Removing door handles/lock cylinders

SWE635 · Post by **SWE635** » Mon May 25, 2015 7:00 pm

Seeing as how I have one key for my right door, one for my left, one for the ignition and so on I purchased a complete set of steering column, door handles, trunk lock a while back...

I have now started installing it all. The trunk one was easy enough - and I now have selective central locking (the boot also locks/unlocks the fuel door (is that even what it's called?).

At this time I'm at the passenger side (right) door and have gotten the panels off fine.
I'm not really getting any where as far as the lock goes, though.

Seeing as my current handles are in better condition than the ones I purchased I'm not exchanging these. Is it even possible to remove the lock cylinder without taking the whole handle off?
With the two handles I've purchased I simply turn the lock a quarter (or so) of the way toward the center of the handle and it comes off.
Not really the case with the one actually sitting on the car...

I've read the different write-ups, but honestly - I'm getting nowhere! Anyone care to enlighten me?

Much appreciated!

baders · Post by **baders** » Mon May 25, 2015 11:04 pm

You will need to disassemble handle, lock, and mechanism. The threads here in "Exterior" give a good account with photos of how to do this.

SWE635 · Post by **SWE635** » Tue May 26, 2015 9:31 am

I've tried to search the forum (and Google, for that matter) to the best of my ability, but I haven't really found anything that helps me.

By the look of things my lock cylinders differ from those on the pictured E24's in the sense that the have a large washer, of sorts, in the way of me disassemblying the lock itself.
The handle has to come out outwards, while the lock (due to the washer) has to come off inwards. But I can't, for the life of me, figure out how.

I'll try to upload some pics later tonight.

Stoffie · Post by **Stoffie** » Wed May 27, 2015 8:03 am

This is some info by CW6er I had bookmarked concerning locks and cylinders etc. Might help out!

A Discussion on the lock cylinders and re-keying them:
viewtopic.php?t=10979&
viewtopic.php?p=94241#94241
viewtopic.php?t=13183&

Removing the Door panels (Cards) ('83 to '87):
viewtopic.php?=110609#110609

New lock set:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...0#post21555610

Removing the door handle (scroll to the Last post at the bottom)
viewtopic.php?t=6247&

Pictures to go with the explanation above (the Pics are in reverse order, the one that is supposed to be first in the series is last).
viewtopic.php?t=7374&

Sidrick · Post by **Sidrick** » Wed May 27, 2015 2:40 pm

Excellent info, but can you check the 4th and 5th links?

SWE635 · Post by **SWE635** » Wed May 27, 2015 7:17 pm

Sidrick wrote:Excellent info, but can you check the 4th and 5th links?

The fourth one is easy. Just replace "viewtopic...=" with "viewtopic.php?p" and it should work.
But yeah, thanks a bunch, Stoffie!

I've added a pic of my lock, and it doesen't really look like any of the ones pictured.
Is it possible that someone switched the E24 locks for ones from an E28?

baders · Post by **baders** » Thu May 28, 2015 1:21 am

This looks something like my left hand door lock mechanism, which I believe to be a later fit dur to the quality of the early pot metal type. The plastic levers were a push on fit that you can see I have re secured with a Loctite compound. Mine still has the notorious C clip and door lock heater, which yours does not. I don't know if this will help you.

SWE635 · Post by **SWE635** » Thu May 28, 2015 6:06 pm

baders wrote:This looks something like my left hand door lock mechanism, which I believe to be a later fit dur to the quality of the early pot metal type. The plastic levers were a push on fit that you can see I have re secured with a Loctite compound. Mine still has the notorious C clip and door lock heater, which yours does not. I don't know if this will help you.

Ah, sorry... I should've clarified - This sort of is my "left hand door", at least in the sense that it's my passenger door.
And I know that it's a later fit in one way or another, since I don't recall BMW shipping cars that needed a different key for every lock.

Do you know if I have to pry the plastic bits off in order to actually remove the lock from the handle?
It really seems that I need to remove the BMW-branded washer in order to turn the cylinder enough to get it out.

Ralph in Socal · Post by **Ralph in Socal** » Thu May 28, 2015 8:23 pm

SWE635 wrote:
baders wrote:This looks something like my left hand door lock mechanism, which I believe to be a later fit dur to the quality of the early pot metal type. The plastic levers were a push on fit that you can see I have re secured with a Loctite compound. Mine still has the notorious C clip and door lock heater, which yours does not. I don't know if this will help you.
Ah, sorry... I should've clarified - This sort of is my "left hand door", at least in the sense that it's my passenger door.
And I know that it's a later fit in one way or another, since I don't recall BMW shipping cars that needed a different key for every lock.
Do you know if I have to pry the plastic bits off in order to actually remove the lock from the handle?
It really seems that I need to remove the BMW-branded washer in order to turn the cylinder enough to get it out.

This is what is strange as I've taken many cars apart and I've never seen that BMW branded washer type retaining clip. It has always been a wide C-clip that goes through the slots in the outer body of the cylinder. Looking at the pic, it seems that you would pry off the plastic lever and turn the cylinder to extract it.

The end of that control rod also looks dubious. Some kind of adaptation from another model. Have you tried to turn the large washer retainer?

Ralph

baders · Post by **baders** » Fri May 29, 2015 3:10 am

The end of that control rod definitely looks to have been bodged up. Which indicates the whole assembly may well be a bodge up. Try very carefully to pry the white levers from the mechanism. This should allow for disassembly. You could also purchase a new lever assembly before you start and convert it back to original ?

SWE635 · Post by **SWE635** » Fri May 29, 2015 9:09 am

Haha... Yes, the control rod is dubious - that's for sure!
Not entirely certain as to why though. But, like I said earlier, I'm not sure as to why the central locking was disconnected either.
The parts that I've connected so far (trunk, fuel door and now the passenger side door) seem to be working just fine.

I've got a complete set of handles and cylinders, so everything will be as it was when it left the factory - just as soon as I get this old f*cker off!

Oh... And there was a "C-clip" as well. That was easy enough getting off!