Door hinges, again
Discussion
Just when I was looking forward to a spring with a sorted motor... the f***ing door drops again (previously replaced the hinge bushes).
This time it's the captive nut in the lower sill (passenger side).
so I'm after some more advice regarding glassing in a new captive nut (I've read the all the old threads) :
Any recomended glassing kits / brands
What is the best method of removing the old captive nut, should i take off the door completely and come at from above or from inside the footwell (I guess this has the advantage of theoretically not damaging the sill paintwork)
jake
This time it's the captive nut in the lower sill (passenger side).
so I'm after some more advice regarding glassing in a new captive nut (I've read the all the old threads) :
Any recomended glassing kits / brands
What is the best method of removing the old captive nut, should i take off the door completely and come at from above or from inside the footwell (I guess this has the advantage of theoretically not damaging the sill paintwork)
jake
Not long ago done all this ! but part of a respray so I wasn't as worried about damaging the paint. Though you can't see the area when the doors fitted.
You'll need to take the door off for certain. If the door hinge bobbin is lose you might be able to wiggle it out from the top with the aid of a long bolt in it. Otherwise you might need to chain drill(<2mm dia) around it in a few places to losen it.
After removing any old glasswork off the bobbin I Araldited it back in, using normal araldite(24hr to set - much stonger than that rapid stuff). I did all this from above the sill and it's fitted back fine though getting the door fit right takes a bit of fiddling I found.
Wayne.
You'll need to take the door off for certain. If the door hinge bobbin is lose you might be able to wiggle it out from the top with the aid of a long bolt in it. Otherwise you might need to chain drill(<2mm dia) around it in a few places to losen it.
After removing any old glasswork off the bobbin I Araldited it back in, using normal araldite(24hr to set - much stonger than that rapid stuff). I did all this from above the sill and it's fitted back fine though getting the door fit right takes a bit of fiddling I found.
Wayne.
I replaced the captive nut in the door sill passenger side a few months ago.
The sill is open ended in the foot well so you can get access from there without cutting any holes - but it is difficult. (Mine is an S2 so has the short doors - I guess S3's have the hinge further forward so that may be easier)
Having removed the passenger seat I could just about bury my head and shoulders in the footwell and using a hammmer and various sharp instruments (ranging from a screwdriver through to an old wood chisel) managed to remove the fibreglass encapsulating the nut and then remove the whole thing from above. Its worh stuffing a bit of rag down the sill to just beyond the captive nut otherwise a chisel or whatever can slide down it and be a pig to retrieve (yes, I learnt that the hard way!)
The new nut had larger hexagons so I was able to file out the sill and get it a tight fit. I made up a jig out of two old hinge bolts with the heads removed and a piece of tube sleeved over them to ensure the new nut was aligned with the top nut - this also held the new nut in place whilst bonding it in. I had no luck using standard fibreglass matting and bonding agent - it just would not stay stuck on, largely due to the difficulty in access. Finally I bonded the nut in using metal epoxy (two part putty stuff available from Halfrauds or B&Q). This sticks like the proverbial to the nut and seems to stick well to the surrounding GRP but probably can't be relied on long term so I then used Fibreglass paste (again from Halfrauds but can't rember the make) which is ready mixed fibreglass and paste to which you just addd hardener. This can be rolled up into a ball and then squashed onto the nut/epoxy/metal/GRP to encaspulate the whole thing. Latex gloves are essential!
The finished article doesn't look to neat (should anyone ever stick there head in the footwell to have a look) but should be as strong as the original.
It would undoubtedly have been easier cutting a hole in the inside face of the sill but I didn't want to go there unless absolutely essential. To be much use you would probably need about a 3 inch dia. hole.
Good luck
The sill is open ended in the foot well so you can get access from there without cutting any holes - but it is difficult. (Mine is an S2 so has the short doors - I guess S3's have the hinge further forward so that may be easier)
Having removed the passenger seat I could just about bury my head and shoulders in the footwell and using a hammmer and various sharp instruments (ranging from a screwdriver through to an old wood chisel) managed to remove the fibreglass encapsulating the nut and then remove the whole thing from above. Its worh stuffing a bit of rag down the sill to just beyond the captive nut otherwise a chisel or whatever can slide down it and be a pig to retrieve (yes, I learnt that the hard way!)
The new nut had larger hexagons so I was able to file out the sill and get it a tight fit. I made up a jig out of two old hinge bolts with the heads removed and a piece of tube sleeved over them to ensure the new nut was aligned with the top nut - this also held the new nut in place whilst bonding it in. I had no luck using standard fibreglass matting and bonding agent - it just would not stay stuck on, largely due to the difficulty in access. Finally I bonded the nut in using metal epoxy (two part putty stuff available from Halfrauds or B&Q). This sticks like the proverbial to the nut and seems to stick well to the surrounding GRP but probably can't be relied on long term so I then used Fibreglass paste (again from Halfrauds but can't rember the make) which is ready mixed fibreglass and paste to which you just addd hardener. This can be rolled up into a ball and then squashed onto the nut/epoxy/metal/GRP to encaspulate the whole thing. Latex gloves are essential!
The finished article doesn't look to neat (should anyone ever stick there head in the footwell to have a look) but should be as strong as the original.
It would undoubtedly have been easier cutting a hole in the inside face of the sill but I didn't want to go there unless absolutely essential. To be much use you would probably need about a 3 inch dia. hole.
Good luck
great thats helpful, nice to know its not only me.
I hope its worth it (ie doors sorted afterwards)
whats the best way of removing the door (mine's a manual wind window s1.5 / S2), its a real pig to access the upper hinge bolt - did you detach the window guides and mechanism.
also just knackered one of the glassed in nuts in the door itself (frig... just gets better and better).
wish me luck...
jake
I hope its worth it (ie doors sorted afterwards)
whats the best way of removing the door (mine's a manual wind window s1.5 / S2), its a real pig to access the upper hinge bolt - did you detach the window guides and mechanism.
also just knackered one of the glassed in nuts in the door itself (frig... just gets better and better).
wish me luck...
jake
Yes, I removed the front guide and then the window glass (2 bolts hold it onto the up/down mechanism). This makes access a lot easier and the door then weighs next to nothing, making it easier to re-hang when you have renovated all the mountings. Refitting the glass wasn't a problem - especially when compared with fixing the captive nuts!
Mick
Mick
Just finished the job today, and installed some shiny kick plates too. The doors swing freely and no grinding on the sills. Also managed to source some paint (excellent match) so no ugly grp areas either.
One or two tips for anyone considering this job:
1)drill out the old captive nut from above, the area will not be visible once the door is refitted and it is relatively easy to smooth off and paint afterwards. It is a real pig to access from inside the foot well and I suspect the cosmetic result will be no better in the end.
2)Use a syringe (20ml) to inject the new GRP past the new nut (make sure you put the bolt in and grease it well so it can be removed afterwards.
3)Take care to align the two nuts to allow the door to swing freely on the same axis I used the old hinges and a piece of dowling.
4)The washer and bolt head securing the window guides under the door protrude too much and are best replaced with a lower profile washer and counter sunk bolt head (I got mine from Do It All). This should stop the correctly aligned door scratching the kick plates).
right I'm off for a drive
jake
One or two tips for anyone considering this job:
1)drill out the old captive nut from above, the area will not be visible once the door is refitted and it is relatively easy to smooth off and paint afterwards. It is a real pig to access from inside the foot well and I suspect the cosmetic result will be no better in the end.
2)Use a syringe (20ml) to inject the new GRP past the new nut (make sure you put the bolt in and grease it well so it can be removed afterwards.
3)Take care to align the two nuts to allow the door to swing freely on the same axis I used the old hinges and a piece of dowling.
4)The washer and bolt head securing the window guides under the door protrude too much and are best replaced with a lower profile washer and counter sunk bolt head (I got mine from Do It All). This should stop the correctly aligned door scratching the kick plates).
right I'm off for a drive
jake
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