Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:12:16 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Holy cow: rear hatch latch
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=original
I have never believed that old 'never lube a lock thing' !
all metal parts that move in contact with other parts need lubrication.
I use any good spray lube.
Many to choose from.
LPS from the hardware store ..about 9 bucks a bottle...
works just great.
Trying a new one lately ...3 In 1 ......'all lube' ......or something like
that.
They are pretty similar. When I get a vanagon , I have to lube about 300
places on it , immediately.
Every lock mechanism, every lock cylinder , ever pivot point or sliding
point of anything in the whole, whole van.
Shift linkage, seat belt ltaches even .
'almost' every where things move. Hatch strut pivot points. Rear hatch
hinges ....I have never seen any of those ever lubed , or apparently not.
Sliding door ...
you almost can't lube those too much. Inside and out. And where they slide
in the tracks.
if you hear a squeak in a metal -on-metal mechaism....like a screen door
hinge...that is the sound of metal molecules shearing off on each other.
Funny thing too..........a 1/2 second shot of lube last years.
here's a trick too.....
this works on some door lock mechanims.
the hard part is getting the lube into a lot of good.
'Sometimes' ....removing one mounting screw for the latch mechansim will
allow a nice shot into the inner workings.
here's a really important one ...
just cheap design by VW. On the clutch pedal ....where the clevis and pin
for the clutch master cylinderpush rod meets a hole drilled in the clutch
pedal...
they greased it during assembly, but that was in Germany 20+ years ago.
You can't even see the spot unless you jam your head up in there ...but
that is one spot that needs lubing for sure.
It's basically metal on metal unless someome lubes it.
so fun to lube the squeaky stuff.
easy too.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2010 5:11 PM
Subject: Re: Holy cow: rear hatch latch
> Sometimes when I depress the lock cylinder to open the rear hatch on my
> camper, the cylinder sticks in the depressed position. It will pop back
> out when I close the hatch, usually. Occasionally I have to bump the
> hatch adjacent to the lock. Is this due to a need for lubrication, and if
> so, what lubricant do I use? I have had locksmiths tell me not to lube a
> lock with anything, including graphite, claiming any lubricant would cause
> the lock to hold dirt. On the other hand, I have used graphite to great
> advantage so far as I could tell. Suggestions? Thanks, David McNeely
>
> ---- jon <jon@KENNEKE.COM> wrote:
>> I'm sharing this experience, so maybe someone can benefit:
>>
>> I went to open the rear hatch on my project westy today. It would not
>> open. No big deal, I thought, I'll just pop it from the inside.
>> Installing
>> a new interior panel with the original project at hand, so there was no
>> interior
>> panel.
>>
>> I could not get the "cam" to budge! I finally had to soak the mechanism
>> in
>> oil, and then use a screwdriver and small hammer to pound the latch cam
>> from the inside to release. Wow, that took some doing, with scratched
>> arms
>> and hands!
>>
>> When it finally popped, I pulled the whole corroded assembly out, cleaned
>> it, and oiled it. Since I had it out I also fixed the worn lock cylinder
>> (which is a whole 'nother subject/story).
>>
>> So, the moral of this story is to make sure that latch assembly is well
>> lubricated if you have the chance!
>>
>> Jon
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