Installing VERT Deck Lid Hinge SPRING
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 3
From: Canberra AUSTRALIA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Installing VERT Deck Lid Hinge SPRING
1970 Convertible
Had to remove deck and hinge to get to a broken cage nut on Body Mount #4.
Do you install the spring BEFORE or AFTER you bolt the hinge in.
I have bolted the hinge in without the spring (not a lot of room for the outer bolt).
Any tricks to install the spring or do I need to pull the hinge out again?
Had to remove deck and hinge to get to a broken cage nut on Body Mount #4.
Do you install the spring BEFORE or AFTER you bolt the hinge in.
I have bolted the hinge in without the spring (not a lot of room for the outer bolt).
Any tricks to install the spring or do I need to pull the hinge out again?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 10,643
Likes: 8
From: Foxfield CO 1970 Convertible
From the service manual, you should install it after the hinge is bolted on.
You are supposed to use tool J-9559. Don't you have it??
What tool J-9559 does is keep the spring from compressing. The instructions say when you remove the compartment lid, you close the lid most of the way, and insert tool J-9559 into the expanded spring. When you fully open the lid, the spring is stretched and simply lifts out.
If you have a new spring or didn't do the previous step, it says to hook one end of the spring into a clamp, and the other into a chain hoist or cherry picker and stretch it enough to install tool J-9559. Then you insert the spring. Closing the lid will release the tool.
Looking at the drawings, I'd stretch the spring. Then get a bunch of wood wedges and insert them in the spring to keep it stretched. Install the spring. When the lid is closed, the wedges should fall out...
You are supposed to use tool J-9559. Don't you have it??
What tool J-9559 does is keep the spring from compressing. The instructions say when you remove the compartment lid, you close the lid most of the way, and insert tool J-9559 into the expanded spring. When you fully open the lid, the spring is stretched and simply lifts out.
If you have a new spring or didn't do the previous step, it says to hook one end of the spring into a clamp, and the other into a chain hoist or cherry picker and stretch it enough to install tool J-9559. Then you insert the spring. Closing the lid will release the tool.
Looking at the drawings, I'd stretch the spring. Then get a bunch of wood wedges and insert them in the spring to keep it stretched. Install the spring. When the lid is closed, the wedges should fall out...
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 3
From: Canberra AUSTRALIA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Z-man,
Don't have special tool J-9559. Do you have a picture of it?
I tried the wood wedges yesterday. Didn't have much joy. We almost got it by levering down to the right length. We just got too tired and missed the hook. We had it on once but it was only on by 1/2 of the clip as the spring was slightly rotated.
Try again tonight.
Pete
Don't have special tool J-9559. Do you have a picture of it?
I tried the wood wedges yesterday. Didn't have much joy. We almost got it by levering down to the right length. We just got too tired and missed the hook. We had it on once but it was only on by 1/2 of the clip as the spring was slightly rotated.
Try again tonight.
Pete
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 3
From: Canberra AUSTRALIA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Originally Posted by Z-man
From the service manual, you should install it after the hinge is bolted on.
You are supposed to use tool J-9559. Don't you have it??
What tool J-9559 does is keep the spring from compressing. The instructions say when you remove the compartment lid, you close the lid most of the way, and insert tool J-9559 into the expanded spring. When you fully open the lid, the spring is stretched and simply lifts out.
If you have a new spring or didn't do the previous step, it says to hook one end of the spring into a clamp, and the other into a chain hoist or cherry picker and stretch it enough to install tool J-9559. Then you insert the spring. Closing the lid will release the tool.
Looking at the drawings, I'd stretch the spring. Then get a bunch of wood wedges and insert them in the spring to keep it stretched. Install the spring. When the lid is closed, the wedges should fall out...
You are supposed to use tool J-9559. Don't you have it??
What tool J-9559 does is keep the spring from compressing. The instructions say when you remove the compartment lid, you close the lid most of the way, and insert tool J-9559 into the expanded spring. When you fully open the lid, the spring is stretched and simply lifts out.
If you have a new spring or didn't do the previous step, it says to hook one end of the spring into a clamp, and the other into a chain hoist or cherry picker and stretch it enough to install tool J-9559. Then you insert the spring. Closing the lid will release the tool.
Looking at the drawings, I'd stretch the spring. Then get a bunch of wood wedges and insert them in the spring to keep it stretched. Install the spring. When the lid is closed, the wedges should fall out...
This is a pair of brackets of a garage door opener bolted together. The duct tape and wire keeps the bracket on the spring. I tried the wedges and it wasn't my cup of tea. I used a bench vice with the jaws hanging out the side to open it up.
It was really easy to seat the spring with it being held open. The spring is back in. I also aligned my deck lid and shimmed my soft top guide pins so that it slides in really nice also.
Now back to grinding on the door.......
Pete
Race Director
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 10,643
Likes: 8
From: Foxfield CO 1970 Convertible
Hey - you know what's amazing is that your version is very similar to the one in the manual! (It doesn't feature the wire
). Kind of like if you welded the brackets instead of bolting them together.If I get near a scanner, I'll see if I can remember to scan it in and post it. The important thing is that you got the springs back in...
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 3
From: Canberra AUSTRALIA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
It took about 5 minutes with the right tool. This is bolted together. You would never get it out if it was welded. If I did it again I would just use duct tape and no wire. The wire was a bear to get out and didn't add any value after the duct tape was in place.
Thanks again for your help guys.
Pete
Thanks again for your help guys.
Pete
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 3
From: Canberra AUSTRALIA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
Originally Posted by Jclgodale3
so hows the door gap now? Better?
The passsenger front and top door gap is great. Identical to the drivers side. I still have to sand off about 1/8" off the REAR edge for about 3/4 the length of the passenger door. I should get to that by Friday. I test sanded a small section and the orbital sander removed the fibreglass pretty quick yet did not ruin the outer door paint. I will touch up the edge with some touch up paint I had made up once I am done. It will get me by till I do a full respray.
I will post before and after pictures once I am done. So far the alignment process has cost me almost nothing in parts yet it has made the car open/close like a new car. The only parts I am replacing are the door strikers.
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Safety Car
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 10
From: NorCal
Another method..
When I worked for brand "X", the over-center spring on the clutch pedal used a similar setup. I would stretch the spring with a floor jack, hooking the spring on the top plate, and the other end to the jack axle. After jacking it up (stretching the spring) I'd insert as many pennies (or washers) into the spring on opposite sides as I needed and relax the jack. After assembly, all I had to do was step on the clutch and all the pennies would fall out! Worked for me...
Hans
Hans
