Please help me remove and flip this mortise!

Question

The door handles worked opposite - you have to pull up on the lever to operate the door. I'm trying to fix this and have determined that I think the mortise was installed upside down. I have removed all of the screws and the two face plates and handles on the sides, but I can't remove the mortise because the key cylinder (?) won't come out. Can you tell me if there is a trick to removing the key cylinder and/or mortise? Thank you for your help! My mom has lost faith in my ability to complete this repair for her and I want to prove her wrong! I will only be up here visiting her for a few more days so please help soon!

Casey · Accepted Answer

Hello,

the key cylinder should have a set screw on the side that keeps it in place. Once you remove the screw, it should come out of the mortise and allow you to remove the rest of the hardware.

If you wind up needing a replacement, take a look at the 40-193 handle set. I think you can use it to patch up your door. It looks similar to yours but it will ultimately depend on how the dimensions compare. You can also watch the video about storm door handles that I've associated for you. Thanks for posting!