Top door latch won't open from outside

[DoctorJay69]

I've got a strange issue with my '69 E door.  I've read the posts about doors popping open.  Mine will open just fine from the inside, but hangs at the top when using the outside handle.  The door stays firmly in place in flight.  

I've looked at it closely and it appears the catch mechanism doesn't spring open to release the pin on the door jamb when using the outside handle.  Again, it works perfectly from inside.  Only way to open from outside is to bang on the top of the door.  

I haven't taken the panel off yet and won't till I get a little insight into what I should be looking for.

Once again, folks, thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[carusoam]

Do you have a parts manual and a service manual...?

one probably has the parts drawings, the other may have the rigging instructions...

Either way all of the adjustment is going to be behind the plastic cover on the inside.

The door handle has a spring that needs to be pushed out of the hole to release. The panel itself is held in place with small screws.

This is fuzzy PP memories, not mechanic memories...

Best regards,

-a-

[Browncbr1]

Sometimes it helps to push the door closed slightly while pulling the door handle.  It seems to lighten tension on the latch created by the door seal, allowing it to move more freely. 

[XXX]

I've noticed mine tends to get stuck if the seal gets wet. If I fly through rain or have washed the plane, the top of the door sticks. Any other time it opens normally. 

[Mooneymite]

If your cabin door is like the one on my 74 C, the upper latch has comprised of a ball on the airframe and "fingers" on the door.  Once I had a helpful passenger try to slam the door shut and it acted as you describe.

The fix was to pry the ball back to the proper position.

[pinerunner]

I wouldn't be afraid to remove the panel. Just be ready for lots of screws as noted above. I would try to enlist an A and P to assist, inspect, and sign off on the final solution once you get access to the real mechanism. If a future buyer inspects your logs and sees that this kind of stuff has been attended to it will look good.

This sort of thing is the big reason I'm saving up for Jaeger's spatial interior. Easy access in an older plane like my 64 M20E is priceless. 

[Browncbr1]

On 11/30/2016 at 9:31 AM, Mooneymite said:

If your cabin door is like the one on my 74 C, the upper latch has comprised of a ball on the airframe and "fingers" on the door.  Once I had a helpful passenger try to slam the door shut and it acted as you describe.

The fix was to pry the ball back to the proper position.

yea, in spite of having 3 gigantic placards exclaiming not to slam the door, people still do it..  one time, the latch was jammed for a few minutes as a result.  I'm thinking of adding another red placard on the copilot yoke... they don't seem to see the giant red one next to the door handle.