Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:38:55 -0400
Reply-To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Vent windows past 90 degrees -- nope
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I'm sorry to say that I just spent an unimproving hour and a half
establishing that it is in practical terms impossible to remove the
bump on the lower pivot that prevents it opening more than 90
degrees. Unless you're willing to make a hole in the outer door
skin. I seriously believe that they must have installed the
quarter-windows before the outer skin went on the door. With a
phillips-head screw. Facing out. With a piece of sheet metal 3/16"
outside it, which I think is the upper fold of the door skin. And a
similar piece about the same distance inside, too.
The pivot is clamped by a strip of thick sheet metal with a slot in
the middle that is half the pivot circumference in length or
less. This is folded from back to front around the pivot and clamped
together with a screw that also attaches the assembly to a tab on the
door. The pivot has a bump on the shaft that runs in the
slot. There's not enough access to get even a flex-shaft Dremel up
there to grind down the bump, and it prevents the pivot being removed
as well as being turned. All right, I lied. I *did* get a
flex-shaft Dremel up there, by making a slit in the lower moisture
barrier and passing the shaft up from there. And if I'd been willing
to spend half an hour trying to make that nib dissapear maybe I could
have. Five minutes sure didn't do it. Ok, when I get my gumption
back I'll go in there and walk a worn-out cutoff wheel up and down it
(there's only about half an inch width of access there between the
two strips of sheet metal). Maybe. I really really really want to
open that window so it hurls air at me, 'cause I haven't got air conditioning.
It's easy enough to adjust the tension, because you can grasp the
sides of the screw head with nice sharp needlenose pliers and turn it
a sixteenth turn at a time or so.
I think this came from the same keep-em-guessing department that did
some of the cooling hoses...for total frustration with ten cents
worth of hardware, this has the hoses beat all hollow.
[/rant]
--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'89 Po' White Star "Scamp"
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