Thu 22 Sep 2011
Both seats were loose. The driver’s seat backrest did not stay in position. It sagged backwards making it uncomfortable. So I removed it and found 2 loose bolts and a separated weld. Once I goth the nut for one of the bolts threaded on with a telescoping magnet, everything went back together nicely. I did have to unclip about 3/4 of the lower cushion so I could have access to the under side where the bolts were. Now the backrest is fully adjustable and working great!!
I dropped in a new air filter from Amazon. So much cheaper than the auto parts store for the same Wix filter!! I also found a slow fuel leak by the frame rail. I tightened the loose hose clamps.
The inside driver’s kick panel required a right angle screw drive to get out. I had to tape it to a screw driver to get it to reach. The only difficult bolt to remove was the outer hinge bolt. It’s a tight fit to reach it. So I used a 3/8 drive socket and several extensions to reach it. I used the 1/2″ drive ratchet for torquing it up tight.
Here is the lower driver’s side door hinge. The end of the pin is staked from the factory. So I ground it off with a Dremel so the pin would slide out nicely.
I used a 19mm socket and my vice to press the pin out. Very easy. This pic was to remind me how the hinge goes back together.
The same socket was used to hold the hinge up while the vice clamped it. I used a punch to drive the old busing out. It needed to be worked out as it was still pressed in and not loose.
Here are both bushings removed. Thankfully they were not worn down to so as to damage the steel.
The new bushings slid right into the holes. Note how they are oriented. Then slide the hinge back together. It’s a tight fit. So wiggle the hinge halves around to find a spot where both the bushings can slide into their correct positions.
Then again using the 19mm socket, I pressed in the new pin using the vice. The head has serrations under the head. They are what hold the hinge pin in place. The pin should be pressed into place rather than hammered to keep the serrations as healthy as possible. You can see one of the new bushings in this pic.
I didn’t have a tool to restake the new pin. So I just left it. The pin pressed in nicely so I think it will last forever. The original pin was still tightly in position.
The hinge was very nicely centered with the fresh bushings. The action is as smooth as glass.