Date:         Wed, 16 May 2007 06:13:44 EDT
Reply-To:     RAlanen@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Lubrication of sliding door - How to?
Comments: cc: rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 15/05/2007 2:47:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

What is  the best way to lubricate the sliding door?
Mine has gotten very noisy and  feels like the wheel at the bottom is
sticking or  dirty.





Todd, what may seem like a  simple job of lubricating the track the rollers
ride on is not in fact the  entire story.  The rollers, three at the centre
track and one at the bottom  track all have replaceable sealed ball bearings in
them.  If the grease  inside these ball bearings has dried up no amount of
lubricating the track will  help.  The only way is to remove the rollers, clean
them and if the ball  bearing is still good pry off the seal, grease the bearing
and re-install the  seal.  Otherwise replace the ball bearing.  The tracks
should be kept  free of grease as that will aid in the accumulation of dirt,
sand and other  debris which will cause the rollers more problems.  I spray the
tracks with  a light coating of Krown Rustproofing Oil and keep an eye on them
for dirt build  up.  I am also now experimenting with covering the tracks
where the rollers  ride with plastic or nylon to keep the painted surface from
being broken and  causing rusting.  So far this looks to be working but the
rollers need to  be reduced in diameter to allow for the thickness of the plastic
material I'm  using.  Still searching for alternatives.

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy, '90 Carat, '87 Wolfsburg  (Forsale) & Lionel Trains (_Collection
for sale_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )_ Frank Condelli &
Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)  - Vanagon/Vanagon
Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley_ Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust  Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)  _  BusFusion_
(http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10,
2007