Hi Dick,
Starting to sound like a bit of a challenge.
First the problem of moving the car. If it is parked on a reasonably firm
surface you should be able to put a trolley jack under the differential and
move the car into a more convenient position. It may be less expensive to
buy a trolley jack than pay for the damage to the door if you have to beat
it up.
The inside handle (remote control unit) pulls on the door latch at the back
of the door by way of a long bar. With some luck you may be able to feel
around inside the upper section of the door near the back and find the
connection where this bar is attached to the latch assembly. (You may have
to remove the door liners to do this). The bar from the remote attaches to
an arm which, if you pull it toward the front of the car, should release the
door.
The usual reason that the escutcheon will not compress back to reveal the
handle securing pin is that the pin has dropped and is obstructing the
escutcheon. Usually you have to pry the escutcheon back, usually ruining it
in the process, to gain access to the pin. Fortunately replacement
escutcheons are available and not too expensive.
HOWEVER, once you have the handle off you will not actually be much further
ahead unless you have managed to get the door open. The 3 screws which hold
the remote control unit to the door frame are under the casing (trim panel)
and you can't get that off with the door closed.
BTW You will probably find the entire process a lot easier if you remove the
drivers seat.
Hope that helps.
Michael Salter
www.precisionsportscar.com
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-healeys@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-healeys@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of Richard Hosmer
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 9:52 AM
To: Austin Healey-List
Subject: Door help
Listers,
I see that on my post of (late) last night, I used the word "facing" when
the manual reads "casing", if that caused any confusion.
One WOULD think that the inner handle must come off first, but, I'd hoped,
given the order of the instructions that that MIGHT not be true, especially
since the roadster door is less complicated than that of a BJ8.
The handle is somehow jammed (by what I assume is a broken rusty spring) and
its surrounding "cup" will NOT just "push back" as the manual so blithely
suggests.
Unfortunately, the car is neatly parked in its little slot in such a way,
that with the drivers door shut, any sort of working access to the inside of
it is VERY difficult. I'm going to HAVE to somehow get the door open, even
if done "incorrectly", and the car moved, before ANY sort of proper repair
will be possible.
Thanks again for any suggestions.
Dick Hosmer
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