Does your Beechcraft Bonanza, Baron or Travel Air Door handle stick out from the airframe?

Well here is the adjustment procedure, courtesy of a pirep from Kevin O. Kevin has done a live demo on this adjustment at the ABS tent at OSH for a couple of years. Here are his tips for your A&P to review:

1. Remove upholstery from the door which exposes the inside door handle mechanism (you can see it through the small triangular opening) - if you can't do this without screwing things up - STOP NOW.

2. To make the next step easier, unlatch the door, rotate handle to the closed and latched position while the door is open. This will make it easier to get the rod off. Use a screwdriver or needle nose pliers to pry the keeper arm forward and up so that you can slide the actuator rod off the shaft.
 

3. Turn the rod counterclockwise 1/2 turn. This makes it longer.
 

4. Push the keeper out of the way and reinstall the rod on the shaft.
 

5. Actuate the inside door handle to the locked position and see if the outside handle goes flush. If it does not - try another turn on the rod.
 

6. If someone has tried to force the door open and bent things up - it is a whole
new set of problems. If it takes more than 3 full turns it is more than a simple
adjustment.

Download the PDF Instructions HERE

Thanks Kevin for another great contribution to the Beechcraft community.

HERE is a pdf describing an exercise in futility of a G36 owner (Parvez D.) when he tried to adjust his door. Maybe it could shed some light for you if you find yourself in the same predicament.

Broken Door Handle Spring Replacement

OK, so your exterior door handle hangs limp because the original spring has snapped after some 40 years of use? Gee you'd think that Beech engineers could have given us a design that could last at least 80 years! LOL

Well here is a procedure narrative by Beech Talker Marty M:

SUCCESS!!! Amazing, after a day and half of hard work, the new spring is installed! Thanks to all for your help. Now I can replace one in about 30 minutes. Here's what I did even though I might have removed more than necessary:

Disasssembly
1> Remove interior door panel
2> Remove aft left lower screw from exterior of door handle perimeter.
3> Remove aft screw from exterior of door handle perimeter.
4> Remove clevis pin from interior that the exterior door handle hinges upon.
5> Remove exterior door handle and broken spring.
6> Remove aft door latch and rod assembly by disconnecting lower latch rod, latch block, and at interior door handle mechanism (as published by Kevin). Removes out the door to the rear.
7> Remove old spring and install new spring in exterior door handle by pressing out bushing and pressing back in with new spring.
8> Temporarily install the exterior door handle with clevis pin.
9> Secure clevis pin with aft lower left exterior screw.
10> Use a needle nose pliers to locate the hooked end of the spring between layers at the aft screw location.
11> Install the aft screw to secure the spring.
12> Remove the aft lower left screw and clevis pin to allow the handle to move out of the way while installing the latch and rod assembly.
13> Hold the handle outward while installing the latch rod assembly.
14> Reconnect the handle to the 2 slotted arms.
15> Position the handle while re-installing the clevis pin.
16> Install the aft lower left screw (to secure the clevis pin).
17> Reconnect and adjust everything that you moved in the process.
18> Viola - your spring has been replaced successfully.

There might be an easier way. One process I though of is this:

1> Do steps 1-5 above.
2> Install the new spring hooked end into position thru the exterior door handle location.
3> Secure with aft screw.
4> Press out bushing on door handle to remove old spring.
5> Hold door handle close enough to new spring (that is already attached to your plane) and press in the bushing.
6> Install clevis pin and slotted arms.
7> Done.

Here is key tip on the door handle spring replacement provided by Rob K. on BeechTalk

I saw the door demonstration at Oshkosh by Kevin and I noted at the time there was a "trick" to make it easier. I recollect you needed to remove a single screw at the end of the door where the door latch/pin comes out. If you look at the end of the door you will see this lone screw seemly doing nothing. It holds all of the door mechanism from sliding forward. Once removed you can get at the spring etc pretty easily buy sliding the mechanism into view. Until I did this I could not figure out how I would get to the spring without taking everything out of the door.

HERE is an excellent photo narrative by Dan MacDonald of Beech Talk. This really puts it all in perspective! Check out his book coming in July 2011 at www.aircraftmaint.com

Check out some door adjustment secrets in this article HERE by Dennis Wolter of AirMod

Check out the Door Lock Cylinder replacement narrative HERE

I have been waiting six years to figure this out and each time I tried I just stared at the door and mechanism for about an hour and could not figure it out. I'm going to get to work and with Dan's excellent pictures, I think I can get it done.