Date:         Wed, 15 May 1996 12:20:59 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dworkin@ari.net (H Steven Dolan)
Subject:      Re: Sliding Door Problems

Brett,

I have done this.  Recently.  It is pretty easy.  The Steps:

Pre-procdure shopping:

There is a little plastic piece on the rear of the assembly that rides on
the rail on the outside of the bus.  They wear like crazy and are
replaceable.  Go thou and buy a replacement.  No sense in doing this job
more often than you must.  The original piece was riveted on, but I have
seen lots of them with a screw-and-nut fastening that indicates replacement.

Donor bus Removal:

Remove the outside cover plate.  Two screws hold it on.  The one at the back
is a sheet metal screw and (if not already missing) is easy to get out with
a little WD-40 and a phillips screwdriver.  The one at the front is usually
a metric bitch to get out (that's 2.2 times worse than an English bitch)  It
is a steel Phillips head machine screw that goes into a Mg/AL casting.  Do
your best, drill it if you must. (NB: the Bentleys shows a third screw at
the front of the outside cover within it at the top.  I ain't never seen
this screw, but YMMV.) After both screws are out, take a wide flat
screwdriver and drive the cover plate up from the inside.   Start at the
back and be gentle.  This is the donor, so it doesn't matter, but think of
it as practice for later, don't dent it, move the screwdriver back and forth.  

READ THIS WHOLE SECTION BEFORE YOU START ANYTHING!!! (Your toes will thank
you)  After the cover is off, open the door.  as it rolls back you will see
a gap in the top track.  First the plastic slider comes off, then the wheel
(a trick bit, wiggle it slide it back and forth, try different things)  AT
THIS POINT, IF NO ONE IS HOLDING IT, THE DOOR FALLS ON YOUR FOOT!!!  Don't
let it!  The door is quite heavy and very clumsy!  Once the back is loose,
swing the rear of the door away from the bus, sliding the front of the door
to the back of the bus as you do.  Once the front of the door reaches the
back end of the track, there is a gap in the back of the track on the
bottom.  Take the bottom wheels out through the gap then lower the door out
of the top track (watch those wheels, they are only on there by the grace of
gravity)  Put the door down with the inside facing out.

There are four bolts on the door that hold the door end of the rear hinge
in.  Two are exposed at the rear of the door, the other two are under black
plastic caps about 6" forward.  Once they are all out the mechanism will
slide out backward.

In The Middle:

Inspect your used part, replace the plastic slider, grease the living shit
out of everything.  Make a note of worn catches (you may be able to do some
swaps fro the other assembly while both are off)

Remove the Sliding door from the good bus:

Oh, come, come, it's late I'm tired, and you just read it once anyway.

And finally, to quote VWoA, John Muir and Bentley:

Installation *is* the reverse of removal!  (a mantra of sorts, yes/no?)
(Seriously, if you are confused by anything I have said, let me know)

I have written busboys@aol.com to ask if they have the plastic bit.  If they
only write me, I will let you know.








                           Steven Dolan
                           Alexandrian, VA

'73 FI'ed Westy