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Garage => Mechanicals => Topic started by: postman70 on 20 January 2019, 09:53 AM

Title: W116 Door Handles
Post by: postman70 on 20 January 2019, 09:53 AM
Hello everyone..was wondering if someone can shed some light on this for me...Are the outside door handles on the W116 interchangeable between left and right? I'm looking for the drivers side front door handle and some places I contacted tell me the left and right are interchangeable they just need to flipped around.. I see the door handle has 2 part numbers on it..one you can read when the handle is turned one way and the other can be read normally if you flipped the handle around...i was just wondering since I can get a definitive answer..thanks for any help with this...
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: marku on 20 January 2019, 10:27 AM
Certainly looks like it. I was thinking of doing it as the driver's has a different lock and the passenger's is original. Needless to say I haven't got around to doing it even though its a very simple job just to see if it will work.
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: floyd111 on 20 January 2019, 08:12 PM
Can't say for sure, but that would be an unlikely surprise. I went all the way for a few years, hunting down locks/keys and everything NOS linked to these doors. Never saw anything, or anyone suggesting left and right are the same. And Benz.. would they intentionally create 2 numbers for 1 and the same item?
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: ptashek on 21 January 2019, 07:25 AM
They are symmetrical, and should fit fine, albeit the lock will be upside down. I believe the difference is in that the driver side handle is driving the master vacuum valve, while the passenger side isn't.

I have a full spare set here, will have a closer look to confirm.

EDIT: OK, I had a look and to my eyes both handles look identical.
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: postman70 on 21 January 2019, 07:02 PM
Thank you guys for checking into that for me..i just ordered a handle from ebay..be nice have a functioning lock again
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: marku on 22 January 2019, 07:28 AM
Quote from: ptashek on 21 January 2019, 07:25 AM
They are symmetrical, and should fit fine, albeit the lock will be upside down. I believe the difference is in that the driver side handle is driving the master vacuum valve, while the passenger side isn't.

I have a full spare set here, will have a closer look to confirm.

EDIT: OK, I had a look and to my eyes both handles look identical.

I did look at a handle and turned it over and could see no difference. But as to whether Mercedes had a handle for each side is more than likely. At one time everything was individual and there was no duplication. Went to a talk given by one of their technical people after the big upheaval when they abandoned the attempt at world domination, pulling out of Chrysler etc, and the new management went right through production re-organising it. Apparently they found just that everything individually  made at considerable cost. That is what did for Rolls Royce here. 
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: Pete49 on 23 January 2019, 09:31 PM
Why not just remove the locks and change them into the door handles?
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: marku on 24 January 2019, 08:09 AM
Obviously a solution all things being equal but my problem was that the driver's door lock had been forced, without success, distorting the key plate. So by swapping the lot I get the original key to open the driver's door and it looks good. What could be wrong with that?
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: Balfour on 29 April 2019, 05:45 AM
Quote from: ptashek on 21 January 2019, 07:25 AM
I have a full spare set here, will have a closer look to confirm.

EDIT: OK, I had a look and to my eyes both handles look identical.

I don't suppose you want to sell them?
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: Diesel 617 on 29 April 2019, 11:51 AM
As mentioned the locks will be upside down.
If you look very closely at the inside of the handles, near the lock end where the handle 'pulls out', there is a plastic cover with an R or L indicating which side they belong on. Technically can you swap them around, yes. But your locks will not function like they normally would.
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: Balfour on 29 April 2019, 01:32 PM
I've swapped mine around and they both work fine...
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: ptashek on 30 April 2019, 11:13 AM
Quote from: Balfour on 29 April 2019, 05:45 AM
Quote from: ptashek on 21 January 2019, 07:25 AM
I have a full spare set here, will have a closer look to confirm.

EDIT: OK, I had a look and to my eyes both handles look identical.

I don't suppose you want to sell them?

I'll only sell them if I ever sell the car itself :)

These are almost impossible to find. I've only seen maybe three for sale over the last six years.
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: Balfour on 01 May 2019, 02:15 PM
I know this is a long shot but I'm after one front handle as mine has given up the ghost. A front pair of handles would be even better!

If anyone here knows of one that's available, I'd swap it for a kidney.
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: Ziad on 01 May 2019, 04:31 PM
I may have a few used handles in my inventory.  Trouble is I sold my 6.9 and don't have a reference handle.

If someone would post pictures of the handles. Also all identifying marks to determine if they would be left or right.
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: rumb on 01 May 2019, 06:26 PM
I probably have a pair of handles.  not sure about keys that fit, will have to check.

Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: floyd111 on 01 May 2019, 07:06 PM
A 1167600759
DOOR HANDLE
LEFT;WORKSHOP VERSION,WITH KEY;ANY LOCK
A 1167600759
DOOR HANDLE
LEFT;WORKSHOP VERSION,WITH KEY;ANY LOCK
A 1167600459
DOOR HANDLE
RIGHT;WORKSHOP VERSION,WITH KEY; ANY LOCK
A 1167600859
DOOR HANDLE
RIGHT;WORKSHOP VERSION,WITH KEY; ANY LOCK
A 1167600159
DOOR HANDLE
LESS KEY,LEFT
A 1167601159
DOOR HANDLE
LESS KEY,LEFT
107
A 1167600259
DOOR HANDLE
LESS KEY,RIGHT
A 1167601259
DOOR HANDLE
LESS KEY,RIGHT

These are a few of the options. What numbers would be acceptable to you?
Already foun a bunch of used ones, maybe we get lucky and find NOS ones, but like Ptashek said.. "them be the beez's kneez"
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: floyd111 on 01 May 2019, 07:15 PM
wait..is this what some of the the part numbers describe? Half a handle, no key, like grip-only? Is that a thing?
https://www.antik-nr3.de/MAW-Robur-MZ-IWL-AWO-Jawa-Barkas-IFA-W50-Multicar-IFA-DDR/Ersatzteile---Zubehoer/MAW--Simson--MZ--Jawa--Czepel--Pannonia/EMW-IFA-Trabant-Wolga-Tatra-Shiguli-Saporoshez-Tatra/MERCEDES/Tuergriff-Mercedes-W116--Chrom--unbenutzt.html
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: Jed on 01 May 2019, 08:55 PM
a kidney hah?  hmm. whats your blood type?
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: Balfour on 03 May 2019, 04:23 AM
Quote from: floyd111 on 01 May 2019, 07:06 PM
These are a few of the options. What numbers would be acceptable to you?
Already foun a bunch of used ones, maybe we get lucky and find NOS ones, but like Ptashek said.. "them be the beez's kneez"

Think I just got lucky... Unless someone here tells me I've just been had!

Found one on the Marcel Kappen website for €125.00
Title: Re: W116 Door Handles
Post by: floyd111 on 03 May 2019, 04:19 PM
Marcel Kappen is a solid company,nationally famous among petrolheads in Holland, and I am sure it doesn't stop at the border. You should be fine. They been around forever, and I bought some pretty cool NOS there, among others a complete W116 NOS trunk floor. Goods always arrived.
But, damn, this one especially is not cheap.
The ones I bought left and right for 10 and 35 euros ex shipping were easily found and I had not searched properly yet, so I had not even looked at Kappen's stock. -or VDH's.  Would not surprise me if there were more. Already 3 NOS ones in 3 months, that s a positive statistic..