NOOdS

from the last pic you took, it doesnt seem like the plastic is clipped on all the way, because the rod looks like its about to fall out. you should feel a snap when you clip it back on the rod. take another final pic of your install.

MonkeyBoy668

Huh, I've taken my Del Sol handles off more times than I'd like to admit, and both sides of the rod are secured by clips. I thought when I helped a couple friends with 96 and 97 Civics they used clips too, but the exploded diagram for the lock mechanism doesn't show anything by the handle... I guess when you yank the interior panel the latch stays on the door, so I might've not needed to futz with that end (both failed to maintain their window tracks so the window eventually fell off the tracks). Sorry about that.

As others have pointed out your last pic shows you failed to put the plastic clips back on the rod on the door side. Without those clips secured the rod will eventually fall out (which is why I'm surprised they don't use any plastic clips on the latch end), at which point you'll be in quite a pickle.

Dekorum

Yeah, I see now. I'm having a real hard time to get the rod to clip to that purple clip. There is hardly enough space to get ONE of my hands in there and I almost need two.

I can assure you that the other side (interior handle side) of the rods do not get clipped in with those colored clips. Instead the hook part of the rod just hooks into the black plastic itself, eg. the door handle and the door lock switch. I would take another picture but I already got the rods on and the door handle screwed back into the door. I wonder if I have to loosen something to get this rod to go into the purple clip.

Dekorum

It is ridiculous clipping this purple clip on the rod. The space is entirely too small for my hand to fit properly. I wish I took off the green one instead, its easier to **** with that one.

Dekorum

Any new recommended tactics for getting the purple clip correctly on the rod? STILL can't do it. I am just blistering up my hand trying to get it to fit in there and sliding it across metal.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Doesn't this whole assembly come off?

Looks like it might be easier to remove that whole thing, attac the rods and reinstall.

Dekorum

You think those two top bolts are it?

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Probably more than two but if it were me that would be the route I would take. It's probably how it was assembled originally.

Dekorum

Probably. I'm thinking a ratchet will be a bastard to get in there though.

Dekorum

Ok, I just tried again before trying to remove the entire assembly, which might prove to be more annoying. I got the clip to actually get on the rod but I could not get the L shaped part into the hole as well. I am not sure if it is fine to leave it like this. The handle now moves the latch fine but I don't know why the rod looks too long for it to get into the hole at the same time the rod is clipped.

Dekorum

Ok, I tried pulling the handle hard and fast and eventually the rod popped out.
I tried one more time and got a crazy *** angle with my hands. Mission accomplished; finally got it without having to remove the whole assembly.

Final installation:



Thanks for the help everyone.

motegicivic

Looks good, if you had to you could of unbolted the latch with 3 screws, clipped it and put it back would of made it easier.

adriano7910

nice thread. very helpful

GSaura

Lol I didn't realize you were still working on this, or I would have chimed in again earlier. I usually use a couple squirts of something called "Winzer" lubricant, put on mechanics gloves, and then try to unhook those clips from the rods. Otherwise, those stupid honda doors will destroy your hands. It took me longer to swap the door lock actuator on my sister's ek than it did to install a swap into my hatch a couple of weeks ago.

Dekorum

Haha, I believe you. It took me a few days to get the right angle with my hands in there. I didn't have my mechanics gloves with me so I had to go bare handed and destroyed my thumb only a little bit. What do you need the lubricant for?

Also, does anyone think I should just rip off all of the plastic sheeting or just leave it looking kinda nasty with those tears I made before I put the door panel back on(you can see on a picture I posted earlier)? I'm going to grab a can of silicone spray after the holiday weekend to lube up the window run channel all over, so the door panel will be off for a few more days for me to decide what to do with the plastic sheeting.

ES3

that's very easy, mine broke almost every 6 months..

what i do is just to pry out the plastic pin as indicated on the arrow on the picture...squeeze the bottom of the pin and pull it on top... then replace with the new plastic lock tab...be sure to hook it first in the lock rod before re-inserting the plastic pin...

no need to replace the whole interior handle/opener, what i do is just replace the broken lock tab..

Dekorum

Ah, haha. Yes that is what broke on mine. I figured that the lock tab was not able to be removed since Honda does not sell it separately.

motegicivic

Where do you get the just the lock button?

ES3

i just use surplus parts from the salvage yard..sometimes they just give it for free since its just a small plastic part...

Dekorum

Well since I had to buy the entire assembly, I probably would have removed just the lock button and put that on the old one if I knew how much of a pain the rods were going to be.

bluebomber

iTrader: (2)

I'm going to be replacing my door handles with the silver S2000 ones (to match my silver ebrake button, yo!) soon, so this is really helpful.

Dekorum

One comment on this: I wish I replaced just the lock button, because the handle assembly I replaced it with actually has a stripped thread in the hole where the garnish screws into. So for the past year, I can't put on the garnish around the door handle tight enough so it moves around. Is there a way to fix a hole like this without having to remove and replace the whole thing again and messing with those rods?

So some advice for anyone replacing the whole assembly is to check the little screw holes first because the factory making old Honda parts is producing far from perfect parts.