Door handle

[GAHorn]

Dwyer, I don't know what to tell you other than that handle you show looks a lot like the one in my old C-206 and it did indeed have a different spline.
The puzzle for me in your situation is, what modification has been made to your airplane that the 40-48 ( PN 2102254) doesn't fit. It SHOULD fit any of the 170 aircraft if they haven't been altered. You might check to see if that website can't match up to what you have, but first I'd closely examine your door and count the splines on the shaft and then compare the ones in your old and those new (2102254) ones.
Are you certain you installed it correctly with the C-clip? Can you show a picture of your door-spline/post/shaft (0511227)?

(Bruce may have guessed correctly.... It's possible your doors have been swapped out with a C-172.)

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

The door handles in the pictures (Dyers) on the top are found in '54 and up 170 and 180s. The bottom one on earlier years.

Serial 18003 to 18729 ('48 models) use handle #409978, their own clip and a different shaft. Serials 18730 to 26038 ('49 to '53) used the thin early handle #0511183 shown in the bottom of the picture. Serial 26039 and on ('54 and later) used #0511189. There are different clips and escutcheons for each handle as well but the shafts are the same from '49 to the end of production.

It's all in the different IPCs.

[GAHorn]

And you don't "have to" install excutcheons at all. (But it gives a more finished appearance.)

[Dwyer]

Hello Bruce, Aryana and gahorn,
I did a little more digging myself. I flew out to a small strip yesterday and looked at a few planes; a 1954 and 155 170B and also a 1956 172 - all had handles identical to mine, so I believe my doors are original. Would anyone happen to have a part number from a supplier of classic car parts for the handle that I have on my plane? My serial number is 26657.
Thanks for all your help!
Dwyer

[GAHorn]

Dwyer, ...here's the puzzle: That door handle pn 2102254 already in your possession has fit every model 170 I've ever referred it to.
I'm wondering if you 1- didn't quite install it properly, or 2-if your shaft splines have been damaged, or 3-if Chevys of the 40s didn't send you an improperly labelled part.

I have a spare shaft I could send you to see if the handles fit it, and you can use to compare to your existing shafts.
PM, email, or call me with your address if you desire that avenue.
My email is gahorn (at) cessna170.org or contact info is also on the front page of your Flypaper.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

The early handles and the late handles all fit the same shaft. So if you want a functional handle it will (should) work.

But no matter how hard you imagine the early handles will not look like the late handles. That's probably why he's looking for the later handle rather than the one he got.

[GAHorn]

Oh, Dear! NOW I see what happened! I mis-read your earlier response, Bruce, not realizing your comment about the shaft was an old response to Pete and not a current response to Dwyer!
OK, I see now, his complaint is NOT the fitment of the part number which was shipped to him..., but the appearance of the handle...(apparently he did not note that the part was depicted earlier with a photograph)... he ordered the part anyway apparently hoping it might look different than the picture of it I posted.

Dwyer, disregard that last post I made to you then. I suggest you shop the old car parts suppliers for what you want, but be aware that once you find a handle identical to the damaged one from your airplane, the replacement has the possibility of not fitting the door shaft if the splines have a different pitch. Keep us posted of what you discover.

[ptporebski]

Hello Fellow C-170 Members,

I have recently been having a problem with the passenger door of my 1959 C-172. Since the 172 doesn't have an opening passenger window the only way to close the door when inside is to use the door handle as a pull handle.

Recently, the door handle has been popping off in my hand as I use it as a pull handle to close the door. It doesn't appear that the splines are worn. I can unlock the door when it is closed. There is a rather flimsy wire type of circlip that holds the door closed. The door shaft has a channel that the circle fits into to prevent the handle from being pulled off when closing the door and it doesn't appear to be buggered up. Is this a problem anyone is familiar with? The wire circlip doesn't look to be a standard type of circlip.

Does a circlip come with new door handles? Or has anyone installed some type of pull handle directly onto the door? This may not be a 170 issue with its opening window.

Regards,
Pete P.
1959 C-172

[170C]

Another, MORE expensive but well worth it IMHO, is to replace your right hand door with a later model 172 door that has an opening window. I looked long and hard at installing an opening window in my '56 172, but not being an engineer or aircraft builder, I never could determine how to do so. I purchased two later model 172 doors and had my IA install them. He did make the comment that he felt Cessna must have hand fit all their doors as it took him quite an effort to get mine installed. However, it is and has been well worth the effort and expense to have made the conversion.

[hilltop170]

I think it is a bad idea to close the door by pulling on the door handle. Someday it will fail. I always open the window and use the door frame to close the door. Where there is no window, some other method should be devised to pull the door closed. Since I don't know what those no-window doors look like it is hard to suggest any specific door pull handle. But I'm sure something could easily be figured out from a simple strap to an arm rest type handle.

[170C]

My friend here in Murfreesboro has a 1960 Cessna 172 with that same screwed up Cessna, non opening right hand window. A prior owner installed a simple cabinet door/drawer handle just below the window and at the aft portion of the door. It is secured by two screws and works very well. Cost= almost nothing. (Not sure if the cabinet pull is FAA/PMA'd or not )