A Couple Door Issues

[Pac_Man]

Hi all,

 

Not too long ago, the exterior door handle on my '76 280z stopped opening the door. When I pull on it, it seems that one side pops out a bit from the door itself. The interior handle works fine, however.

 

Also, I'm trying to figure out how to get the window regulator rollers back onto the rails. I've gone through threads, my chiltons and haynes manuals, and general google searches but can't find any specific info on how it should get re-mounted. Any tips?

 

 

Thanks,

Pac-Man

[Miles]

There is one position that the rollers will interface the rails. Just keep adjusting the position of the rollers with the hand crank until everything matches up. Once you see that it is easy.

 

Also, do a search here and at Classic Z Car as I recall threads that advise how to do this.

[Pac_Man]

Once you see that I wrote how I've already looked through threads, you'll realize that I've already tried searching and looking for info.

 

If it was as simple for me as looking at it and figuring out, I would have done it by now because I've spent a good few hours trying to get it back on. But thanks for the tips, despite the condescending tone.

[1 tuff z]

Pac_Man, sounds like one of the nuts that secure your door handle have come off and the adjuster nut may not be properly positioned.  You can see the adjuster-it is a whitish color knobish looking thing that threads onto the actuating rod which is attached to both the exterior door knob and latch mechanism. Once you verify the door handle mount nuts are installed and tight go about adjusting the knob thing.  If too tight then it may not open the door [too tight = too long or adjusted downward on the rod too far] too loose and you'll have to pull really hard on the handle [knob adjusted too high on the rod]. Remove your door panel, roll window up and see if they are both still there. For the window, you may need to remove the window frame in order to get all the rails back into place. Other way is to unbolt the rails one at a time to get them back onto the rollers-it's not an easy task but with patience it will happen.

Edited January 11, 2013 by 1 tuff z

[z240]

Pac_man, you've suffered enough.  Your door handle very likely is broken in a very common way. The pot metal arm that attaches to the rod that opens the door breaks. You have two choices. Switch the left and right handles (they each have two of these arms, ie no left or right handles), or buy a new handle.

 

As to the window being off its rollers, that's tough to describe. Here goes. The window crank mechanism has three arms with a white roller on the tip of each. Two of these engage the track on the window, one engages a short horizontal guide track on the door. The window also rides in a vertical guide channel at the front of it. This guide channel is attached to the door by two 10 mm nuts. Remove it. Take the nuts off and slide it down off the nylon strip on the front of the glass and remove it. There are two identical nuts that hold the horiz strip that guides the one roller. Remove it.   NOW you have the flexibility in moving the window glass around to get it back on the two rollers that engage it. 

 

The big hint now is that the rollers can only enter the guide tracks on the window from ONE END, at least for one of them. Determine which this is, then put the regulator about 1/2 way down and start the process of positioning the window so that you get both rollers in the guides. It requires you to tip the front of the window down if I remember. Then once its on those rollers, THEN you can put the front and center guide back on the door.

 

This isn't fun, but its possible. Patience grass hopper.

 

Oh, and replace the door handle with the glass out. It MUCH easier....

 

Oh, and you have to remove the outer horiz SS trim along the glass to give you more play room.

 

Good luck....

Edited January 11, 2013 by z240

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Take the door apart. You will learn everything in about 20 minutes. Like David said, and was mentioned above, I bet one of the threads broke off causing the handle to no longer push against the rod, which opens the latch to the door.

 

Taking them apart will not only teach you, but it will make you MUCH MUCH more comfortable with the inner components of the doors.

 

Plus, I'd be willing to bet all that stuff needs a squirt of silicone. It definitely wouldn't hurt.

 

Best of luck!

[Pac_Man]

Thanks. I'll check the handle to see if anything has broken. I had a feeling the adjustment nut needed to be tightened because sometimes I would have to pull on the handle a couple times to open the door, but with the handle possibly broken I couldn't really verify that.

 

As for the window, I was wondering if I'd have to remove one of those rails. So if I'm reading this correctly, you're saying I should remove the two guides that are bolted onto the door? Because I was actually able to get both of the rollers on the top of the window to slide into their rails, but then I couldn't get the lower one into place. Should I do it with the regulator mechanism bolted to the door or should I remove it?

[z240]

Now that I think about it, the fact that the handle tipped a bit crooked when you pull it up might actually mean one of the two nuts that hold the handle down may be loose, which then gives too much play to the rod. Check those first (8mm heads). The handle usually doesn't act/feel any differently with a broken off tang since its action/piviots are what's bolted to the door.

 

Yes to removing both of the on-door guides.  Leave the regulator bolted to the door though! That would make way too many degrees of freedom to corral. Work on holding the window at just the right angle and get the regulator at just the right position (leave crank on it) to get things to go together. Its a bitch, keep trying.

[Pac_Man]

Alright, cheers. The source of the window problem was actually my own stupidity of unbolting the regulator and having the window fall in... It was sticking before and I kind of got in and started unbolting things. Guess I'll think it through more next time.

 

Oh well, I'm learning as I go.

[Pac_Man]

Update on this:

 

I ended up just removing the window and regulator from the door. Found out that the gear had come off the crank which wasn't helping in putting it back together. Upon looking at the door handle, I noticed that the piece with the white adjustment nut on it was hanging loose. I can't figure out where exactly it should be or how to get it back in place. It also seems like pulling the handle should lower that piece, but it doesn't.

 

Also now the inside door handle works but hangs loose when it's not being pulled on. Any idea how to fix this?