The Ford Barn

Utopia Texas · 05-12-2016, 05:17 PM

Twenty Eight years ago I started to dismantle my 160A to take the body off, rebuild the engine etc. and paint. My worse day back then was trying to take the inside door handles and window cranks off to take the interior panels off the doors. No matter how hard I pushed on the escutcheons I could barely get a gap small enough to push the tiny pins out to then get the handles and eschucheons off. These doors are all steel and when pushing on the escutcheons there is no play inside the doors.
The second worse day was a year later trying to get the handles back on and I remember having to drill holes further out on the stumps for some play and even then had to force the pins in with chisel and hammer though I had pre fit the pins and handles without the escutcheons and had slightly beveled the pins on a grinder.
Fast forward to today trying to get the pins out again. What gives here. This should not be so hard!!! No matter how hard I push in on the escutcheons to make a gap I can barely see the pins. I have had to use a large flat screwdriver to make the gap and still have trouble getting a ice pick in the slim gap to push on the pins.
One of four things must be wrong because this should not be this hard where you have to damage the escutcheons to get the handles off and then back on.
(1) The handle stubs are too short and should stick out through the interior paneling further........but this is definitely the original hardware.
(2) The interior paneling is too thick. I believe the interior is a 1950's job as it is a leatherette grey which is not original.
(3) The escutcheons and handles are too fat and holes for the pins are in the wrong places......Could be because this is a mishmash of escutcheons and handles that do not match and are probably really old reproductions.
(4) After 28 years working on old cars I still do not know what I am doing!

Some advice and sympathy needed. I've spent two hours in a hot barn and only have one door done with three to go......

05-12-2016, 05:17 PM	#1
Utopia Texas Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Brookshire & Cat Spring,Texas Posts: 222	Third Worse Day Of My Model A Life-Window Crank Pins! Twenty Eight years ago I started to dismantle my 160A to take the body off, rebuild the engine etc. and paint. My worse day back then was trying to take the inside door handles and window cranks off to take the interior panels off the doors. No matter how hard I pushed on the escutcheons I could barely get a gap small enough to push the tiny pins out to then get the handles and eschucheons off. These doors are all steel and when pushing on the escutcheons there is no play inside the doors. The second worse day was a year later trying to get the handles back on and I remember having to drill holes further out on the stumps for some play and even then had to force the pins in with chisel and hammer though I had pre fit the pins and handles without the escutcheons and had slightly beveled the pins on a grinder. Fast forward to today trying to get the pins out again. What gives here. This should not be so hard!!! No matter how hard I push in on the escutcheons to make a gap I can barely see the pins. I have had to use a large flat screwdriver to make the gap and still have trouble getting a ice pick in the slim gap to push on the pins. One of four things must be wrong because this should not be this hard where you have to damage the escutcheons to get the handles off and then back on. (1) The handle stubs are too short and should stick out through the interior paneling further........but this is definitely the original hardware. (2) The interior paneling is too thick. I believe the interior is a 1950's job as it is a leatherette grey which is not original. (3) The escutcheons and handles are too fat and holes for the pins are in the wrong places......Could be because this is a mishmash of escutcheons and handles that do not match and are probably really old reproductions. (4) After 28 years working on old cars I still do not know what I am doing! Some advice and sympathy needed. I've spent two hours in a hot barn and only have one door done with three to go......