable. Possesses strong affinity
to gold, silver, platinum, and precious stones. Violent when left alone. Able to
absorb great amounts of exotic food. Turns slightly green when placed next to a
better specimen.

Usage: Highly ornamental. An extremely good catalyst for dispersion of wealth.
Probably the most powerful income reducing agent known.

Caution: Highly explosive in inexperienced hands.


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Element Name: MAN
Symbol: BY
Atomic Weight: (180 +/- 50)

Physical properties: Solid at room temperature, but gets bent out of shape
easily. Fairly dense and sometimes flaky. Difficult to find a pure sample. Due
to rust, aging samples are unable to conduct electricity as easily as young
samples.

Chemical properties: Attempts to bond with WO any chance it can get.
Also tends to form strong bonds with it. Becomes explosive when mixed with Kid
(Element: Child) for prolonged period of time. Neutralize by saturating with
alcohol.

Usage: None known. Possibly good methane source. Good samples are
able to produce large quantities on command.

Caution: In the absence of WO, this element rapidly decomposes and begins to
smell.

[DOCTORBILL]

It is finished...



I had to lightly sand the hinge rod and roll some emery cloth around a small drill
and open up the holes the hinge rod goes thru before it would reassemble w/o
hammering....

I want it to come apart easier than it originally did.

I'll put one drop of instant glue on one end of the long hinge rod.

I washed the lock cylinder in paint thinner and then oiled it well with 80w
transmission oil.

You have to remove the lock cylinder to even get the handles in and out of
the door frame! Just pull the large "C" wire clip out with a screwdriver.

It is too dark to put it in the door today, what with me eating Chili, drinking a
Henry Weinhard and watching "The Quick and the Dead" on TV.....

Let you know tomorrow if it all works as planned.

Moral of this story - YOU can fix your Geo Metro Door Handle by obtaining a
PASSENGER SIDE handle at the wrecking yard. No more scrounging around
and paying an arm & a leg for a D S Handle!

I paid $2 at the Pull-n-Save for the PS Handle from a '91 Metro.

Just be sure the handles look the same before you buy the part...

DoctorBill

[frets14]

Doc, I have an interesting "aside" note. I got an old Metro from someone who had lost the keys. I learned from a locksmith that on import autos there is a number inscribed on the side of the lock mechanism in the passenger door handle. With this number, a locksmith can look in a book and make you a key. The number is only on the passenger door lock and no place else. He took the number from my door lack and made me a key slick as a whistle. Also, I was able to take care of the $70 bill on my AAA Plus account! Cool!

[Crvett69]

if you have the code and just take it to a locksmith cost should be $15-$20. i get a lot of codes made this way. it works on a lot of cars besides a geo. just check with locksmith first if you have one needing a key to see if lock has the code on it. on cars 92 and newer you can often go to the dealer and they can make you one off the serial number of the car

[DOCTORBILL]

I put the DS Door Handle back on this morning and adjusted the opener rod nut
at the top of the rod to where the door just opens.

That way, the handle won't over-torque that plastic lever....I hope.

I also glued foam rubber under the rods coming from the inside handle and lock
to the door edge. It was rattling before....

Now I have to go to some automotive paint and body parts store in Spokane to
obtain some new plastic clips that hold the inside door panel to the metal of the door.

Mine are old and brittle - kinda like me!



All that stuff is 13 years old and the plastic is shot! Not flexible any longer....

BTW - does anyone know what these damned things are called (named) and where one
could find them on the Internet...?

DoctorBill

[Metro Mighty Mouse]

Hey Doc,

They are generally referred to as Panel clips and should be available at the auto parts store. I have a big box of ones that work around here somewhere that I picked up from O'reillys. They are not that expensive either. I also snag good ones from junkyards whenever I have to pull a panel or one is sitting there.

I had a thought on your broken handle. If you wanted to send it to me I'd like to try to weld it back up with my plastic welder, just to see if it would work. While I was considering that I realized that you didn't have to buy a handle assembly at all, just swap the handles on the existing ones.

Let me know if you want me to try to weld it up and I'll send it back when I'm done.

Later,
Jon

[DOCTORBILL]

Today I went back into town to the Pull-n-Save where I was at two days ago.

I had roamed all thru it, so I knew where the Panel Clips were to be found.
I picked up some window crank handles (the Body Shop guy broke one of mine),
and some untaken passenger door handles. I also picked up any Lug Nuts
laying around in the mud...

I left there feeling like a kid leaving a candy store. Here's my haul....plus metric bolts!



Before going to the P & S, I had gone to an Automotive/Boat paint/parts store here and could not
find any Panel Clips except one "maybe" and they were $1.35 each one!

Again - I saw two Metro 3 cylinder engine blocks!

AND tomorrow they are having $40 Day!

Whatever anyone can carry ten feet they can have for $40 !

I need another engine block like I need a flock of hemorrhoids.....
but I am sorely tempted....!...play on words....

I think I could carry an engine block easily....what does one weigh? 50 lbs?

Doing that might just give me a hemorrhoid or three !

I am just an old pack rat !

I can hardly stand the thought of getting an engine block for $40 - crankshaft, pistons and all....ugh!

Would it be worth it? After all, the Engine Block hardly ever goes bad - no? Don't really need one...

DoctorBill

PS - the window crank handles all had that white powdery surface from Sunlight
hitting them. I tried wiping one with Xylene to melt the surface slightly and
get back the dull grey look, but no go.

Does anyone know how to get that white surface to go back to the dull grey?

[DOCTORBILL]

While I have the inside panel off the door, I have another question.

The door always has had a "Visqueen Polyethylene" plastic Liner glued in place.

The Body Shop guy who changed the doors over after the accident did not
put any plastic liner back in.

He left it all open like this....not good, huh?



I am suspecting that that liner is important in that it would keep the rain water
from zapping the inside of the door liner and is just a "good idea".

Am I correct?

I have some 3 mil plastic sheet on a big roll. I could cut a liner and put it in
place with Silicone Caulking.

Am I right?

Notice the Foam Rubber beneath the door rods to keep it from rattling.
I glued some plastic sheet between the foam and the rods so as no friction...
Also wrapped the wires to the seat belt so it wouldn't rattle either.

DoctorBill

[carpenter_jai]

As far as your white looking plastic goes, I have heard some people have success with a heat gun, just don't overdo it.

Jai

[freesiagirl]

I don't know how permanent this is, but I put TireShine on my door handles that were faded out, and they blacked right back. That was last week, and they still look like new. So, it wouldn't be bad to even have to do that every couple of weeks. -)

[91Caprice9c1]

Excellent work Doc, very ingenuitive. As for that plastic sheet, I've always considered it more of a dust barrier than a water barrier. The door has drains in case of a water breech, but it is highly unlikely that water would get inside the door in the first place, unless you had a flood that raises above the bottom of the door jam.

-MechanicMatt