10mm door handle bolts

[spikeygg]

I took both my door panels off yesterday and I noticed the driver's side door handle was held in by large screws but the passenger's side door handle was held in with 10mm bolts. I'd rather use bolts on both sides of the car but I looked at DeLorean.com and it appears as though these fasteners are supposed to be screws (http://store.delorean.com/p-7640-screw-n8.aspx). :(

Anyone know where I can get two more of these bolts?

45017

I'd prefer them to have the built in washer like these...

[Lwanmtr]

You can check hardware stores like Home Depot, Lowes or Mclendons (if there is any in your area). and such. I got door hinge bolts at a little local bolt shop, as well as a bunch of others I needed.

I agree that bolts are little better since its easier than hoping you dont drop the screw into the door (which happened to me, fishing it out was a pain).

[Morpheus]

On my car, the PO installed allen head screws to secure the lower door handle. I was confounded at first, but after thinking about it, it makes sense. On previous cars, I struggled with putting tape into the end of a hex socket and hoping that it held the bolt head enough for me to get it started.

[DMC-81]

Hi Greg,

Are you referring to 105091 (a bracket on the door trim) or 106037 (a bracket in the door)?

105091 is held on by those SP10465 screws that you linked to, but 106037 was held on by a SEMS M6 bolt on the parts diagram. ( I think they were changed to a pan Phillips machine screw - SP10455 on DMC website).

SEMS screws are normally special order at hardware stores, if so, a hex head M6-1.00 x 12mm with a lock washer will fit. It has a 10 mm socket size, but it's an M6 thread size. This is what I used.

As Brandon mentioned, if you reuse a hex head bolt, you'll need to MacGuyver a system of taping the bolt ( and washer) temporarily to the socket so you don't lose it.... and more specifically, one knee to hold the grab handle up in place, one hand to hold the door, a flashlight in your mouth, and one hand to guide the bolt in place on a socket extension. Yep.. Been there! :rant:

[spikeygg]

Hi Greg,

Are you referring to 105091 (a bracket on the door trim) or 106037 (a bracket in the door)?

105091 is held on by those SP10465 screws that you linked to, but 106037 was held on by a SEMS M6 bolt on the parts diagram. ( I think they were changed to a pan Phillips machine screw - SP10455 on DMC website).

SEMS screws are normally special order at hardware stores, if so, a hex head M6-1.00 x 12mm with a lock washer will fit. It has a 10 mm socket size, but it's an M6 thread size. This is what I used.

As Brandon mentioned, if you reuse a hex head bolt, you'll need to MacGuyver a system of taping the bolt ( and washer) temporarily to the socket so you don't lose it.... and more specifically, one knee to hold the grab handle up in place, one hand to hold the door, a flashlight in your mouth, and one hand to guide the bolt in place on a socket extension. Yep.. Been there! :rant:

Haha, that sounds like a blast! Anyway, I was able to find a nice set of 4 M6 bolts at NAPA yesterday so I'm all set on these. Thanks!

Hey, what do you guys suggest for keeping the wiring from banging around in the bottom of the doors? It seems every time I open my doors the wiring inside hits the inside of the door when it reaches the top and makes a light 'clack'. It makes me angry because that never used to happen. Is there something I can do to keep those cables stationary or quiet them down somehow?

[DMC-81]

Haha, that sounds like a blast! Anyway, I was able to find a nice set of 4 M6 bolts at NAPA yesterday so I'm all set on these. Thanks!

Hey, what do you guys suggest for keeping the wiring from banging around in the bottom of the doors? It seems every time I open my doors the wiring inside hits the inside of the door when it reaches the top and makes a light 'clack'. It makes me angry because that never used to happen. Is there something I can do to keep those cables stationary or quiet them down somehow?

Zip ties work great for this if you have something to lash the offending wires to. Be sure not to obstruct the window movement, and leave some slack if you need to remove something tied to it (like the door marker lights). If it's a big harness you can use a short length of self adhesive foam pipe insulation, like this one:

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Frost-King-3-4-in-x-6-ft-Foam-Plumbing-Tubular-Pipe-Insulation/1060005

Also, I avoided wires laying in the bottom of the door as water may lay there before it drains out.

[spikeygg]

Zip ties work great for this if you have something to lash the offending wires to. Be sure not to obstruct the window movement, and leave some slack if you need to remove something tied to it (like the door marker lights). If it's a big harness you can use a short length of self adhesive foam pipe insulation, like this one:

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Frost-King-3-4-in-x-6-ft-Foam-Plumbing-Tubular-Pipe-Insulation/1060005

Also, I avoided wires laying in the bottom of the door as water may lay there before it drains out.

Great ideas but how did you avoid wires laying in the bottom of the door?? Looking at how my doors and how the wiring is situated it seems impossible to get the wires off the bottom...

[DMCVegas]

On my car, the PO installed allen head screws to secure the lower door handle. I was confounded at first, but after thinking about it, it makes sense. On previous cars, I struggled with putting tape into the end of a hex socket and hoping that it held the bolt head enough for me to get it started.


As Brandon mentioned, if you reuse a hex head bolt, you'll need to MacGuyver a system of taping the bolt ( and washer) temporarily to the socket so you don't lose it.... and more specifically, one knee to hold the grab handle up in place, one hand to hold the door, a flashlight in your mouth, and one hand to guide the bolt in place on a socket extension. Yep.. Been there! :rant:

There is a much easier way.

http://www.benquip.bz/uploads/products/images/MP_wheelbearing_400x4201.jpg

Slather a daub of this grease inside of your sockets, and then press the bolts in. If you've got washers, put a tiny bit on those too and press against the bottom of the bolt head. The grease will hold the bolt in place just fine with no worry about it falling out. Even upside down nothing will fall out. Once you're done, just wipe any excess off.

If you're having difficulty seeing, I would personally reccomend investing in these:

https://www.conney.com/websphere/fullsize/37001.gif

We should all be wearing eye protection anyway, and this model I prefer because you can adjust the angle of the lights themselves to suit your needs.

[content22207_2]

Are you all talking about the screws that hold the grab handle to the bracket (the ones that come in from the side)? If so, I 100% guarantee Dunmurry didn't have assembly line workers fumbling around with 2 foot long screwdrivers (been there/done that).

To install the grab handle, screw it to the bracket loose in your hand, hold it in the door panel opening, then bop it with the palm of your hand. It will pop right in.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Lwanmtr]

So put the grab handle on the door first, then squeeze it through the armrest? Curious, because eventually I'll be at the point of putting my doors back together.

[DMC-81]

Hi there,

We are talking about the bolts or machine screws that hold the grab handle on to part 106037 - handle support bracket.

Here's a video that really helped me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQy6sNQWdxY

and a DMCTalk post: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?3180-How-To-Remove-Interior-Door-Panels

There is also a high level procedure in P:03:04 in the Workshop Manual

As far as what they did at the factory, I'm no historian, but my early car had zinc plated hex bolts with lock washers (the head markings matched other bolts on the car). There was a healthy dab of window weld/RTV on these that I had to clean off. Perhaps that's what the factory workers used instead of tape?

To lift the wires off the very bottom of the door, I think I lashed one end up to another wire with a zip tie just enough so that it wasn't laying flat.

Cheers,

P.S. I must get a pair of those lighted safety glasses! :thumbup: