"Marvin Wood French Doors - How to Replace Lock Actuator Pin"

 By Ron Stultz

4 January 2014

Summary: hardest part is getting pin holding actuator out of locking knob. Key is using cotter pins to hold new actuator in place.

Background:

The inside door handle on a Marvin wood French door has a locking knob, when turned, engages the 3 point locking system built into the edge of the French door.

Images below show a twisted actuator pin on one of the 3 Marvin wood French doors in my home.

Amazing that someone would have the hand strength to actually twist a metal actuator pin.

Have also had an actuator pin completely break.

Tools and supplies needed:

Large Phillips screwdriver.

Small hex screw driller size of hole in locking knob to knock out pin holding actuator in place. Size??

Electric drill with small metal bits.

Flat blade screwdriver.

Pliers. Needle nose would be best.

Very small cotter pins. Cotter pins are available at any big box home parts stores and some auto parts stores.

New actuator pin. Note: you can buy new actuator pins from Marvin or if after reviewing this and a little beyond your ability or desire, Marvin will make a house service call to replace the actuator.

Replace lock actuator pin:

Remove locking handle from door via 3 large Phillips screws.

Image above shows that there 2 Phillips screws on either side of the locking knob and one screw at the bottom of the handle.

Note, that outside handle may want to drop completely off the door when you remove the 3rd screw.

Remove pin that holds the actuator to the locking knob.

Note here that this pin can be quite difficult to remove.

I have had to use a combination of electric drill with metal bit and a small hex-head screw driver to force the pin out.

If you must use an electric drill and metal bit, use the smallest drill bit possible and drill from one side and then the other.

The largest metal drill bit I used was 7/16".

Image above shows twisted actuator pin out of locking knob.

My Marvin wood French doors were installed in 1991 and the only actuator pins available from Marvin are slightly different than the pin I removed.

Although not obvious in the image above, the new actuator pin had the predrilled hole further away from the end of the pin than my old pin.

Image above show how I inserted new actuator pin into lock knob slot and used electric drill to drill a hole further away from the knob end of the pin.

Image above show the hole I drilled that is further away from the end of the new actuator pin than the Marvin pre-drilled hole.

Also note the 2 cotter pins and their approximate size as related to the length of the actuator pin.

Now insert new actuator pin into slot in lock knob and then insert cotter pins through hole in lock knob and hole in actuator.

This might be tight to get 2 cotter pins in there so some slight enlargement of the knob hole via an electric drill might be required.

With both cotter pins in place, use a small flat blade screwdriver to separate the 2 halves of one pin.

Use needle nose pliers to bend one half of the cotter pin around the locking knob shaft.

Use the need nose pliers to bend the other half of the same cotter pin around the locking knob shaft.

Now repeat cotter pin split and bend for the other cotter pin.

Replace inside door handle to door, aligning actuator pin in slot in 3 point locking system.

Secure with 3 Phillips screws.