Safari door woes

[JeffR]

So, in a fit of enthusiasm I had a bit of a safari door inspection, rust held together by corrosion and structural paint..... Never mind I'll simply borrow the one off the V8.

Howks both doors and hinges off.  Fits less corroded door and sets about making it work. Finds that the panel that takes the upper hinge is somewhat miss aligned, actually it's more crooked than a politicians expenses claim.  

Never mind shouldn't be difficult to re-align said panel.

Wanna bet...........

Unscrews upper and lower bolts, finds panel needs to to pivot on the body capping bolt, this wretched thing

Un-does bottom nut no problem even if it was somewhat crusty, Top nut, well it looked perfect, not crusty, not even the colour of Trumps complexion, TWANG, it bloody shears off despite heating it with an induction heater .  

Bugger it. I'll put the spare one in. Spare one is the short type, I need the long one. Bad temper and tool throwing ensues. A job for another day cos like I really don't feel like taking the hard top off..... Feel the need for a bodge repair that does not involve taking the hard top off, again (don't ask).

Plan is to weld a length of M8 studding to the stub to increase length. But that requires taking the rear roll hoop out, and emptying the back of the vehicle.....

Never mind thats tomorrows job.

So tightens down the panel for the 111th time (including modifying g clamp to temporarily act as  MRC9833) and fits door hinges (do only the top and bottom hinges till door aligned with sensible chasms/water egress points gaps.

Hang door and step back to admire a perfectly fitted door, not.

Door bottom hitting threshold plate and seal but there aint enough adjustment available to lift the door up 5 or so mm.

Feel free to rearrange the following words into a sentence - out, toys, of, throw, pram.

Give up, blood pressure approaching at least 120 bar. 

Grab tungsten burr and make hinge holes very elongated. Sorta works. Door chasms almost acceptable. Except top of door too far in , way too far. Make shims, don't help.

Lets bend the top of the door outwards. Door off, violence ensues, door back on , rinse and repeat a few times. Last bend of door and garden becomes covered in small glass sprinkles as the window cries enough.  Tape tarpaulin over hole and go away to sulk and practice anglo saxon vocabulary. Then weather intervenes so give up.

Locate spare heated rear window and spend a happy few hours covering myself and window in sealant and losing all the stupid little screws that hold it in place.

Back to the grind

So door fits hole, more or less, actually definitely more less, think square peg in round hole.

Now for the striker plate. 

Old one was somewhat cattle trucked due to wear and tear.

Use spare. Sort out height first , gently (if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you cheap like) close door. It latches. Can't open the bar steward but it latches. No amount of harsh language , grunting, levering and tantrums will open the bugger.  

Climb into load area , trying, unsuccessfully,  to avoid the stuff (seats, tools, way too many sharp and pointy things and general debris)that appears to have taken up permanent residence in there:

Start to  remove door lock from frame. Captive nuts on nut plate (part number AFB710250) make a very successful bid for freedom. Drill the heads off and jobs a good un, well the door opens. Strangely enough I have a spare nut plate and fixings (no bloody idea when or why I bought them, blonde moment , senior moment, or off me mammaries on painkillers....). 

Have another go and another and another. Finally gets height correct. Door latches nicely and actually opens on the handle, no drilling, puncture wounds, acrobatics or bad language, just lift the handle and it opens.

Mark height with sharpie. My mam didn't raise a foolish child. Door is about sticking out about half inch too far so move striker plate in over by that much. Re tighten screws to about 2k ft lbs. Door flush with rear body work at last. 

Open and close half a dozen times. Go have a celebratory coffee.

Try to open said door. Nowt happens,  can feel lock mechanism trying to work, but it aint happening folks. Repeat the acrobatics (new puncture wounds, really must empty the load area or find knee pads and puncture proof gloves) to remove lock. Reset striker plate. Door opens and closes as it should. I'm a happy bunny. So closes (slams door would be a better, more accurate description) door for what should be the final time and goes for coffee.

Finds new rear door seal and sets off to fit it it.

Effing door will not open. 

WTF.

Wife takes gallon of petrol and box of matches off me, neighbours complain about bad language, cats hide in bathroom, Children leave home to stay with Aunty Mandy

Give up.

Get nominated for Nobel Prize for Sulking and Creative Use of Multi Language Swearing.

Leave it a day or two.

Phone a friend to gis a hand cos, well, I've found the petrol and matches, it may be E10, but it'll still burn......

Mate turns up, repeat removing door lock from door, complete with puncture wounds etc. Empties load area (there was some serious carp in there, including dead thing gravy that may or may not have once been a rodent). Repeats resetting striker plate (thank the good Lord for sharpies).

Mate opens and closes door numerous times, while I lay down in load area and watch the proceedings. Everything appears to be doing what Landrover wanted it to do. Then I get him to  vigorously close the door.....

Door jams, again. But this time I can see why:

this here panel flexes when one vigorously closes the bloody door enough jam the lock on the striker. Looks on V8 and low and behold theres a strengthening plate/bracket to prevent this from happening. 

Eureka

Its this:

Borrows the one off the V8. 

Phones local independent dealer for a price.  They can't find a part number, neither can I. Not a problem as V8 won't be back on the road in the near future, so I'll worry about that at a later date.

Oh and now the rear door lock has had enough and refuses to play at all. 

Job stopped till parts arrive.

I

GIVE

UP

Over a week to fit a bloody door.......

 

 

[jeremy996]

Sometimes I swear they are mocking us!

My LR90 has been off the road for 5 years and is avoiding a MOT by failing minor components each week. Last week was brake lights, this week the indicators stopped working, together with the heater fan and the fuel gauge sender.

[western]

The striker stiffener is item 15 there are right & left hand variants in photo attached

Not fitted to station wagon bodies, 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by western
incorrect diagram deleted.to avoid confusion.

[Retroanaconda]

That’s for the front doors Ralph, it’s a different part for the rear tail door.

I searched high and low for a part number Jeff but couldn’t find one. In the end I found that YRM sell it separately so bought one from them. 

[western]

Oh bu**er, should of took more notice of the sub title, I couldn't see one for the tail door, think it would be part of the rear tub, my 1989 110CSW doesn't have a stiffener there. 

[toenden]

1 hour ago, western said:

Oh bu**er, should of took more notice of the sub title, I couldn't see one for the tail door, think it would be part of the rear tub, my 1989 110CSW doesn't have a stiffener there. 

And here was me thinking: " you can get a left hung rear door?" 🤣

/mads

[Junglie]

17 hours ago, JeffR said:

So, in a fit of enthusiasm...

 

 

I have nothing to offer here except empathy (I'm encountering similar...challenges constantly as I drag my 110 kicking and screaming into the late 20th Century) and unbridled admiration for your writing skills.

You may be frustrated and a borderline arsonist, but you're a very entertaining writer.

 

[western]

Nothing for that stiffener for tail door in the upto 1986 110 parts book, 

[miketomcat]

The stiffener Jeff refers to is an odd one, a friend on but doesn't post @popeonarope discovered there existence when he had similar issues one vehicle had one the other didnt. I think he ended up obtaining one from a scrap tub.

Mike

[Snagger]

The bodies changed a few times.  109s don’t have that brace (the do have the front door striker braces as per Ralph’s manual pictures), so are very similar to the early 110.  The panels all got thinner and flimsier during the switch from 200tdi to 300. I’m not sure when the body cappings changed to use the shorter roof retaining studs or when the upper B/C pillars disappeared from the outside of the roof side panel and when this back door brace appeared, but I suspect it was all around the same time.

[FridgeFreezer]

I think we've all had days like this - more than a few times I've shut the garage door and walked away before I got tempted to torch the cussed thing

Stiffener looks very make-able for someone with a metal folder & a welder (or just a vice & a welder). Lock/striker adjustment can be a incredibly fussy though, so worth playing with that if you can muster the enthusiasm.

[JeffR]

41 minutes ago, FridgeFreezer said:

I think we've all had days like this - more than a few times I've shut the garage door and walked away before I got tempted to torch the cussed thing

Stiffener looks very make-able for someone with a metal folder & a welder (or just a vice & a welder). Lock/striker adjustment can be a incredibly fussy though, so worth playing with that if you can muster the enthusiasm.

I agree, it is a very east bit of fabrication , 

 

17 hours ago, jeremy996 said:

Sometimes I swear they are mocking us!

My LR90 has been off the road for 5 years and is avoiding a MOT by failing minor components each week. Last week was brake lights, this week the indicators stopped working, together with the heater fan and the fuel gauge sender.

I am convinced that  Defenders are actually sentient beings put on this world to cause us grief.

2 hours ago, western said:

Nothing for that stiffener for tail door in the upto 1986 110 parts book, 

Went through my parts book with a fine tooth comb, its odd that the V8 station wagon had one (1988/89) whilst the hard top diesel  (1985/86) does not. Had a look at three others last week (mid to late 90's) two had the stiffener one didn't. There is no rhyme or reason!

Gotta love the random fitment of parts carried out at Load Lane. It really makes life......................interesting.

[JeffR]

3 hours ago, Junglie said:

I have nothing to offer here except empathy (I'm encountering similar...challenges constantly as I drag my 110 kicking and screaming into the late 20th Century) and unbridled admiration for your writing skills.

You may be frustrated and a borderline arsonist, but you're a very entertaining writer.

 

If you want a giggle, look at the alternative workshop manual I wrote a few years back:

 

[FridgeFreezer]

2 hours ago, JeffR said:

Went through my parts book with a fine tooth comb, its odd that the V8 station wagon had one (1988/89) whilst the hard top diesel  (1985/86) does not. Had a look at three others last week (mid to late 90's) two had the stiffener one didn't. There is no rhyme or reason!

Could it be to do with the rear-mounted spare vs regular door vs catflap?

Not beyond LR or any other manufacturer to have random details like this - Ford got rumbled fitting an extra chassis bracket only on one side of one specific model that just happened to be the one that got crash-tested

[JeffR]

4 minutes ago, FridgeFreezer said:

Could it be to do with the rear-mounted spare vs regular door vs catflap?

Not beyond LR or any other manufacturer to have random details like this - Ford got rumbled fitting an extra chassis bracket only on one side of one specific model that just happened to be the one that got crash-tested

Back in the day I ran a Mk 3 Cortina (2 litre pinto eventually replaced with a 2.8 injection V6....), ex rep mobile with full dealer service history. Half the nuts bolts n screws were metric, half imperial....it was a "run out" model so had bits of Mk4 . bloody nightmare trying to buy parts for it

[JeffR]

1 hour ago, FridgeFreezer said:

Could it be to do with the rear-mounted spare vs regular door vs catflap?

Not beyond LR or any other manufacturer to have random details like this - Ford got rumbled fitting an extra chassis bracket only on one side of one specific model that just happened to be the one that got crash-tested

Thinking about the spare, when I bought the diesel it had both a bonnet mounted slick spare and a rear mounted spare ! The V8 station wagon had a rear mounted spare, you may have hit the nail squarely on the head mate

[western]

That stiffener is not on my '89 110CSW with a tail door mounted spare. 

[miketomcat]

@pope-on-a-ropethis is definitely one for you to chime in on!

Mike

[Junglie]

10 hours ago, JeffR said:

If you want a giggle, look at the alternative workshop manual I wrote a few years back:

 

Terrifyingly accurate.

And brilliant. Thanks for a chuckle.

[Retroanaconda]

https://yrmit.co.uk/product/hdg-rear-capping-tub-door-lock-strengthener-bracket-lr-defender/
 

[JeffR]

2 hours ago, Retroanaconda said:

https://yrmit.co.uk/product/hdg-rear-capping-tub-door-lock-strengthener-bracket-lr-defender/
 

one on its way....

[western]

Think I need to get one as well, as mine is missing, probably when the left rear lower panels were replaced years ago 

 

[JeffR]

1 hour ago, western said:

Think I need to get one as well, as mine is missing, probably when the left rear lower panels were replaced years ago 

 

I'm genuinely surprised at the difference it makes! 

Useless bit of info, when one is adjusting a door it helps to remember that the hinge screws really need tightening..................blonde moment/senior moment

[JeffR]

A very productive morning.  Found out one can replace MRC9833 without removing the hard top.

simply drill out these pop rivets:

And the corner panel (with a wee bit of levering) simply lifts out. Remove knackered MRC9833 , replace with correct part (or in my case a VW Passat B5.5 suspension bolt, cos its the correct length), replace rivets, tighten down nut and jobs a good un.

[Junglie]

Happy days

Who's running the sweepstake on what breaks next?