Community Forums

wfcentral · 11-30-2022, 06:49 PM

I have a 2019 Entegra Esteem - not that it matters, I think this part is pretty universal so I posted it in this thread.

The interior handle on the house door has broken on the bottom corner.

The entire door lock assembly is $104 - $180 depending on where I buy it.

I'm concerned that it won't fix exactly right - when we go this coach the door didn't close easily. It has finally settled down to where it closes nice.

I'm thinking about finding a shop (metal fabrication) that can make me a new handle to replace only the broken part. It is just a flat piece of metal with two attachment points on two corners. The edge has a curved piece that moved a part in the door to pull the door post in so you can open the door.

What would you do? Try to get a new handle made or just buy a new lock?

shootist · 11-30-2022, 07:11 PM

I would buy a new latch. I could fabricate the handle myself and have done so in the past, I would rather have a new latch. Everything wears.

RealNiceTent · 11-30-2022, 07:37 PM

Probably cheaper to buy a new latch. The amount of work it will take to make a handle that looks good and works properly is going to cost a couple hours labor, and I'm guessing machinists are probably getting $100 plus an hour. My estimate would be around 2 plus hours to make the handle, install it, and refine the fit and operation. Then the rest of the light metal parts have to survive disassembly and assembly a couple times. You could end up with a door latch worth its weight in Platinum.

lllkrob · 11-30-2022, 08:59 PM

If it were mine, I would touch up the bottom edge with some black paint and leave well enough alone. It doesn't look bad at all.

wfcentral · 12-01-2022, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lllkrob

If it were mine, I would touch up the bottom edge with some black paint and leave well enough alone. It doesn't look bad at all.

LOL - if it were cosmetic I would do that. The corner that broke off was the bottom "hinge" so when you grab the handle it torques the remaining top hinge and tries to bend off the door... much like if you had a door in your house and you removed the bottom hinge and only had a top one.

wfcentral · 12-01-2022, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealNiceTent

Probably cheaper to buy a new latch. The amount of work it will take to make a handle that looks good and works properly is going to cost a couple hours labor, and I'm guessing machinists are probably getting $100 plus an hour. My estimate would be around 2 plus hours to make the handle, install it, and refine the fit and operation. Then the rest of the light metal parts have to survive disassembly and assembly a couple times. You could end up with a door latch worth its weight in Platinum.

thanks - that is the kind of input I was expecting. I will order a new lock and just replace the whole thing. Right now I'm contacting MHSRV to confirm that the part they are selling for $140 is the part that goes on my rig. If it is... then I can get that same part on Amazon for $104 with free shipping.

PanJH · 12-01-2022, 06:56 AM

What is the handle made out of ? Can the old hinge piece be welded back on ? Is JB Weld a possibility... at least as a temp fix ?

wfcentral · 12-01-2022, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PanJH

What is the handle made out of ? Can the old hinge piece be welded back on ? Is JB Weld a possibility... at least as a temp fix ?

The handle looks like it is made of cast aluminum? looks like a sponge inside... The tiny piece that was there is MIA. I thought about possibly designing something entirely different using a metal tube, bolts, etc but I think in the end I would waste 4 hours / it would look like crap / it would break in a month. So, just going to bite the bullet and get a new lock.

George Schweikle · 12-01-2022, 08:19 AM

Parts like this are commonly cast of a Zinc alloy; commonly called "Pot metal" and I don't think it can be welded.

"Due to its low cost and availability, pot metal is still used to manufacture automotive parts, toys, tools, furniture fittings, electronics, and costume jewelry".

Quote:

Originally Posted by PanJH

What is the handle made out of ? Can the old hinge piece be welded back on ? Is JB Weld a possibility... at least as a temp fix ?

carybosse · 12-01-2022, 08:42 AM

I would buy a complete latch assembly, but if you are concerned with the alignment of the latch, I would see if I could replace just the handle and leave the rest of the parts intact.

ArtJoyce · 12-01-2022, 08:46 AM

Buy new, cost to fabricate will be well over 180 cost.

It looks like its pot metal.

It looks like just a corner that is broken off? You can super glue it back on. Also it does not look that bad, can you file the edges and use touch-up paint?

carybosse · 12-01-2022, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtJoyce

Buy new, cost to fabricate will be well over 180 cost.

It looks like its pot metal.

It looks like just a corner that is broken off? You can super glue it back on. Also it does not look that bad, can you file the edges and use touch-up paint?

What is hard to tell from the photo, is that the part that broke off includes one of the actual hinge pieces. Might have been good if OP had posted the broken piece itself, if he has it.

My first thought was to file it down and then paint, but I went back to the picture, and on second glance, caught that the part that broke off was more than "just a corner."

The "potted" metal is trash, cannot weld it, I think if you really wanted to attach something, a brazing process would be required. However, it would have very little structural strength, and getting it to align properly to put the pin in would be a nightmare.

Curious, how are the hinge pins made? Are they a threaded pin, almost looks like a rivet on the top piece that remains intact.

I have had a couple of times where I thought I would fabricate a replacement part. I can assure you, at machinist rates, the part would far exceed the costs of just buying the high volume replacement from China. When I had access to mills, lathes, and raw metal, I could write off my labor. Now days, I can't quite talk my wife into letting me put that Bridgeport in the garage.

Punkinhead · 12-01-2022, 09:16 AM

I have a machine shop at home and I would just buy the part. It's not worth the time to make something like this. It sounds like your concern is that if you buy a complete new mechanism it will mess up the alignment and make the door hard to open and close. I'd bet the alignment on the striker plate side is what matters for closing easily so it's probably just a matter of loosening the two screws on the striker until they have just a bit of friction then open/close the door a few times to have it self-align then tighten the screws.

US1 · 12-01-2022, 08:14 PM

I am a 40 yr tool and die maker and would not touch that for less than $200 labor as a gov't job. But for myself, in a heart beat.

But what every one is overlooking. Yes you can buy it cheaper. But if it were made at a machine shop out of a solid AL block, it'd cost more, but would never break again. If this is a rare situation and you dont expect it to fail agin, buy new. If its a common problem, Id pony up for the machine shop made part. Its really a simple job and wont take more than an Hr to make, then add powdercaoting.