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eth727
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2007
Posts: 542
Location: san diego
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 Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 8:18 pm Post subject: anyone been injured trying to fix big window hatch springs? |
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| Has anyone been injured trying to fix big window hatch springs? |
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Karl
Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2001
Posts: 6170
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
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| Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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| They are a bitch. Damn near killed me! |
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Tone Dog
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2003
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Fuck, brings back bad memories. My dad once got stuck on one of those pressure springs and could not free his fingersunderneath it. He was in serious pain, damn. Peace Out always have 2 people present when working on this part of the bus... |
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Zed
Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2005
Posts: 281
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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Yes. Mine are broken (anyone have a set for sale?) and when I pried the broken hinge up with a screwdriver, the tip of my finger got caught. Luckily it was only the tip and I was able to pull it out, but it hurt like a bitch.
I had no idea this part was so dangerous, or I would have been much more careful. I know now. |
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campingbox 
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000
Posts: 10261
Location: Petaluma, CA
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| Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Read your Bentley manual. Swapping these out is a piece of cake, even for one person as long as you use common sense. It's all about leverage, so you'll want to have a large arsenal of big screwdrivers within reach. |
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BarryL
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 15430
Location: Casa de Oro, California
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 8:17 am Post subject: |
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| Even with a full jaw motorcycle helmet on you could get your faced ripped vertically with those in just a fraction of a heartbeat. |
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bill may
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2003
Posts: 14160
Location: san diego,ca
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Ragman
The Sambinator
Joined: July 18, 2003
Posts: 3518
Location: Denver
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 10:13 am Post subject: |
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| I fixed my rear hatch a couple weekends ago. The force behind the lever is wicked for sure. The problem with using a screw driver is that there is no hook on the end of it to attach to the spring when prying it open. And the more you pry it open the easier it is for the screw driver to slip down and send the spring smashing forward. |
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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 11229
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 11:19 am Post subject: |
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| bill may wrote: |
Ed = you own a 1958 and have a piano hinge. no hatch springs on your bus.  |
You're behind the times, Bill. Ed traded the '58 plus cash for Keith's '66 13-window.
--Dan |
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eth727
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2007
Posts: 542
Location: san diego
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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| yeah Bill I traded for Keith's '66 deluxe. |
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stephenmullens
Samba Member
Joined: January 13, 2005
Posts: 1927
Location: New Mexico
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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| bill may wrote: |
| Ed = you own a 1958 and have a piano hinge. no hatch springs on your bus. |
I've been smacked in the chin [[once]] by the hatch itself...never agian...those springs are very strong. I hope I never have to work on one. I don't like to walk behind a horse either. |
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eth727
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2007
Posts: 542
Location: san diego
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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| O shiit! |
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bill may
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2003
Posts: 14160
Location: san diego,ca
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bushaus
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2007
Posts: 809
Location: Long Beach, Calif
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 12:49 am Post subject: |
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Those damn things were the very first thing I chose to repair on my bus, and they are loaded like a bear trap.
I found that using that new Stanley demolition tool the "Max Fubar" (lowes, home depot) replicated the function of the original VW dealer tool quite well. Wear gloves, keep your face away, study it and realize the way the tension works. PS, take pics before taking apart so you'll know how it goes back together. Good Luck.
_________________
1967 13 window walkthru bus
1965 Karmann Kabriolett beetle
| hitest wrote: |
| Even if completed, the abarth's gonna belch spluey all over your Eriba. |
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Stocknazi
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2004
Posts: 5546
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 5:05 am Post subject: |
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the tool is also listed in the vw local manufacture tools list. i use a large screwdriver.
_________________
WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).
"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson |
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Ragman
The Sambinator
Joined: July 18, 2003
Posts: 3518
Location: Denver
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Zed wrote: |
Yes. Mine are broken (anyone have a set for sale?) and when I pried the broken hinge up with a screwdriver, the tip of my finger got caught. Luckily it was only the tip and I was able to pull it out, but it hurt like a bitch.
I had no idea this part was so dangerous, or I would have been much more careful. I know now. |
Zed,
You might want to try this guy...
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=328663
I asked him about getting a pair just because I want a spare set, but I haven't got anwhere with him yet. |
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mr. warehouse
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2001
Posts: 5002
Location: Nor Cal 707
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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I *just* did this on my '66 today.
Leverage is the key. Took me about 10 minutes to pull apart, swap the broken hinge and 2 minutes to put back together.
Instead of a screw driver, I used a long handle from a pair of channel locks. The rubber coating kept the "slipping" to virtually nothing.
New door, new hinge, I'm stoked.
I found out the hinges are the same for T3 and T2 as well as being left and right. Keep that in mind when buying them. |
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kombisutra
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2003
Posts: 4127
Location: San Anselmo, 10 miles North Of San Francisco
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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Trying to swap the springs on the Airport Bus proved futile without the right tools, and the bus up and flipped two whole revelutions off the ground and landed smack dab on one of the unsuspecting cows eating cud right next to it. Killed the cow. I took some of the cow home and ate it, and pondered the difficulty of the job with the wrong tools.
After that I had some Sardines...
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