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Subject:Re: Front door hinge pin update
From:Stuart MacMillan
Date:Thu, 21 May 2015 17:01:41 -0700

Alistair, you need to go into some detail here. I cannot see any way to get
washers in there unless the door is removed, which is why I thought slipping
in shim stock might be easier, but even that is fiddly.  How did you do it?
Magnets? Hire a 12 year old helper with tiny fingers (and have his/her
parent sign a waiver)?

(Snip) "....It is a bit fiddly to get the washers in there."

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Alistair Bell
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 2:20 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Front door hinge pin update

A while back I posted how I detected some play in the, and I assumed upper,
hinge pin in driver side door. This allowed the door to drop ever so
slightly when opened.

The proper fix would be a new pin, but that's beyond me right now. What I
did manage to do was to insert two washers between the door hinge and the
body part that the hinge is bolted to. To raise the door slightly I had to
place them there, and that is on the forward surface of the body part that
gets the door hinge. The washers were a tad under 1mm thick and was enough
to bring the door back into alignment with the body panels on the body. I
tired shim stock first but it took much more thickness than I expected and
it ended up that washers were the answer. It is a bit fiddly to get the
washers in there.

After I got the door in line with the body I adjusted the striker plate and
all is well now. I don't feel that annoying drop when I open the door.

I still would like to fix it with a new pin, but I think that's going to be
a bit of an involved process with an over sized pin and reaming the hinge.

Alistair