Date:         Tue, 05 Sep 95 08:53:38 EST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "ray hale" <ray.hale@santafe.cc.fl.us>
Subject:      door hinge plates(long)SUCCESS

          finally! the new cargo doors are on and adjusted properly
          and i never want to do this again.  here's the deal:

          1) posted the list and got several great ideas
          2) sat down with all ideas including my own and beers and
          stared at the offending area day after day until the light
          bulb went on
          3) cut the heads off two old door hinge screws that were
          already destroyed
          4) put two nuts on to protect threads, placed in vice, and
          drilled a small hole lengthwise in each
          5) cut a slot in the old head end so they could be turned
          with screw driver
          6) inserted a piece of monofilament with a washer smaller
          than the screw diameter in each drilled hole and tied it
          off.  this would be the end that would save the plate if it
          fell down the door rail
          7) removed the top screws of each hinge in one door and
          inserted the screw/monofilament assembly, screwing it in far
          enough so it cleared the hinge, leaving room for the hinge
          to pull out.  at this point the monofilament hung out of the
          hinge and door rail about three feet
          8) drink another beer and take a deep breath
          9) remove the bottom screws of each hinge
          10) get another person to hold the door and gently pull
          hinges out of the body while you hold on to the monofilament
          and catch it when it comes out with the hinges, top and
          bottom.  this tricky because you have deal with both hinges
          and keep hinge plates from falling down the rail.  the
          hinges themselves could break the monofilament at this point
          if they get hooked on anything or if the doors come out too
          fast for you to keep up with.
          11) now the doors are off and you're holding both hinge
          plates in place with the monofilament, ready for the new
          doors to slide into place.  you must weave the monofilament
          through the new hinge holes and back through the holes in
          the door rails (on the body) so that when the new door
          hinges are inserted the line comes out of the body holes
          enabling you to still pull the line holding the hinge plates
          in place.
          12) line up hinge plates with anything that will stick
          through the bottom holes and then insert one new door screw,
          with anti-seize this time, and semi-tighten.  you still need
          someone to hold the doors for you at this point.
          13) once you have both hinges, top and bottom, held in place
          with the bottom screw in each, you can remove the top
          screw/monofilament assembly and insert the remaining new
          screw in each hinge
          14) have another beer and do the other door

          i hope that is fairly clear.  the words need pics to really
          do the job but feel free to ask questions.  there are four
          hinges for the two doors and all but one hinge plate was
          flopping in the door rail, just waiting to fall down into
          never-never land.  on one door when we pulled the old door
          out, it broke the monofilament and the hinge fell down but
          then fell out onto the ground.  it was a mixed blessing as
          we realized there was even more work to be done at a later
          date.  but at that point we were very glad to have the plate
          back in our hands.  when you're done, you need to loosen the
          bolts a little and adjust the doors so they fit properly.

          thanks to mark janello for the warning in the first place
          and then for supplying the groovy 5mm allen screws to
          replace the stock phillips head.  thanks to rusty for his
          great idea which mark then added upon.  thanks to my
          co-worker and excellent wrenching/motorcycle riding/former
          bug owner/beer drinking friend for courage and inspiration.
          and thanks to lea for patience and common sense and getting
          in there and dirty with me.  that's what this list is about
          for me.  that's what good friends are about.  i feel lucky!
          ray  sorry for the long story.  it's been a long process:
          there's no success like failure, and failure's no success at
          all