Dan,

A cheap, quick and easy solution would be to take a piece of pvc
sprinkler pipe of
The correct diameter.

Cut approx a 6-8 inch length and slip over one of the existing pistons.

When you open the hatch, make sure it rests against the lip on one end
of the pipe.

Lift the pipe a little to close.

Stole this idea from the rack maker extraordinaire ... Gary Lee.

He includes this nifty little mod with his rear hatch racks.

Happy Trails,

Larry Chase

Email: lchase@attglobal.net
Web: www.roadhaus.com - Coming Soon!
What: The Great North American Road Trip
When:  Feb 22, 2003
How: RoadHaus - 1990 VW Westfalia Syncro
Today: Los Osos, CA / Go Westy
From: Mesa,  AZ

- - -

Date:    Sat, 1 Feb 2003 13:38:55 -0500
From:    Dan Erlandson <danoer1@ECLIPSE.NET>
Subject: Pistons on rear door

Well it looks as though the pistons that keep the rear door (hatch,
trunk...) open on my 91 GL are shot once again.  I think it must have
been 9 years ago or so that this last happened and at the time I was a
newbie to working on cars so I had the dealer take care of it and they
replaced both pistons with new ones.  Anybody out there have any luck
fixing ones that seem to have lost their ability to hold the lid open?
I haven't yet ventured into the pistons myself, so I don't know if there
is a leather/rubber cup (like in the old bicycle pumps) that could be
re-oiled or something that would then lead to a better hold on the air
it is compressing.

Thanks for any and all help.