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Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:28 pm

I rebuiilt a broken cargo door mechism from a 59 panel today. Have pics of the inside and how to do it. It was easy BUT you only need to drill or dremel out the four rivets on the rear. Use a screw driver to gently pry it open and see how it works.

This is what the inside looks like

I didn't see any other post where this was shown.

Hope it helps.

Thu Aug 20, 2009 6:17 pm

Nice information, thanks for posting.

Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:13 am

took my lock apart the main action in the center looks like pot metal so I decide to try and braze it with silver/copper solder only to find out pot metal has a lower melting point :cry: so I took a barely working door mechanism and made it parts. I can assume that this is the part that wears out in everyone's so finding a good one will be in a door mechanism that doesn't need repair. hey at least I tried

Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:56 am

interesting post. in the future i can see someone repopping those to fix worn/broken latches

Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:40 pm

I am considering having a batch made of the piece I melted. but I am guessing the demand would not be too great as a good used mechanism goes for $25 here on the samba

Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:55 pm

Amazing how much better that piece could be made today...better steel, Delrin or Teflon bushings....but I guess that holds true for pretty much of the rest of the bus as well! :lol: :lol:

Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:57 pm

Oh, and I would like to open mine up to clean/lubricate/ inspect the maddening squeak in there...what size rivets would I need to put it back together, or is there a way I could use nuts and bolts to close it back up?

Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:58 pm

nice post,so is the earlier style also potmetal or?????????

Mon Mar 08, 2010 8:42 am

sventinker wrote: I am considering having a batch made of the piece I melted. but I am guessing the demand would not be too great as a good used mechanism goes for $25 here on the samba yes, but how many of those latches are worn?

Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:05 pm

bushaus wrote: Oh, and I would like to open mine up to clean/lubricate/ inspect the maddening squeak in there...what size rivets would I need to put it back together, or is there a way I could use nuts and bolts to close it back up?

I was going to tack weld mine back together. The rivets are are the guide pins these parts slide on so they may be able to locate. By welding them no one would see them as they are hidden between the door. Eric and Barb comented once on drilling and tapping the rivets I think. But the rivets are very small.

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Quote:
sventinker wrote:
I am considering having a batch made of the piece I melted. but I am guessing the demand would not be too great as a good used mechanism goes for $25 here on the samba
yes, but how many of those latches are worn?

very true I have contacted a machine shop that will 3-d map one for me but I will need a perfect example to start with... :?:

Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:25 pm

bushaus wrote: Oh, and I would like to open mine up to clean/lubricate/ inspect the maddening squeak in there...what size rivets would I need to put it back together, or is there a way I could use nuts and bolts to close it back up?

I just drilled a small hole in the back of the unit (using grease so the filings would not go into the assembly) and then used my grease gun and squirted grease in there until it started to squirt out by the latch. It works great and is super quiet now! I can't take the credit for the idea, though. I think Greg or Clara mentioned it on here somewhere awhile ago.

Arthur

Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:34 am

arthurnugen wrote: bushaus wrote: Oh, and I would like to open mine up to clean/lubricate/ inspect the maddening squeak in there...what size rivets would I need to put it back together, or is there a way I could use nuts and bolts to close it back up?

I just drilled a small hole in the back of the unit (using grease so the filings would not go into the assembly) and then used my grease gun and squirted grease in there until it started to squirt out by the latch. It works great and is super quiet now! I can't take the credit for the idea, though. I think Greg or Clara mentioned it on here somewhere awhile ago.

Arthur

I like that idea! Thanks!

Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:47 am

I thought about that too but once you open one up you will want to clean it up. I found broken washers, sand, and metal shavings. Plus I think squeezing in a ton of grease there is a chance on a hot day the grease or oil from the grease would seep out and down your door.

Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:52 am

sventinker wrote: I thought about that too but once you open one up you will want to clean it up. I found broken washers, sand, and metal shavings. Plus I think squeezing in a ton of grease there is a chance on a hot day the grease or oil from the grease would seep out and down your door.

Good points about the internals. However, I did the grease trick a couple of years ago and there was a little seepage initially but it was not runny at all. It didn't go down the door, even when exposed to heat and sunlight all day.

Arthur

Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:41 am

arthurnugen wrote: sventinker wrote: I thought about that too but once you open one up you will want to clean it up. I found broken washers, sand, and metal shavings. Plus I think squeezing in a ton of grease there is a chance on a hot day the grease or oil from the grease would seep out and down your door.

Good points about the internals. However, I did the grease trick a couple of years ago and there was a little seepage initially but it was not runny at all. It didn't go down the door, even when exposed to heat and sunlight all day.

Arthur

I always am of the mindset of home where we hit 120 degrees every summer. would any one want to buy a new replacement center action piece (locking style)?

Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:26 pm

I gathered up a couple more Cargo door mechanism and dissected them. So out of my three two are the same and one is not. But the odd man out seemed to be in the best shape. First thing to do is drill out the rivets on the back side and remove cover. This mechanism is stamped BuM 211 841 605d. the method of cleaning was to wire brush each part with brake parts cleaner, scrape hard gunk with flat screw driver, and finish on a brass wire wheel. The housing was sand blasted and sprayed with primer because original plating was failing. The center rotating "pot metal" piece like the one before was worn the same way but not as bad so I whipped up some JB weld and applied to the inside of a tape mold I made. Today now set I ground it down to better specs and function. Here are the pictures of re-assembly.

I greased the inside where any moving part would touch.

the clamp was necessary to hold the back on tight the drilled rivet nearest mt thumb has to be secured tight as the arm on this shaft for the lock is spring loaded and will cock sideways thus binding on the piece that rotates when you lock the mechanism

I then welded the rivets and ground down the welds almost flush.

The lock now works so phenomenally bitchen that I am so stoked and excited to put it on. but first it goes under my pillow so we can bond. A special thanks to Kombisutra for renewing my faith in JB weld. oh and if your going to ask what kind of grease I used it is the wrong kind for this application no need to point it out. (wheel bearing grease) goodnight I'm going to bed with mechanism in hand.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:01 am

:lol: Great!

Sat Mar 27, 2010 7:48 am

Excellent job and attention to detail. My own opinion of the JB is that it will get soft from the grease and friction and crumble into your beautiful work.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:47 am

I hope to have another rebuilt by having the worn piece re-made thus eliminating the use of the JB. I thought for sure the JB would break off as I only re did the tips that move those heavy arms and door rods. But the jb really adhered to the "pot metal". I only got discouraged when I found how easy it was to sand down. If I had the re machined part this would have been a great rebuild. And unfortunately the innards are different to the others I have so my Idea of making a batch of this armature would be fruitless if there were so many variations they would not match. Volkswagen obviously had these made by different manufactures based on the different stampings.

Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:19 pm

Thank you for the reminder to use a paper towel before rebuilding parts on the new kitchen counter tile... :wink:

Great pics and how-to. Thanks for taking the time to do it.