Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,
My drivers door handle is loose and flaps open when driving to look like this:
[frame][/frame]
Am I missing a spring from somewhere?
I've taken the interior panel off and had a look but can't actually see anything obviously missing.
Obviously I'm missing something...................
All the other handles return to rest okay.
Best wishes,
Mike.

The return spring is part of the handle on the 4door. It's a bit difficult to explain without photographs but it is a rather fiddly job..... You need to strip the door down and remove the handle first . You can buy the part you need from the usual Minor specialists. I had to do mine a couple of years ago.

I have a complete Driver door handle assembly for sale - in the Sales section, and it's from a 4 door......

If it IS a 4door one, (they're completely different) and the return spring works, that might be a better answer - although you'll still have to dismantle the door unfortunately Fitting the spring is a little tricky if you've never done one.

Handle/return spring works just fine on the Sale item. And I would break the handle out of the 'Lot' if you need it.

Thanks for the offer Roy, I found a replacement (with key no less!!) at the National.

The return spring is part of the handle on the 4door. It's a bit difficult to explain without photographs but it is a rather fiddly job

I can see what you mean about explaining the spring without pictures, so I shall take some of my old one, which I replaced on Saturday evening (included much fiddling, fettling and swearing), before going back to the National today (Sunday).
The spring has a tail which holds the spring / handle under tension (thus causing the handle to spring back to 'rest' after being operated) via a groove in the body of the handle, mine has separated and because (by its nature) it is under tension, has refused to go back into said groove and stay there, however I shall persevere.
If I succeed I'll update this thread.
Best wishes,
Mike.

Yes, they're a pain . I secured the spring/tail on mine by drilling a very small hole next to the groove and, once I'd got the spring into the groove, screwing a tiny self tapping screw and washer over it to stop it coming out again. I was too mean to purchase a new handle. They are very hard to get hold of for the 4door - which is the same as the van and pick-up so tend to be expensive. It sounds as if you're well on the way to success though

Not that hard to get hold of - since I have one for sale and no interest so far.......

Evening all,
Small hole, self tapper and a washer to hold the spring in the groove has worked fine for me for many years now. The spring should be held in the groove by an area which is deformed to retain it. Sometimes the spring forces its way out.
Cheers, Colin.

bmcecosse wrote:Not that hard to get hold of - since I have one for sale and no interest so far.......

They are hard to get. The one you have pictured for sale is for a 2 door. Completely different.

I can assure you it came off a 4 door car I broke many years ago... It even has some of the horrible maroon paint on it - that came off the said car,

Perhaps you'd like to post up a photo of the one you mean Roy. The only one I can see listed for sale is definitely for a 2 door. They are completely different and not interchangeable at all.

I accept what you say - but the only way I can see I have this is from the 4 door I broke many many moons ago - it had broken it's back, so there was no hope for it..... It has the lock below the handle - not IN the handle. And thinking back - that was the arrangement on my Trav - so I guess it is indeed from a 2 door. Thanks for the help with this - i'll amend the sales post now.

Yes, I know what you mean. I find things in my garage whose origins are a complete mystery! The 2 handles are very different. I have no idea why BMC chose to do that and the 4door type, used also on the van and pick-up, seem a bit more flimsy and prone to wear so are in great demand. I couldn't find a replacement for mine at the time hence having to repair it. The 2door type which the traveller also used seem relatively plentiful.

Hmm -well I did have a couple of spare doors for my Trav at one point - maybe one of them had a handle fitted. Just strange it has traces of the horrible maroon paint that the 'broke back Minor' was....and I assumed. Learn something new every day!

I also heard of them having a spot of areldite put on the top of the spring to help hold them down.

ManyMinors wrote:The return spring is part of the handle on the 4door. It's a bit difficult to explain without photographs but it is a rather fiddly job..... You need to strip the door down and remove the handle first . You can buy the part you need from the usual Minor specialists. I had to do mine a couple of years ago.

I have exactly the same problem and with our 4 door... took the interior door handles off today and also then the trim panel. It was very hard to see the linkages and how the operatethrough the holes , so I was reluctant to start unscrewing things in the door edge without knowing the steps and having bits end up in the door sill. !! Could anyone help with the first steps to get started ?.
e.g door edge first , then door panel screws etc ? I can certainly see how it can be described as fiddly....

Mine are the same but I'm ignoring them. Don't they assist braking when descending hills??

Probably better than the brakes !

Rabbit. Best to follow the manual, if you have a copy. Nightmare to try and accurately describe the process.