[DML] Re: Doors..and doing it my way.....

["cbl302@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <cbl302@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

GOSH DARN IT DAVE...UNLESS YOU KNOW exactly WHAT HAPPENED ON THE day that I WAS REMOVING THE DOORS..YOU have no right to quote on my behalf..!!!

FYI...I was removing the Door(s) from the Car that took a DIVE IN THE OCEAN..the door in question was ALREADY bent from the Scuba diver FORCING the door open UNDERWATER.. looking for possible deceased victims..mind you this was in 1982 when I was removing the Door(s)there was NO SET WAYS in removing the door(s) no DMCNEWS for info..in fact NO Internet...just Grumpy Mr.B at D1 and he was of no help..!!

Picture a 130 pound guy(at that time)working alone removing a delorean door...balancing the Door on my back at the same time removing the Four bolts off the hinges off that delorean that had been under the ocean for about 3 weeks or longer..??...do you get the picture...after a while the weight of the door on my back SHIFTED and KNOCKED me off center..causing the very tip ends of one door to sightly bend...

Now flash ahead to late 1980's I picked up vin 16686..that had collision damage..including a damaged Drivers door...this Time I had a "helper" I REMOVED the door from my "donor" delorean and Removed the door from 16686 and Installed the donor door on 16686 and the damaged door on the donor delorean..without any damage on any doors...and again WITHOUT removing the tension off the torsion bars on either Delorean..

Again I AM NOT...I repeat I AM NOT..advocating anybody to do it my way(without removing the tension on the torsion bars)my point is I have done it successfully..without any problems...without any damage(go look at vin 16686..as proof)

AGAIN this was WAY before there was the INTERNET or any set ways into removing Delorean doors..I HAD TO FIGURE OUT MY OWN WAYS...!!!!

So David unless you were there back then..being a Pioneer in working/restoring Deloreans...STFU... 

You ask what happens when no doors on present..with the torsion bars still set at the factory spec's... they just REST against the metal roof box...that's it..they can easily be moved downward enough by hand to actually slip a door into place... 

I had One delorean with NO DOORS on it..with the torsion bars still set under the Full factory settings(the above mentioned ocean Delorean)....sitting in my garage..for well over twenty years without any kind of roof distortion or roof cracking or bars snapping or whatever silly problems you can think up...nope the torsions bars did Not know the difference..since the Bulk of the Torsion is applied ...when the door is in THE CLOSED position...(that's why they always  snap when the door(s) are in the closed position)and very minimal torsion is applied with the door(s) wide open... 



Fact is the only purpose of the torsion bars are for the door up-swing torsion and the struts actually hold the door up... the torsion bars have very minimal holding strength to hold the door open..  if you take the strut off you will notice..that the door will swing down and almost go to the closed position. 

Claude
1024
Bric

  

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "jtrealtywebspannet" <jtrealty@...> wrote:
>
> My guess how the factory did it, they probably did a few by trial and error and once they got it good they made up a gauge or template so they could position and tighten the hinges. They may have had to "fine tune" it on each car but at least they were close. And Yes, you MUST do this BEFORE you tighten the torsion bar. In this case, if you only messed with one hinge you are not too bad off. I would remove the torsion bar and strut and by trial and error, try to realign the door. It is not easy because the door is very heavy without the torsion bar or strut to balance against the weight of the door. You must be very careful not to get your hands or fingers caught, you should have an assistant to help. Mark and I saw first-hand the damage you can do to a door by removing it WITHOUT UNDOING THE TORSION BAR FIRST! Claude L did it and ruined several doors. By the time you are done you will be able to do push-ups with one hand!
> David Teitelbaum
> 
> --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Marc Levy <malevy_nj@> wrote:
> >
> > Good catch Dave..  I missed that he was having trouble with the FRONT one..   YES, you have to release the torsion bar before removing the front hinge bolts!!
> > 
> > I have had luck maneuvering the front hinge by just loosening the bolts one turn, then prying with a pry bar (or 2) and avoiding the torsion bar removal, but the safest thing to do is release the torsion bar. 
> >  
> > 
> > --- On Fri, 3/16/12, daveswingle2 <swingle_dmc@> wrote:
> > 
> > > From: daveswingle2 <swingle_dmc@>
> > > Subject: [DML] Re: Doors
> > > To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Date: Friday, March 16, 2012, 9:58 PM
> > > Yes -the door can move quite a bit on
> > > the hinge (there is a large captive-nut strip and the holes
> > > are oval). It is very difficult to get the door to move on
> > > the front hinge, though, due to the tension of the torsion
> > > bar trying to turn the hinge. 
> > > 
> > > When you loosened the bolt, the door probably moved downward
> > > on the hinge from its own weight, and now you need to lift
> > > it back up. To do this you may have to completely relax the
> > > torsion bar. Get help if you have not done this before -
> > > it's relatively dangerous (error = broken window/damaged
> > > bar/damage roof panel).
> > > 
> > > You MAY be able to loosen the two hinge bolts and using a
> > > pry bar against the body (move the weatherstrip) lift up on
> > > the door, so try that first. 
> > > 
> > > Dave S
> >
>




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