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Author Topic: Top door hinge  (Read 15392 times)

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MetalBlue85GT

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Top door hinge
« on: March 25, 2013, 09:44:11 pm »
Today my top door hinge pin dropped out of the top hole. Does anyone have an idea if there is a specific cotter pin or device like that that holds the pin UP? logic told me to try to drop the pin in the hole instead of push it up. I looked on the right hand door and that pin is going up too. I am missing something here.

I hope all is well, I am still loving my fiero.

Randy
Randy ~ of Acworth

oldbikeracer

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Re: Top door hinge
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2013, 10:55:05 am »
If it like my 1987 GT they do not have a pin of any kind. The pin is knurled and simply help in place by that, they require driving in with hammer or pressed in if door is removed. Top one can be done with door on the car but bottom one requires removing the door. Tray a long punch and try driving it back in place, be certain that it is lined up good at the bottom before driving it back in or replace it and bushings. Hope that helps.
 Several vendors have these.
Mike

Fierofool

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Re: Top door hinge
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2013, 01:33:49 pm »
Sometimes you can find the hinge pin kits on the HELP rack at the parts store.  Just be sure to get one the same length and replace both the pin and bushings that come with it.  They work together to hold the hinge pin in place.  If the bushings are worn, the pin won't stay in.  Old Bike Racer has a good suggestion of using a long extension, drift or punch to fully seat them.  I've had luck using a washer and vice grips to seat the bushings without damaging them. 
There are three kinds of men:

1.    The ones that learn by reading.
2.    The few who learn by observation.
3.    The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.    Will Rogers

85GT

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Re: Top door hinge
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2013, 05:01:07 pm »
The top pin came out of my drivers door twice. When I installed the third new pin I drilled a hole for a small cotter pin at the botom of the taper on end of pin. Has'nt came out gain in over Two years. :)

MetalBlue85GT

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Re: Top door hinge
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2013, 07:02:51 pm »
Excellent advice by all; although I didnt drill a cotter-pin - good after thought. I got by; by lining the door back up with a floor jack and punching the pin back up into the hole last night (one bushing was dissenegrated.) Then today I went to the HELP area of my local Advance - and found a Dorman P/N 38407 and another Pin that was 2 mm shorter - I bought both and will return the 38407 the shorter one matched the one I pulled out. Either would work fine

After reading your posts and some old posts from pennocks what I did was lower the door far enough to expose both the top hole and the bottom. the top hole I have to punch out the bushing, but the bottom hole was missing that one. I put both bushings into the door hinge and left the car hinge empty. For the bottom part of the door hinge I placed the bushing up into it, this put the brass washer part of the bushing inbetween the car hinge and the door hinge. (the idea about the washer was taken from Ogre's cave. ) the top bushing i just slowly hammered into down into the top door part.

So now I have a smooth closing door again (i scratched the paint on the 'step' to get into the car when the hinge popped out) oh well live and learn..

So what disaster is next? I love the little notch I have....

The point of this mid-life crisis car is to get all the bugs worked out over the next year and get the gas mileage up and pass it to my son when he turns 16 in Feb. 2014. Its a 2.8 3speed auto - I brought it up from 15 MPG to a solid 20. now i am trying to tweak the rest of it.. wow I will start a new post soon for this one.  ;D

Randy
Randy ~ of Acworth