Boot gas strut problem - help!

[barreti]

You know how you do one job and create another? Well ...

I got myself a nice blingy boot stay, only when I closed the boot to test its fitment I've sheared off the thing that it bolts into

Here are some pictures:

The blingy thing..


Should attach to the boot hinge here...


Except this thing...



Should be in this hole, and the boot stay screws into it.


I can't just put spacer washers and a nut onto the strut and bolt it into position because there is not enough clearance for the nut to miss the rest of the hinge when you shut the boot (or at least I'm pretty sure that's the case)
Can anyone come up with an idea for attaching the strut to the hinge.

Thanks chaps
Ian

Nothing in life seems to be simple when you own a TVR !
/mutley rant mode on/
fasn risn dasn dick dastardly
/mutley rant mode off/


>> Edited by barreti on Saturday 20th May 17:35

[llanelli-rob]

Hi Ian,

If it were mine and eeeeerm glad its not I would push the broken bit back into the hole screw the nut into as far as poss,tidy up the bent bit at the back with a light hammer type affair then use some chemical metal to build up around it from the strut side!

Other that that and its all off and get the offending article brazed back into place by your nearest friendly blacksmith/welder!

Good luck.

Or plan B............

Reassemble as if it was not broken,srew a nut on behind,and use an angle grinder to reduce nut thickness,that should do the job!

>> Edited by llanelli-rob on Saturday 20th May 17:48

>> Edited by llanelli-rob on Saturday 20th May 17:50

[FlipFlopGriff]

Ian,
Glad it's not just me who when you do a job it creates at least one other. Ours is a hex nut which seems to be brazed on and it did move when i fooked the last one up so I hope I don't end up in the same boat.
maggits dad may be able to help you out - he's in East Leake (sp?).
FFG

[stainless_steve]

It's just a nut-sert,easy to sort out.


Edited to add what thread is it m6?

>> Edited by stainless_steve on Saturday 20th May 19:31

[Green Meanie]

Looks like a clinch nut thats come loose,ie a threaded insert in a clearence hole,easy fix new install new clinch provided you have a clinch nut tool that is

[Aussie John]

If you put a washer and nut and cut off any thread that pokes through the nut you only have to file a small indentation in one of the flat connecting rods in the hinge, good luck, John.

[barreti]

stainless_steve said:

It's just a nut-sert,easy to sort out. Edited to add what thread is it m6? >> Edited by stainless_steve on Saturday 20th May 19:31

Yes, its an M6 Steve.
How is it easy to sort out, don't you need some sort of special tool to install one of these? Looking at it I'm thinking they need to be installed using something like a very big rivet gun!

[stainless_steve]

barreti said:

stainless_steve said: It's just a nut-sert,easy to sort out. Edited to add what thread is it m6? >> Edited by stainless_steve on Saturday 20th May 19:31 Yes, its an M6 Steve. How is it easy to sort out, don't you need some sort of special tool to install one of these? Looking at it I'm thinking they need to be installed using something like a very big rivet gun!

I have the tool no prob there,just live in West Yorkshire.I can sort it out FOC,only take a minute to fix.Would it be cheap to post the bracket?

[barreti]

Thanks to you all for your suggestions and a very big thanks to Stainless_Steve for your kind offer.

I tried a experiment this morning to see if it would work with the limited clearance, and much to my surprise its done the job.

How? - Using Robs idea of reducing the thickness of a nut, I used my junior hacksaw because it has a thin blade and cut a nut in half!
I used one half on the strut side and one half on the not-much-room side and they have tightened together very nicely. One big advantage is the ball and socket joint on the strut bolt, it allows the bolt to rotate and by using a fat spanner I was able to turn the bolt and locking nut together to pinch them firmly into the other nut.

I'm holding an 'original' nut for reference in the pic.


FFG - So far I've released 4 squirts of gas out of the strut. Open and closing the valve as quickly as I can. Now its firm to push closed and pops the boot wide open when you press the button inside the car. Very neat and BMW eat your heart out!
Have a good luck at the alignment of your boot before you start. I'm not certain the strut isn't pushing my boot lid towards the drivers side of the car and I would be interested to hear if yours does the same. I might even put the old strut back on and check it. Talk about asking for trouble eh, but then it's raining and the Mrs is asleep on the sofa so I've nothing better to do today have I.

Thanks for all your help and advice chaps. Its a great feeling to have somewhere to go when you have a problem and know someone is going to come with an idea.

[stainless_steve]

Glad you have sorted it

[stainless_steve]

barreti said:

Have a good luck at the alignment of your boot before you start. I'm not certain the strut isn't pushing my boot lid towards the drivers side of the car and I would be interested to hear if yours does the same.

You say your having probs with alignment,can you tell me,was the nut-sert on the right,same side as the strut in the pic?

[barreti]

Yes it was on the same side as the strut Steve.

[stainless_steve]

barreti said:

Yes it was on the same side as the strut Steve.

That could be your problem,with using a half nut on the other side the strut is moved closer to the bracket.

[mctavish]

Ian,

From where did you source the strut?

My strut is now quite worn with just enough pressure to hold the boot open, a replacment would do the job nicely.

[Ballistic Banana]

Now ve hav zee good image of your fingerprint it vill be used in corruptive shananigans

Not sure if its the same as FFG's and mine which is used in the Alternative list Here made by a company called cabloc.

BB

[mctavish]

Thanks for the info!

[llanelli-rob]

Ian,

Glad it worked,but we want to know who actually did the mod for you?

Your fingers are far too clean!!

PS that lookes like a bogey third line up from the left

>> Edited by llanelli-rob on Sunday 21st May 19:21

[barreti]

Ballistic Banana said:

Not sure if its the same as FFG's and mine which is used in the Alternative list Here made by a company called cabloc. BB

Yes it is, its the other half of the pair that FFG bought, as you can only buy them in pairs.
And the company is CAMLOC Simon, which oddly enough I used to be the IT Manager for. Typical, I could never find a use for the gas springs when I worked there!

[Ballistic Banana]

Oh i can just imagine your Kitchen.....with Blinging Struts openers

[barreti]

llanelli-rob said:

Ian, Glad it worked,but we want to know who actually did the mod for you? Your fingers are far too clean!! PS that lookes like a bogey third line up from the left >> Edited by llanelli-rob on Sunday 21st May 19:21

Oi, you, when was the last time you saw an F1 race technician with dirty hands
Although I must admit, it COULD have been a bogey !!