Late Model Bay Door Stay Rejuvenation

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Amskeptic
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Late Model Bay Door Stay Rejuvenation

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Sep 11, 2018 8:27 am

This procedure will be relevant for those late-model bus owners with those hideous cheap one-position door stays that don't stay anyway who are d@mn sick and tired of:

*getting booted in the backside by their door as they set their Diet Coke down ahead of the seat
*getting their coffee knocked out of their hand
*getting their leg trapped by a closing door when trying to look up under the dash
*hearing creepy creaks when their door is opened or closed

I had declared my door stay dead and just reflexively bought another one without any consideration of repairing the original one.
I picked up a used one from Interstate Parts in Lake Elsinore CA, that behaved exactly the same as my original one.
Three years later, my door has booted me in the butt, clamped my leg, knocked over my coffee for the last time . . .

Early Style - two positions, vertical blade, spring-loaded rollers up through 1975?
Late Style - single position, horizontal blade, rubber compression buffers

Remove door panel and obtain access to front of door cavity (I went through my speaker vapor barrier flap). Loosen the two circled phillips screws, loosen, do not remove:

Image


Now open door only halfway and remove the e-clip at the bottom of the shouldered pin that holds the door stay to the a-pillar. By gently rocking door open/close, you can unload the pin and remove from the stay and the a-pillar. Remove the screws and withdraw the entire hitherto exceptionally rude and useless door stay. It will be in a half-extended state. look at how the rubber pieces are oriented inside of the housing. Orient door stay blade vertical with the end that was attached to the a-pillar down on a hard surface. Knock assembly downward and it will disassemble itself for you. Clean all parts, including the shouldered pin which should be given a crosshatch sanding on the thrust surfaces:

Image


You don't even have to disassemble the rubber compression pieces, this repair is so blindingly simple. Now cut up your credit card (you know you want to) so you can have two small pieces of credit card that match the profile of the rubber compression pieces:

Image


Follow the green arrows from the destroyed credit card to the resurrected door stay. See where the plastic shims go? That fixes the entire door stay. They help push the rubber pieces against the blade. Note the vertical stripes inside the housing that show you how the rubber compression pieces are oriented. They are trapezoidal and must match the profile of the door stay blade in the fully open position. Stick the door stay blade halfway into the housing and lay the rubber compression pieces over the ruined credit card remnants. You'll have to press a bit. Blob a shot of silicone grease (best) or regular grease (second best) on the door stay blade at the rubber pieces:

Image


Bring the rejuvenated assembly back to the door, and you will see that the act of bolting it back to the door traps the rubber compression pieces nicely. Position the door so you can stick the well-greased shouldered pin into the a-pillar bracket. Pluff the speaker flap back where it is supposed to reside and reassemble your door.
Amazingly, the door will now stay open. Amazingly, your whole life improves.
Colin

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asiab3
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Re: Late Model Bay Door Stay Rejuvenation

Post by asiab3 » Thu Jan 10, 2019 9:14 pm

Like the Lubrication Notes, I had to read this one a few times before having a "duh" moment. Thanks for posting this, I will recommend it to every late bus owner I encounter. Because they've ALL whacked me in the rear. Not a pleasant way to start an encounter, either…

Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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tristessa
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Re: Late Model Bay Door Stay Rejuvenation

Post by tristessa » Fri Jan 11, 2019 6:23 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
Tue Sep 11, 2018 8:27 am
Early Style - two positions, vertical blade, spring-loaded rollers up through 1975?
Through early-ish '75 like mine at least; can check a later '75 on Sunday if you'd like. It would be interesting to see what '76 has; I've seen some early '76s with very "'75-ish" features, presumably build while VW used up leftover parts at the factory...
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tommu
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Re: Late Model Bay Door Stay Rejuvenation

Post by tommu » Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:32 am

76 here. Two positions, most open position is very sure of itself, half open is not so certain.

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