Milano door handle fix

[Rodney Tidwell <rodneygt@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

michael_conrey@domain.elided wrote:

> A couple of small Milano questions:

Numbers 1 & 2 have been covered by others so I'll go to #3.

> 3.  Does anyone have a fix for the Milano interior door handles that
> keep
> breaking where the top screws into the door?

yes
The washer fix has been discussed so I'll speak to the L-bracket fix.

- -go to a hardware store & buy a pack of 1" L-bracket (there will be a
hole drilled in each end - if like mine)
- -using a hacksaw trim one of the ends from the bracket; i.e., cut
through the center of one of the pre drilled holes
- -drill a small hole through the now shorter arm of the "L" - the end you
trimmed off with the hacksaw (I cant remember the exact size I used
right now but I believe the bolt was 6/32" by 1/2" long) 
- -with the door handle off the door & temporarily reassembled (stick the
broken part where it broke from) insert the L-bracket with the shorter
arm on the bottom
- -drill a hole through the plastic using the hole you drilled in the
bracket as a guide
- -use epoxy to reattach the broken piece as well as the L-bracket
- -use a small bolt (6/32x1/2) through to hole you drilled in the handle &
L-bracket
- -use a wing nut or regular nut to secure the bottom of the bracket to
the handle - the nut will be just below the screw that secures the top
of the handle to the door, so make sure you have clearance for the
factory screw - when you tighten the nut on the small bolt you
installed,
you will be able to seat the head of the bolt in the vinyl of the bottom
of the top of the door handle so that it is not detectable unless
someone lays there head on the door armrest and looks up - everything
else is hidden when you replace the center cover
on the door handle

note: you may have to enlarge the pre drilled hole on the "top" of the
L-bracket for the factory screw to fit

Really, after you hold a new  L-bracket inside of a broken door handle
you'll see exactly what you need to do and will not need the above
instructions.

Advantage: this gives added strength over the washer fix though others
have apparently had success with the washer method.  In fact I was going
to use a washer until I flipped through some of my old Alfa Owners an
found the L-bracket method (written by Ed Ng, I believe)

Disadvantage:  takes a little more time & cost a little more than the
washer method (though not much in either instance); I've done three: the
first took about thirty minutes but I was using vise grips for a vise (I
was away from the shop) - start to finish when using a vise seems no
more than 15 minutes.


Good Luck,
Rodney G. Tidwell
McComb, MS

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