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Outside Door Latch [message #251673]

Sat, 07 June 2014 07:09

jcurran

Messages: 52
Registered: May 2009

Karma: 0

Member

Hi Folks,

More paint prep yields more questions...

When I removed the exterior door handle the bolts/studs seemed to want to stay attached to the assembly. Can they be removed from the handle assembly without damaging it?

Also, is the midline belt strip( 1976) made of aluminum or stainless steel?

Thanks!

Jim

Jim Curran 1976 Palm Beach Alexandria, OH

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Re: Outside Door Latch [message #251683 is a reply to message #251673]

Sat, 07 June 2014 10:29

A Hamilto

Messages: 4508
Registered: April 2011

Karma: 39

Senior Member

jcurran wrote on Sat, 07 June 2014 07:09

Hi Folks,

More paint prep yields more questions...

When I removed the exterior door handle the bolts/studs seemed to want to stay attached to the assembly. Can they be removed from the handle assembly without damaging it?

Also, is the midline belt strip( 1976) made of aluminum or stainless steel?

Thanks!

Jim

They are press fitted or something. The pivot pin in the latch on my CanyonLands was rusted completely through and the handle just flopped around. I bought a replacement latch from a guy who took it off a parts unit. He tried to remove the latch from the outside by grinding off the heads and ended up messing up the areas around the bolts. The bolts remained attached and he still had to take the latch off from the inside. I had to take both latches apart and use the best parts from each to make one.

Bottom line: Don't try to remove the bolts from the assembly.

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Re: [GMCnet] Outside Door Latch [message #251684 is a reply to message #251673]

Sat, 07 June 2014 10:27

powerjon

Messages: 2446
Registered: January 2004

Karma: 5

Senior Member

Jim,
If the bolts are attached or spot welded to the handle assembly, why would you want to remove them. Send pictures so we can see better what you are talking about. The handles at least on the 77 coach they are spot welded to the plate.

As for the belt-line, the earlier coaches 75 and earlier and possibly the 76 coaches have a gap between the upper and lower body sections that is covered by the belt-line rubber strip. The 77 later coaches the gap has been covered by an aluminum strip about 2” wide and abut 3/16 or an inch thick and then the belt-line strip was applied over it. No stainless steel used in construction of the coach. I have a 75 Avion that I am rebuilding for resale and I will be covering the gap in the body with an aluminum strip on both sides and I will not be reapplying the rubber bump strip as it has no useful purpose. When I did the 77 Eleganza II I did not have the rub strip put back on when I had it repainted and IMPO it look so much better without it.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-gmc-exterior/p37090-mvc-014s1.html

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/77-gmc-exterior/p37089-mvc-013s2.html

The belt-line area disappears and the coach looks better, at least I think, yours may vary. There is a string of pictures if you click on the white arrow tip on the mid right of each pictures that gives other views.

Here is the link for the Topeka Paint Job.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/g3675-topeka-gmc-paint-job.html

JR Wright
GMC Great Laker MHC
GMC Eastern States
GMCMHI
78 GMC Buskirk 30’ Stretch
1975 GMC Avion (Under Reconstruction)
Michigan

On Jun 7, 2014, at 8:09 AM, Jim Curran wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
> More paint prep yields more questions...
>
> When I removed the exterior door handle the bolts/studs seemed to want to stay attached to the assembly. Can they be removed from the handle
> assembly without damaging it?
>
> Also, is the midline belt strip( 1976) made of aluminum or stainless steel?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jim
> --
> Jim Curran
> 1976 Palm Beach
> Alexandria, OH
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist

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J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
GMC Eastern States
GMCMI
78 30' Buskirk Stretch
75 Avion Under Reconstruction
Michigan

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Re: Outside Door Latch [message #251691 is a reply to message #251673]

Sat, 07 June 2014 12:05

roy1

Messages: 2126
Registered: July 2004
Location: Minden nevada

Karma: 6

Senior Member

The trim on the early 76 was aluminum with a flexible plastic inside piece. You should remove it for paint. When reinstalling it after paint you should put some type of a separation gasket (for lack of a good word) between the aluminum trim and aluminum body to keep the 2 pieces from wearing the paint under the trim or you will get corrosion raising it's ugly head . This happened to me on the side I didn't separate with an insulator between the 2 pieces.

Roy Keen Minden,NV 76 X Glenbrook

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Re: Outside Door Latch [message #251710 is a reply to message #251673]

Sat, 07 June 2014 22:56

armandminnie

Messages: 864
Registered: May 2009
Location: Marana, AZ

Karma: 2

Senior Member

My coach is a late 76 and my "belt line" trim is a solid piece of aluminum. The rubber or plastic trim was just glued onto it. I got some replacement plastic trim along with LED lights from Jim Bounds at the Coop. The new trim is attached with an adhesive tape.

Armand Minnie
Marana, AZ
'76 Eleganza II TZE166V103202
visit my gmc blog
click here to visit gmcws.org

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