Re: IML: 60-63 interior door handle breakage fix ?

[RandalPark@xxxxxxx]

I haven't ever broken one of those handles. Once, a passenger in the back seat "yanked" on the handle without unlocking the door and broke it. They certainly are weak, but I don't think that they flex, unless you pull on it way too hard. Usually then, it will break immediately, or if not, then the next time it is used.

This is but one weak and hard to find part for these cars. The '61 through'63 turn signal lever is suceptible to breakage by hitting it with a knee upon entering the car. The horn ring for same is easily broken during a "vengeful honking episode". 

I think that filling the hollow portion of the interior door handles would be a good way to strengthen them, if the compound will flow down through the stem of the part. Let's put our heads together and figure out a way to preserve these other two fragile pieces as well. Unfortunately, once any of these is broken, they can't really be fixed.

Paul W.

In an email dated 6/7/2005 2:20:20 pm GMT Daylight time, joestill1@xxxxxxxxxxx (Joe) writes:

>On our '61 Crown, the sole surviving interior door handle was filled with some sort of putty, sort of like plumbers putty, when we got it. ?I don't know if that is the reason is was spared and the other three weren't but it's an idea anyway.
>
>--
>Joe 
>Allen, Texas 
>'61 4D Crown Southampton 
>http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1961/JoeStill/index.htm 
>
>
>-------------- Original message -------------- 
>Everybody who has owned a 60-63 imperial is probably aware of the problem with the interior door handles breaking. I was pulling stuff off a 61 at a junkyard last week and noticed that all four of the handles were broken on that one. My blame for the problem is that the top of the handle is hollow and gets real thin were it meets the stem, causeing it to flex, over time all the flexing leads to breakage. My idea is to fill the hollowed top portion of the handle with something. I believe that would stop the flexing, add strenth and save the unbroken pieces that are left. I have considered lead, fiberglass resin, or some sort of epoxy like maybe JB weld. As for the already broken handles they're pretty much scrap metal, they're made of pot metal I believe, ?and cant be welded as far as I know. I would like to hear some of your opinions on this fix. Has anybody ever did this before ? 
>


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