the old trick is to take off the little black knob on locking latch
and slip a small bit of rubber tubing over the threaded stud. When
the knob is screwed back on it provides enough sticion to keep the
knob in whatever position.

The spring is pretty well impossible to replace.

Alistair

On 11-Oct-06, at 5:22 PM, Mike Collum wrote:

 From what you've said (I'm not there to see it), it sounds like
cleaning and lubrication might do the trick.

On my '85, the driver's door stuck in the closed/locked position and I
had to remove the interior door panel to reach ... clean ... and lube
it.  No parts were required.

Mike

Mark McCulley wrote:
> My passenger door latch has broken--the spring on the latching
> mechanism has ceased to work and I have to reset the mechanism
> by hand before I can shut the door. Anyone encountered and fixed
> this problem? Wondering if I have to get an entire new mechanism or
> if there is a spring that I can replace...
>
> -Mark
> 87 syncro Westfalia
> Seattle, WA
>