alexandervdr

Is it possible to remove the top passenger door hinge while keeping the door frame on with the bottom one?

DansYellow66

I don't see how since they have that flat bar piece that extends quite a ways into the door. Also the upper hinge usually takes some fairly deft maneuvering and twisting to remove it from the front hinge pillar. I think even trying would end up damaging a lot of paint.

alexandervdr

just tried to be lazy and avoid I need to realign the door when both hinges are out.

Frankie the Fink

That would be tough, tough to do...and possibly result in dinged up paint or worse. You can drill holes in the hinges (two each) that allow tight fitting pins to enter the hinge and door and that aids alignment on reassembly... PITA but it'll get you real close when you put things back together. Mark each hinge before drilling/removal...e.g. DS/UPPER, PS/LOWER etc..with a Sharpee (see 3rd picture). Doesn't hurt to mark on the hinge the number of shims at a particular bolt hole either..

You'll need a strong drill, a good bit, safety glasses and if you can find/make pins with right angles at the gripping end (like an Allen wrench) it'll make removing them easier...do NOT drill too deeply.. The doors may require a minor tweak when put back on but nothing major. I've had mine on and off prob 4 times now..

alexandervdr

well, the reason is that although the door seals are tight around the window frames against the body, they doors open a bit starting around 40 miles speed due to 'vacuum' created by the moving car. So I get some hissing noise around the window. The top of the door could be a little bit closer (about 1/32" - 1/16") to the body frame to further increase pressure on the seals. So I need to take some material of the top hinge (no shims already..)

Frankie the Fink

If anything I think air pressure at speed would force the doors tighter against the weatherstrip. But, do what you think you have to do...
It may just take a minute adjustment of the striker instead of messing with the hinges - or maybe your weatherstrip needs looked at..

alexandervdr

The speed of the air over the car is higher than the speed of the air IN the car, and Bernouilli law says that then pressure is higher inside than outside.

It's not the striker, the door is fine at the striker side.
The outside door panel at the bottom hinge is exactly flush with the body, at the top hinge the door is 1/32-1/16th off to the outside. That makes it 1/16th or more at the top of the frame.
So the door goes off, the hinge goes out, to route some metal from the hinge where it mates the door.

dkleather

Pay attention to the twists and positions of the top hinge while removing it. I had a heck of a time getting mine seated correctly when doing the reinstall. If I didn't know it had come out, I wouldn't have thought it possible to go back. Maybe just me but beware. Dave

alexandervdr

been there too while doing the body off, I 'adapted' some parts of the hinge and the frame with a grinder to make removal and install (a bit) easier. But still not looking forward to go through the exercise

DansYellow66

Kind of a long shot but how flush is the lower area of the door to the front fender. If it's just a bit in of the fender, you could install a thin shim there on the lower hinge, which would pivot the top of the door frame into the roof tighter. Also take a close look at the metal gutter frame and make sure it isn't bent in anywhere (towards the front of the car). It's easy to bend those when rolling a car around by hand if using that area to push with. I had to straighten mine out in a couple of areas and that improved the seal to the weatherstripping.

But I'm sure I have a lot of wind whistles around my doors - with the rear gears and sidepipes I just can't hear them so well.

alexandervdr

It's exactly flush on the bottom hinge, and my 'engineers' DNA just can't stand to screw that up. The top hinge is not flush , and that's the one I am in the process of correcting
I had it all trimmed/aligned/flush before painting and the body on a trolley, but we all know that once back on the frame things change a bit...
My 'problem' is worse than your's because I made the car quiet inside with dynamat (and outside too with the standard 250HP rear exhaust), so I can not count on side pipes to mask that out

Frankie the Fink

Well acquainted with Bernoulli. I would pose the air imside the car is a lower pressure and the air rushing past the outside of the door is higher pressure which would suck the door in. A bit like lift on a camber on an aircraft wing. I've never been able to have internal air pressure help me open a car door at 60 mph.

alexandervdr

...I've never been able to have internal air pressure help me open a car door at 60 mph.[/QUOTE]

that's because then (increased) drag of the 'airfoil' comes in and pushes the door back in. Anyway, does not matter, door is out, hinge is out, in 20 minutes will be in my friend lathe shop to take some metal off

Jackfit

that's because then (increased) drag of the 'airfoil' comes in and pushes the door back in. Anyway, does not matter, door is out, hinge is out, in 20 minutes will be in my friend lathe shop to take some metal off [/QUOTE]

You should have bought a convertible , less little noises to hear......

Jack

Frankie the Fink

that's because then (increased) drag of the 'airfoil' comes in and pushes the door back in. Anyway, does not matter, door is out, hinge is out, in 20 minutes will be in my friend lathe shop to take some metal off [/QUOTE]
Sincerely hope it works out....wind noise can be aggravating.
Don't drive a C1 convertible, top up, at speed...its ridiculous

alexandervdr

top hinge had 1/16th milled off the mating surface, door back in and aligned. Just did test drive and the whistles are gone
Interesting to know that the door seal was touching the door all around even before the mod on the hinge. It's just that the pressure was not high enough.