Door latch R&R problem

[Salty B.]

Welp, three more mounting bosses or whatever fell off... that black JB Weld gasket maker someone recommended ain't all that. Two of the ones I re-glued with it came off. Maybe I'll let it set overnight inside (because it's hot af here).

[Salty B.]

Got the new DLA in, works, but that lock cylinder bolt fought me hard getting it back in. Felt like it was bottoming out in the cylinder housing. Might have x-threaded it a little... is that supposed to be an allen bolt? Because it's the only such one I've ever found in this thing.

I think at some point I'm gonna do the velcro door card thing because the mounts for the clips are so old and brittle and re-gluing them doesn't seem to be very permanent.

[andrewwynn]

Screw for the key cylinder is hex not torx. It's also steel going into aluminum and not a bad idea to use some anti seize.

That is very interesting about only hex screw. There are a couple others like the transfer case fill/drain but they are quite rare.

[Salty B.]

Luckily the machinery I work on is almost entirely hex/allen so I have all the wrenches.

Found another screw at work that's the same size only a bit shorter. Unsure why the current one is bottoming out tho. Last time I had the lock out it went back in super easy. Maybe the rubber gasket under the lock is dried out...

[andrewwynn]

I thought that hole is a thru hole so likely corrosion is your issue. If you ever remove the dhc for any reason, run a tap though or do what I do with the same situation; cut a couple flutes into the end of the screw and turn it into a thread clearing tap. (I've done this at least a dozen times). Most famous was when I bought my X5, the driver seat had been replaced (which was amazing because 128,000 miles and no wear on any off the seats!), Butt they cross threaded the back right bolt and it was not seated, stuck up 4-6mm enough that the upper slide off the front: back rail hit the bolt head.

I couldn't tighten so I removed to discover damaged threads in the car side from cross threading. Didn't have the m14 or whatever size tap so I cut the flutes into that bolt and carefully lined up the threads correctly and with a little oil to tap sent the bolt home.

It's a common trick everybody that works on cars should have in their toolbox.

[wpoll]

The lock cylinder can be tricky to fit if you don't understand that the hex bolt that holds it in can never pull the lock cylinder in tight, as both the cylinder assembly AND the hole DHC the bolt threads into are threaded.

The gap that exists once the bolt threads start into the DHC is the gap that will remain, not matter how tight the bolt is.

The trick is the hold the lock cylinder tight against the car as you wind in the bolt. And don't over-tighten it. It can be hard to get right...

[Salty B.]

Originally Posted by wpoll

It can be hard to get right...

It sure was!