Basement door won't open

[Akdare]

The engineer in me wants to take a dead one apart & see what has failed...anyone done this?

 

[Neal]

It's the plastic plunger that fails. I'll take a pic of mine for you when I replace it later this week. It's probably designed for force only on the axis of the push/pull motion. If there is any side force it's probably causing it to snap.

 

[Akdare]

This electrical engineer bows to the mechanical engineer...?

 

[Neal]

Today I went out to replace the broken actuator but in fact it was NOT broken and after realizing this I probably threw away two good actuators Take a look at the first picture below and you can see what the appearance is when you remove the black plastic cover plate.

After removing the actuator and finding the broken piece laying in the bottom I realized the tip actually slides onto the tip of the actuator and is probably held in place by the rubber grommet. The grommet is torn which allowed the tip to slide off. I replaced it with a new actuator and kept this as a spare. It seems you could just epoxy it on and that would be a simple fix. I also took a pic of the numbers on the actuator should that help anyone find a replacement using those numbers if needed.

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I'm going to create a post in the My Favorite things forum with some tools I suggest to make this easier such as a Dewalt Gyro Driver, Torx bits, Spade connectors as you'll need male and females.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Sure, after you talk me into buying a couple of replacements, you figure out that the original ones can be fixed.

Looks to me like a short piece of the right diameter rubber tubing could be slipped over the slot to lock things back in place. I guess a piece of tape (Rescue Tape, perhaps) could do the same thing.

Good find, @Neal...a little late, but a good find none-the-less.

TJ

 

[Hawkeye]

Thanks for the info Neal. I would still like to have a spare if Jim or someone finds a good source. Thanks

 

[RKins]

Today I went out to replace the broken actuator but in fact it was NOT broken and after realizing this I probably threw away two good actuators Take a look at the first picture below and you can see what the appearance is when you remove the black plastic cover plate.

View attachment 571​

After removing the actuator and finding the broken piece laying in the bottom I realized the tip actually slides onto the tip of the actuator and is probably held in place by the rubber grommet. The grommet is torn which allowed the tip to slide off. I replaced it with a new actuator and kept this as a spare. It seems you could just epoxy it on and that would be a simple fix. I also took a pic of the numbers on the actuator should that help anyone find a replacement using those numbers if needed.

View attachment 572

View attachment 573
​

I'm going to create a post in the My Favorite things forum with some tools I suggest to make this easier such as a Dewalt Gyro Driver, Torx bits, Spade connectors as you'll need male and females.

What keeps the metal rod in the hole of the tip? Is there a press on washer or something to keep it in the hole?

 

[Neal]

What keeps the metal rod in the hole of the tip? Is there a press on washer or something to keep it in the hole?

The green plastic holder keeps the rod in place and just by the tight positioning of the actuator I don't see that it's going to come out. The issue I've always seen is the boot torn and the tip coming off. I think either epoxy or quick drying plastic compatible glue would be fine to just keep it from sliding off the tip again.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Received my "Compact Door Lock Actuators" today...

Compact Door Lock Actuar 2 wire DLA-02 | eBay

Compact door lock actuator fits most cars 2 wire DLA-02. compact door lock actuator fits most cars 2 wire. 2 Wire Door Lock Motor. Thermal Overload Circuit Protection. Ignition Coils. Compatible with Most Vehicles.

www.ebay.com

Short of installing and trying them, I believe they will work. The case is very similar (though, not quite identical) and the mounting holes appear to be in the same location as the ones used by Newmar (that's a critical dimension in my view). The major difference is that the blue and green wires (same as on the Newmar unit) are terminated in bullet connectors rather than spade connectors. No big deal there; easy changeout.

There was no instruction literature included and no markings on the case to work with, so it is not possible to state unequivocally that this unit is a direct replacement for the Newmar unit, but I give it a 99% plus chance.

There are still 6 available if anyone else wants to take a chance.

TJ

 

[Hawkeye]

Those plastic heads must pop off when the lock binds a little. I suppose keeping the locks lubricated generously would prevent that. I know all the door locks really bang when locked or unlocked and I'm half deaf.