Stuck and stripping latch bolts

[ehoff]

I am trying to remove the rear latch on the sliding door to replace some innards and re grease some parts. My goal is to avoid door popping on the highway, which is really annoying. PO's daughter cut a turn too hard and mangled the rear portion of the slider, which may be causing some issues as well. In any event, the large, brass, phillips headed screws that hold the latch mech on are stripping and STUCK! Any ideas, I figured I can always drill them off, but with the door on the angle is weird and I fear messing up the latch. I guess I could always source another.

Any ideas?

Oh, I have tried a manual screwdriver, a cordless drill, and a electric drill, all to no avail. I have also soaked them in WD. Thanks.

[dobryan]

I like to use an impact driver for those.

https://www.acwholesalers.com/Klein-Tools/70229-Re...OgodSmQAHw
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[Gruppe B]

I agree with dobryan, you are using the wrong tools, none of which can remove those phillips screws.

You need to get an impact driver.

The hittting force of the hammer pushes the tool into the phillips cross preventing camout and loosens it at the same time. Will not strip

works like a charm...

[fraggle00]

Yes, hand held impact driver is the best tool, but it might be too late.

WD40 is crap in this application, too. Go out to your FLAPs and pick up some PB BLASTER. This stuff is designed to penetrate and loosen corrosion, I've used it many times with big success.
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'91 Vanagon Carat
'87 Porsche 928S4 DOWN
'12 Fiat 500 Abarth

[VANGAUX]

This may be too late since it sounds as if the screw heads may be messed up, but I recommend using a #3 phillips head bit with a bit adapter on a socket wrench unless you are removing the door completely. When I recently removed those screws on my van, that worked great with no harm to the screw heads.

GoWesty and VanCafe both sell a replacement spring kit for the central lock (Bentley pic 58-267) that replaced the weak springs with new ones and includes new screws.
http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=23924&category_id=400&category_parent_id=
or
http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_2073_1085/sliding_door_latch_spring_kit.html

The new springs solved my unwanted door popping open problem.

Good luck
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1991 Westy

[goffoz]

Impact driver is awkward in this location.
Its important to have the right sized phillips head...very important
If you put a phillips head bit, in a socket, on a ratchet driver, you can put some force on the screw, then give the end of the ratchet handle a sharp hit with a small hammer...in the direction you want to turn.
This works like a impact driver...less forcefull..and will pop the screw loose
PB blaster it first.

[dobryan]

You may want to remove the sliding door anyway if you are trying to clean things up. Once you know the secret decoder ring way of getting it off it is not hard at all, especially if you have a second person to help (highly recommended).

The Bentley shows how to do it.

Here is a link to the FAQ which details many ways to rehab the door mechanisms.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6236057#6236057
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[ehoff]

OK, so the impact driver got the lower one out. The top on the other hand, is now completely stripped. I have gone the drill the heck out of it approach, which has yet to be successful. The angle is awkward. I am going to pull the door off and see what I can do. Any good ideas?

[syncrodoka]

Pull the door off and drill it out with a left hand drill bit(bit cuts in reverse direction). The drill bit will heat up the screw and in addition to the vibration that is created they often back out the hardware during drilling.

[geo_tonz]

Too little too late maybe but for anyone else doing this:

1. Remove the door...2 small philips screws on the slider rail cover and the rest comes apart no problem with no tools. Lay the door down on a thick blanket.
2. Use an impact driver. I believe these screws are lock-tighted so this is really the best method.
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"Ron Burgundy": 1991 Vanagon Multivan (Weekender) 2.1L Auto - Driver/Camper