On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 00:23:41 -0600, Wesley Alden Pegden
<wes@CS.UCHICAGO.EDU> wrote:

>Hey guys,
>today, knowing that my van's door is hard to open, my idiot friend
>actually managed to break the door handle for the sliding passenger
door
>trying to open it while locked.  The door still opens from the inside,
but
>from the outside, the handle seems not to be catching until halfway
down,
>and doesn't seem to be close to opening the door.  I'm going to try to
>disassemble the latch tomorrow and see what's wrong, but does
anybody have
>any tips on this going in?
>
>Thanks much,
>wes
>'84 vanagon

Wes, You need a new door handle.  When you take the thing apart you
will find a cylindrical protion of the handle that's split, and
unrepairable.
Order the correct handle for your year, there are early and late styles.
The lock cylinder is held in by a tiny set screw, and can be moved over
to the new handle intact, or your old tumblers can be carefullly moved
to the new cylinder that comes with the handle.  I had to drill out the
plastic panel fasteners holing my plywood inteior panel in place, I
replaced them with black fasteners from my local auto body supply,
I've since seen attractive white ones from one of the internet suppliers.
-Binns 84 Westy