Chaps,
A little guidance please. I need to fit the doors so I can check the positioning of the B post before I weld it to replacement rocker panels.
The challenge:
Dont ask me why but the previous owner sawed through all the hing pins to remove the doors which leaves me with a bit of a problem with the restoration. Naturally, the hinges are not in great shape (because of the saw damage!) but I cannot find any replacements so I suspect I will have to deal with what I have. I have removed the remains of the pins which were pretty seized. I have obtained the dimensions of the hinge pins and I have a lathe so I can take a shot at making some replacements.
Can someone advise how the pins are held in place? Logically they cant be an interference fit because the brass hinge needs to rotate around the pin and I heard rumour that they are simply held in place by gravity but that doesnt feel right - am I missing something please?
No means of holding in place, they are just ‘gravity’ pins, but may have been centre-popped on the bottom end to spread it slightly to create an interference. I don’t think there is anyone making replacements but they are not difficult to make if you have access to a lathe.
The few I’ve checked on mine have either a centre-pop or what looks like a whack with a flat punch similar to a nail punch. It only needs to be enough to create an interference to prevent easy removal.
I heard a story where would-be thieves could knock out the pins and work the door out a bit to release the catch at the other end. I don’t know if this is a possibility or just one of the countless urban myths that abound. It might have been possible on a different car because it would be unlikely for a Mk IV with its door stop rod interfering.
Many thanks all - jolly helpful replies as always. Slightly flaring the bottom of the pin to lock it in place makes sense! Following some careful measuring, I now know my hinges are worn as the internal dimensions vary between hinges so custom made pins for each hinge seems to be the way forward.
Hi Tim
Many thanks, I had stumbled across these hinges and it is possible that perhaps the flat sections could be bent to the same shape as the MK4 but I think initially I will machine some hinge pins to suit each hinge and see how it looks. I suspect bending the new hinges to be exactly the right dimensions maybe beyond me.
