Door

[N3322G]

Lately, the passenger door has become inconsistently difficult to open.

The knob pulls up but the handle stops short of opening the door. We wiggle it, silently curse, try it several more times and we always get it open with slightly greater force that usual.

I'm taking into Tim at Clifton for my next flight. He's thinking it may just need lubrication. Has anyone else run across this sometimes problem?

Any advice on how to address it?

[N3322G]

Thanks to an hour's attention from Tim Talley, Clifton Aero owner, the door seems to have said, ahhh - as Tim applied grease to the dry mechanisms. Time will tell of course, but it sure seems to operate more smoothly. Since it didn't fail at every use, I have to wait awhile to be 100% sure. If it fails again, I'll post otherwise you can assume that lubrication solved the problem.

Process was fairly easy to a pro.
1. remove screws from window frame and gently hand off as it is original 1970 plastic and has been repaired - quite fragile.
2. loosen set screw from door handle and remove handle
3. remove interior panel screws and remove panel
4. remove insulation
5. research any Piper directions for maintenance in Service Manual. Tim found none in servicing section so he asked me to look and under Structures/Fuselage, found assembly and disassembly instructions that called for lubrication - but no specific type of lubricant was specified.
(I took pictures as I might try to find new parts for replacement at annual as they look worn)
6. Greased all moving parts. It helps to have the stuff that allows 'long distance' grease application.
7. Tested door functions.
8. While Tim was doing that, I cleaned the crevices that are hard to reach on the interior panel.
9. Tim went to wash his hands and I cleaned the areas behind the panel, around the window and door jamb.
10. Interior panel had dropped a 'nut plate' and we found that and then all screws seated nicely. Door handle was seated back in the same position and tested.
11. Window frame gently re-attached - Tim used a piece of safety wire to keep the door unlock knob up high enough to reattach the door knob cover.
12. Door tested again and after all other work done. Flew home.

Door worked perfectly.

The twin was one of 11 planes in the hangar that day and 6 were Comanches. Tim pointed me at Pat Haggarty's (sp?) twin as one that had the original window frames covered with a thin leather or leatherlike fabric. The upholstery work was gorgeous so I took picture of that also. That shop is out of business but this seems like a better fit than some other replacement plastic I've seen at air shows - something else to research before the fall annual. I'll eventually get around to posting the photos.