Rusted door top bolts.

[AKW]

About the only rust of any note in my '65 s2a in holding
the door top bolts VERY tight in the doors.
So the question is what is the best way to get the tops off
without wrecking them or the doors.

Have been spraying with crc and have scratched as much
rust from around the bolts as i can but can not move them.

Thanks Andrew

[pop058]

try doing them up abit, even a 1/4 turn. this should expose some good thread and allow you to get some more CRC in. This worked on one of my doors top bolts :) but snapped the other one :mad:

good luck HTH

[JDNSW]

Unclear whether the problem is the nut or they are stuck in the tube. If it is the nut, I suggest a nut splitter. If it is stuck in the tube, all I can suggest is liberal penetrating oil, followed by the application of heat (but protect the aluminium - you don't want to melt that. Perhaps a heat gun rather than a flame might work. The idea would be to expand the tube to crack the rust and allow penetrating oil in.

Suggestion - remove the door so you can work with it upside down, or lying flat.

John

[AKW]

Thanks john, its in the tubes there's not a lot that beats me
i just do not want to damage the doors.
I might try some of that new freezing spray to crack the rust.

Paul, the nuts have been done up tight till now, one bolt thread
is damaged now as well.

Andrew

[d@rk51d3]

I've had to get between the door and top with a hacksaw and cut through the bolts. (just try not to damage the door capping).

Once the top's off, you can usually drive the remainder of the bolt out of the door, with a few good whacks with a hammer and punch. Doesn't seem to do any damage.

[vnx205]

I had that problem with a couple of the bolts on my Series III door tops.

IIRC, the answer was plenty of WD40 an an enormous amount of persistence.

I think I eventually got them loose by tapping (belting?) thebottom of the bolt witha hammer.

Good luck. :)

[AKW]

I had not though of cutting the bolts like that,
last resort..
It's one of those catch 22s, there is nothing really wrong
with them but i want to replace all the rubber.
Also one day they will have to come off for some reason
so it may as well be now.

Andrew

[d@rk51d3]

I had not though of cutting the bolts like that,
last resort..
It's one of those catch 22s, there is nothing really wrong
with them but i want to replace all the rubber.
Also one day they will have to come off for some reason
so it may as well be now.

Andrew

Just be aware, that cutting the bolts will render the tops as scrap.:angel:

Unless someone here has a way to replace them.

[ezyrama]

Andrew I had the same problem with Ralph's door tops. I continually soaked them for about 2 weeks every night with penetrene and refitted the nuts eachtime and retightened them. One side eventually let go but I ended up breaking the passenger side. Persevere mate, takes all you can do.Then get a bloody big lump hammer and drive the buggers out gently, but make sure you use a lump of timber and dont hit the bolt.

Cheers Ian

[Lotz-A-Landies]

When you do get the tops off and are fitting the new ones, smear lots of grease, preferably marine, on the bolts before you reinsert them into the door bottoms.

The same as you should do for spring shackle pins/bolts.

This should make them easier to remove next time.

[ezyrama]

Get some of this stuff, the best thing ever invented since the battery drill.;)

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Get some of this stuff, the best thing ever invented since the battery drill.;)Agree, but neverseize is much more expensive than grease. :angel:

[AKW]

Yep been using neverseize for years good stuff..
You've got to undo the old rusted stuff first though.

Just of interest i took the best sample of door seal with me
to our local wrecker / rare spares to day and they had
about 5m of Land Rover door seal for $8/m .
Part no 39-499R.
They said they would get more in.

Now to sort out the metal strips and rivets.

Still working on the door tops.

Andrew

[Lotz-A-Landies]

That is the currently available door seal, you can also get it from All four X 4 in Kotara, they sell it by the roll which is sufficient to do a complete door. However it is not the same as the original.

The original was shaped to fit the bulge at the waist and already had the metal strips already bonded/moulded inside with the holes pre drilled and counter sunk.

The rivits should be mushroom headed rivets but most people merely use pop rivets.

[AKW]

The old seals had mushroom rivets.
I am thinking of using aluminium rivets with less
pressure than steel ones to stop the rubber
bulging out.


Andrew

[Lotz-A-Landies]

The old seals had mushroom rivets.
I am thinking of using aluminium rivets with less
pressure than steel ones to stop the rubber
bulging out.
AndrewYes they were aluminium "mushroom headed" solid rivets, the type you upset into place using a hammer snap and buckling bar or a pneumatic hammer with a special shaped tool and the buckling bar.

If you are really kean wanting a good seal without necessarily caring about originality, then you can cut off the lip in the door jam and use pinch-weld seal or even Defender pinch-weld door seals.

[AKW]

I want to keep it as close to original as possible.
I have most of the seal i need just need new metal
strips to go in it.
I have used mushroom rivets in leather before.
But i do not have the tools at the moment to use them now.
Was going to get aluminium pop rivets, but will ask about
the outher ones.
We have a good bolt shop in town.

When i get my daughter to show me how i will put some photos up.
Andrew

[AKW]

Success, got them off finally. Not too bad condition
had to cut a new thread on one bolt.
plenty of copper grease and back on.

Thanks for all help.


Andrew

[JDNSW]

Success, got them off finally. Not too bad condition
had to cut a new thread on one bolt.
plenty of copper grease and back on.

Thanks for all help.


Andrew

The threads may be either UNF or BSF - mine came with one door top each!

John