I replaced my door handle carrier today with help from this thread. Here are a few lessons learned (sorry if these are repeats...I didn't read every post in the thread):

- When removing the lock, instead of prying it loose from the outside I was able to reach around back inside the door and push the lock out...no scratching of paint or damaged trim using this method

- Definitely remove the bolt (#19) from the handle, as recommended. I removed the nut but left the bolt in place, thinking it wouldn't be a problem. It shifted towards the front of the car and caused interference with the door panel. I wasted about 45 minutes figuring it out

- I wish I had looked into replacing the two gaskets on the exterior of the door (#12 and #13); mine are 12 years old and it would have required no extra work to replace them

- Be careful reinstalling the hex bolt into the lock. There are a few folks on here who reported difficulty; I didn't understand why until I tried it. You've got to pay attention and line things up carefully in order to get the bolt threaded properly. I'm pretty sure I cross-threaded my lock