Door latch star wheels

Talk about the E-Type Series 1

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alunwill
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#1 Door latch star wheels

Post by alunwill » Tue Apr 08, 2025 1:39 pm

I'm at the stage of doing my shut lines before body prep and it's quite clear the star wheel bushes are well worn.

Is there anywhere you can get a refurbish kit for these latches.

Series 1, 2+2

Alun
Al

Series 1, 2+2
undergoing renovation

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alunwill
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#2 Re: Door latch star wheels

Post by alunwill » Tue Apr 15, 2025 2:32 pm

A useful fix.


Wobbly locks - worn bush, use the following part number from Accu, HSBF-12-16-19-PA. Bushes are £1.30 each, postage costs more than the part!

Basically a 12mm x 16mm x 19mm slide bearing with flange. You just need to slice one side with a hacksaw and it's a good fit.

I spot welded the shaft to the dog because you need to file the riveted end to get access.

Star wheels have no wobble but turn just fine.

Alun
Al

Series 1, 2+2
undergoing renovation

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abowie
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#3 Re: Door latch star wheels

Post by abowie » Wed Apr 16, 2025 12:32 am

Can you pop up a few pictures?
Andrew.
881824, 1E21538. 889457. 1961 4.3l Mk2. 1975 XJS. 1962 MGB. 1979 MGB.
http://www.projectetype.com/index.php/the-blog.html
Adelaide, Australia

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alunwill
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#4 Re: Door latch star wheels

Post by alunwill » Thu Apr 17, 2025 2:27 pm

Photos attached. 2nd shot shows the rivet ground flat with dremel.

3rd shot shows the new flanged bush on the srmature after I split it down one side with a hacksaw

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Al

Series 1, 2+2
undergoing renovation

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rfs1957
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#5 Re: Door latch star wheels

Post by rfs1957 » Tue May 06, 2025 11:14 am

My variant on this relates to Series 1, where the star-wheel is indexed by a pawl that engages directly on the star-wheel's teeth, the ones that you can see from the outside.

Unlike the Series 2 which visibly indexes on the other side of the support bush.

My car has 2.50mm "slop" at the peak of the tooth, visibly due to the shape of the "pawl" rather than - perhaps - the original poster's concern about the bushing.

Image

For a given position, with the door correctly closed, this may be irrelevant ; but I've run out of adjustment "inwards", and before I start drifting the threaded back-plate I would like to establish whether they are all like that ?

Am contemplating popping this open and reburbing everything, making new pins and bushes etc at the same time as I make new door hinge spindles.
Rory
3.8 OTS S1 Opalescent Silver Grey - built May 28th 1962

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Allrand
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#6 Re: Door latch star wheels

Post by Allrand » Wed May 07, 2025 8:06 am

I have the same problem as rfs 1957. Looking at Alun's pictures I think problem is play between the shaft and the inner star wheel, which welding has solved. I have a spare lock with the same problem which I'm going to open up and check.
Randall Botha
'64 3.8 fhc & '51 Mk 7 (now sold)

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rfs1957
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#7 Re: Door latch star wheels

Post by rfs1957 » Wed May 07, 2025 9:07 am

Look closely, Randall, as on my S1 the star/wheel latch is not at all like the one shown by Alun.

On his, indeed, the pawl indexes on an interior star-wheel - and where a welded repair could plausibly remove play between the inner and outer.

On mine, the pawl (and the locking mechanism, even) act on the same star-wheel body.

I'm not convinced that slop in the actual bush on mine would make any difference to the indexing, per se, and I'm even wondering whether the rotational slop in the tip (which is similar on both sides of my car) might not be deliberate, something along the lines of allowing for a recoil once the door has hit the rubbers.

Andy Rayner at Hutsons is going to have a look for me, they've got two Series 1 in the workshop right now.

(PS Are there any more available, helpful, and knowledgeable individuals in the trade than Andy Rayner ?)
Last edited by rfs1957 on Wed May 07, 2025 11:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rory
3.8 OTS S1 Opalescent Silver Grey - built May 28th 1962

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rfs1957
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#8 Re: Door latch star wheels

Post by rfs1957 » Wed May 07, 2025 11:07 am

Fresh from Hutsons in Bradford, thanks Andy.

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He confirms, Series 1 repro latches have way more than 2.50mm movement at the tip, and the original ones he has are between 2.50 - 3.00, so mine are actually quite good.

This is an original design feature, and not why peoples' doors aren't closing as they want.
Rory
3.8 OTS S1 Opalescent Silver Grey - built May 28th 1962

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Allrand
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#9 Re: Door latch star wheels

Post by Allrand » Thu May 08, 2025 2:28 pm

I stripped an old S1 lock to see what happens inside. There is an inherant 'tolerance', as shown in the 1st 2 pics. Another problem is accumulated dirt preventing the spring loaded pawl from returning to all the way to rest, as shown in the 3rd pic. (I used a short piece of dowl stick as a dummy shaft, not accurately drilled but it illustrates the point). There's no real chance of oil or lubricant getting to those pivot points behind the chromed cover, apart from dunking the whoe assembly into a penetrating lubricant. Also ensure that the door handle button has some slight free play before pushing the release mechanism.

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Randall Botha
'64 3.8 fhc & '51 Mk 7 (now sold)

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