Door shut mechanism adjustment

[ChrisC]

Folks,

1964 4.2 Series 1 FHC.

I am noticing recently that my Driver door is able to open very slightly.

By this I mean that the door shuts and fully secures as it should and is NOT opening onto its safety position but when the door is in the 'shut' position, it has the ability to spring back 3-4mm. Which whilst safely locked means the panel fit is not as it should be anymore. The Striker plate is at the furthest back position (i.e. there is no more adjustment to pull the door tighter closed).

I do notice that the toothed locking 'gear' (no idea what its called but the toothed wheel that rotates into the striker plate to keep the door shut) when locked has almost a whole tooth of rotational free play. In my mind that free play is what is probably allowing the door to open slightly.

The door lock itself seems to be a sealed unit and I am reluctant to drill out the rivets to take a look inside for wear because a replacement lock is darned expensive. Any suggestions?

As I say the striker plate has no more adjustment and I want my perfect panel fit back :)

[paulsco]

Hi Chris,

It might be counterintuitive, but sometimes adjusting the striker plate further out, has the effect of allowing the toothed wheel to turn a little further and 'click over' to the next position, pulling the door closer in.

Paul

[ChrisC]

An intriguing idea but I understand the concept...

[Mich7920]

He said "the striker plate has no more adjustment"
So it's not the solution for him I think.

[paulsco]

I think Chris means no more adjustment inwards.

[ChrisC]

I think Chris means no more adjustment inwards.

Confirmed - the striker will not move any further inwards towards the interior of the car.

[Mich7920]

My translater don't take further OUT...
Having said that, I have the same problem as Chris and don't see how that can bring the door any closer.

[politeperson]

Move the striker plate out to get the second click.

[ChrisC]

Well, I tried the counter intuitive idea and sadly for me, moving the striker plate outwards simply meant I made the locked door position worse. So for now, its back in the best position I can get and will have to put up with a very slightly (now around 2mm) protruding door which is a shame because it actually closes perfectly.

[paulsco]

Hi Chris,

I’m sorry to hear that my suggestion didn’t work for you.
You mention the movement on the toothed gear; I wonder if it is the spindle that it is rotating on, that is loose.

I found that there was movement here on mine and I too did not want to purchase a new one, so I put some weld on the back of it to stop any movement. It works fine now.





Paul

[ChrisC]

I can take a look at that too Paul - thanks... there has to be wear somewhere.

I cant imagine driving the car for a while, that's why I am playing with door gaps and replacing door rubbers etc. It is nice to have 2 doors that close under their own weight.

Looking at your pictures - your weld triggers a thought... I could drill out the top of the rivets, take a look inside to resolve whatever ails the mechanism then pop a small weld on the top of the rivets to hold it all together again.

[MaroonV12]

Did you ever solve this problem? I have the exact same issue as the star wheel has a lot of play so the door doesn't close fully (firmly)

[MarekH]

The Striker plate is at the furthest back position (i.e. there is no more adjustment to pull the door tighter closed).

As I say the striker plate has no more adjustment and I want my perfect panel fit back

Take the three large countersunk bolts holding the striker plate and turn their diameter down in a lathe by ~2-3mm about 1.5cm from the ends. What you are doing here is making the bolt "thin", but only at the place where it passes through the Bpost. This means that when reinserted, the striker plate now mysteriously has 2-3mm more adjustment in all directions than it did before.

If you cut too much, the bolt will obviously snap, so don't overdo it. These bolts are dirt cheap from any nuts and bolts shop. I use Margnor in Jacobs Well for all of my hardware. Their range is much more extensive than their website. It's much cheaper than adding a "C" number to everything and then tripling the price.

Also, bear in mind that things bounce because they are hitting something. If your Bpost rubber seal is too stiff or the door card rubs at the Bpost, it will be enough to spoil the door closure.

Done correctly, you can let the door close under its own weight with a satisfying "clunk" from just 6" away - no need to slam.

kind regards
Marek

[caveman]

If your Bpost rubber seal is too stiff

I’m still trying to locate soft B post seals as too many reproductions I’ve ordered over the years and tried, cause my doors to bounce and push out. Failing that, is there a trick the professionals use in slimming them down etc to achieve the elusive 6” shut test?

[mgcjag]

Hi Steve....Bains are the normal "go to place"....when I trimmed my 2+2 I was advised by a trimmer to not use over thick foam on the door cards and on the top capping cut the foam back where it would mate to the door seal so you just have the vinyl and no foam under it in these positions....also how thick are your door cards should be 3mm rather than the easily obtainable 4mm..Steve

[caveman]

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply and tips.
Never considered the door card thickness before but having just checked, mine are clear of the vertical trim, which is good as they seem to be thicker versions.
I have a set of Baines rubbers ready to go so will revisit again and have another play. My doors shut nicely from 6” but the rubbers don’t compress enough to provide a flush fit of the doors, when looking down the outside line, and I can hear/see the rubbers compressing, at top most edge, when I over force the door panel shut with my flat hand. The current rubber profile, glued in the channel, seems to have excess rubber (top most curve mainly) with nowhere to go comfortably, on compression. I think this is my problem as I have reseated the seal on a number of occasions, in an attempt to get it sitting right. I also shaved the glue surface in an attempt to lose some excess material, which helped.

[MarekH]

You can Dremel the seals if you have to. For example, if the channel is held in with pop rivets, you can thin out the backside of the seal where it sits over the rivet heads.

kind regards
Marek