FAQ Search Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in

[Ron Palgrave]

1] Phase 1 Olympic: Is it known how the factory drilled the hinge box holes for the door swivel pins?
2] Has anyone recorded the positional dimensions of the hole centres in both top and bottom box?
The subject holes in the boxes of our car are broken to about the size of a 50p coin. This probably relates, in part, to the door hinge centre-lines diverging by more than 10 degrees! I am aware that improved and more tolerant designs exist, but, for the moment, I lean towards retaining the original concept. That means reinstating the imaginary swivel pin positions, or near to. But I don’t have much to go on at the moment.

[keith hamer]

Ron,

My suggestion would be to use the door with the hinges fitted to ascertain an approximate position for the holes you ape referring to.

You would need to fit the hinges to the door and then project a line along the face of the door to just passed the hinge pin pivot using perhaps some thin plywood. You should then be able to measure both the measurements you need from that, my guess is that you need the door face extension to the hinge pivot, inward, and a measurement from the front edge of the door to the hinge pivot, going forward.

I have a couple of Olympics which don't have the doors fitted so I will see if I can get some reference measurements for you later today.

As far as drilling is concerned the only way we have managed is with a 90 degree angled drill and very short bit.
_________________
Working to increase the profile of Rochdale Cars

[Ron Palgrave]

Thanks for that "Wizardly" offer. I should fill in with some background. My driver side door is from another car and came detached with the car. It had never been fitted and, looking at the hinge alignment never could. The passenger side only has the upper hinge fitted; the lower one came separated because the related door face is damaged. So I wanted to establish a baseline somewhere and I thought that [roughly] fixing axis of rotation would be best. Any errors would be adjusted within the clearances of the pin hole. I started off making paper “rubbings” of the lower box face but they are so damaged as to be inconclusive.
Initially I made an assumption that looking from the side, the axis would be vertical. Looking from the front the top of the axis would lean in at the top so as to help the self-closing effect. But making such measurements as I can do not totally confirm my assumptions. For example, the lower hinge protrudes from the door edge more than the upper. So your measures would be absolutely invaluable!
I am thinking of making up some sort of wooden alignment jig which, in conjunction with your breadboard idea will get hinge box inner surfaces that are flat and parallel. Probably need one for each side! Then use your right angle drill approach to drill pilot holes in each box. Finally make a cut-out in the upper wing and, with a long series drill, align all the holes.
I look forward to any measures you can make please.

Ron Palgrave

[keith hamer]

Ron,

I managed to do some measurements of the hinge position on my ph1 lightweight, which has the door hinges/doors fitted so I have had to make some allowances but they should be accurate enough as a starter point. The other two cars in the workshop which I had hoped to use for the measurements both have damaged hinge boxes much like you car.

The bottom hinge pivot hole position is 40mm in from the outer surface of the car, and 30mm in from the front shut line of the hinge box.

The top hinge pivot hole position is 30mm in from the outer surface of the car, and 40mm in from the door shut line.

I hope this makes sense.
_________________
Working to increase the profile of Rochdale Cars

[Ron Palgrave]

Thanks very much Keith. It will form a good starting point. The axis of rotation will probably not end up exactly in those points of course. I will turn up new "top hats" with bigger diameter flanges and then make the final hole diameter1/4 inch oversize to cater for this.
Again thanks very much

Ron Palgrave