yup there are...

the plastic buttons tend to be brittle. Try popping them off (be
great if you had the right tool, there is one I believe) when it is
warm, or use a hair drier... the buttons are hidden in holes cut in
the hardboard of the panel, can feel them thru the vinyl.

Also, the hardboard itself can be weak, especially the button holes
at the bottom corners.

About the handle... you'll see how it is held on place on the inside
by a screw. Its a candidate for locktite when re-assembling.

I think you have also found that the outside "escutcheon" or plastic
ring that goes between door sheet metal and handle body is worn or
missing. I think there are at least 2 types, year specific as the
handle changed with the new sliding door mechanism... what year was
that again?

That  "escutcheon", for the lack of a better word, goes along way in
locating the handle. The handle will feel wobbly and not "right" if
you don't have a good one.

cheers,

Alistair

On 5-Nov-09, at 4:51 PM, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:

I need to get behind the forward edge of the door panel on the inside of
the sliding door on my '84 to access the stem of the door handle. It's
loose and feels mainly like the bolt is coming out. Or it may be
cracked.
Visual inspection is called for.

I recall that the clips on my '71 aircooled bus had rusted badly enough
that removal and re-attachment of the panel was iffy. Are there any
"gotchas" I need to be prepared for when I go to open this patient?

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR