Date: Sat, 23 May 2009 17:04:52 -0700
Reply-To: Zolly <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Zolly <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Subject: Re: sliding door issue, 81 Air Cooled.
In-Reply-To: <000501c9dbfe$8abdf210$0301a8c0@dad>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
There is a spring and it works but the hinge is rusty, dirty and hard to
move the door open. So, you need to use WD 40 for the first fifty then oil
for the next fifty open and shut moves. Don't have to shut it all the way,
just make the hinge move as much as you can, and keep on oiling it until
it's new again. (Wipe off the excess.) Grease the locking area.
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "vanagonvw" <vanagonvw@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2009 4:31 PM
Subject: sliding door issue, 81 Air Cooled.
> My van has been sitting patiently for nearly two years, while I scrounged
> parts and "rebuilt" the engine. Today I pushed it into the garage to ready
> it for the engine, which ought to bring up a whole lot of questions for
> anyone with an air cooled vanagon, so you have been warned :-)
>
> I would think all vanagon doors are basically the same mechanism. Mine is
> an
> 81 Air Cooled.
>
> I opened the sliding door, and discovered that it doesn't work too goodly.
> The tracks are all well greased, the door slides back and forth smoothly
> as
> it should, the problem is with what happens when I open it. My handle is a
> drooper as it is, so this really makes it a bummer to open.
>
> When pull down the handle, the latch opens, and previously, the door would
> pop away from the van at the rear, and I could just slide it open. What
> happens now, however, is when I pull down the handle, the latch opens, and
> the rear of the door pops about half an inch, and I have to reach back and
> pull it out, at which point, it slides nice and easy to the fully open
> position. I have looked at the Bentley, and there are some lovely
> pictures,
> but no real hint as to what has failed, or gone out of adjustment.
>
> When the door is open, and pulled away ready to slide back, there is a lot
> of up and down play in it, which I don't know if it is normal or not. Is
> there some adjustment I can make? I know its not the latch, because it is
> clearly letting go the door.
>
> I hope that was a lucid explanation. The door still works, it just needs
> that extra step of pulling it out and away at the rear, before it will
> slide
> open, whereas it used to pop out nicely. What makes it "pop out?"
>
> Can anyone comment or suggest a course of inspection/action? A spring
> broken, something misaligned? I stand in awe that it was quite functional
> and happy when I parked it nearly two years ago, and now its acting up.
> Can't be a good sign for what is to come with getting the engine in and
> running <g>
>
> Much obliged for any ideas or recommendations.
>
> John
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