Door catches

[shaun]

Does anyone have a photo of the X1/9 door catch installed in the door? The handle installation was straight forward but I fail to see how the rest fits/connects up. Guess this bit is normally covered by the door card, just to complicat life.

[mogul_x]

Shaun,

The latch mechanism attaches directly to the rear surface of the door via three screws. You need a large hole for the latch "cam" to stick through, and a 3 hole pattern to match the tapped holes in the latch "frame". It should be positioned so the long lever is aligned with the pivoting block (in the unlocked position) on the back of the exteroir door handle assembly.

The pivoting block should have a ball cast onto a small pedestal on it. This connects via a short pushrod with a plastic socket to the interior lock button lever on the latch mecanism.

If you have a Hawk, there are marks on the door panel to give you an idea where the latch should be positioned. If you have a Corse, I'm not sure what to expect.

If this description doesn't make sense, let me know. I'll try to put a latch set together and get a couple of pictures.

[Chris J]

Gerry H. has a trick of finding out where the latch should be fixed in the door aperture using plastercine.

[shaun]

That makes it a bit clearer, didn't realise the catch just pushes onto the latch to open as it were. I still have a problem with a brand new X1/9 door handle which refuses to lock with the key. That can go on the drivers side as the passenger might need to be locked in.

I'll get the hole cutter out this weekend, dreading the first cut. Might be like the door hinges, drill 5 holes and find the 6th has been already drilled but fillered up.

While I'm on doors, the rubber surround appears too thick. The door will not fully close, I presume there are thinner seals available?

[Sando]

Hi Shaun.
Hope the weather warms up nicely over the next few weeks!

I had a problem with one side of my 'new' door handles too. I remember having to kock out the pivot pin to take the part you pull out of the shell and I had to grind a bit of plastic off that was stopping it working properly. I can't remember if it was because it wouldn't lock or not, I think it was. It works fine now though, but I couldn't understand at the time why it was made 'not to work'...... perhaps it was a reject! Still matched pairs are hard to come by so it was worth sorting out.

I went for a thinner door rubber too as I had trouble getting my doors to latch and line up with the bodywork with the thick seal. I just got a thinner type from a trimmer. (Woolies) I think there it may have been in a thread on here a long time ago. Gerrant was also looking for a thinner door seal at the show last week.

PS be prepared to have to shape/grind the latch / striker. I had to thin mine down quite a bit. There was also a comment in the 'build manual' ;) about a modified item being available from Gerry H. May be worth a call or perhaps someone else can comment?

Speak to you soon
Rob

[shaun]

Ah, the angle grinder back out, can't wait.

[strat6v]

The door latches need a spacer fitting on the shaft which is a cutting and welding job. The spacer is needed because of the extra thickness of the grp compared to steel. I think Gerry offers this as a service but i don't know if he advertises this.

John.

[guy mayers]

If anyone has a spare pair of latch mechanisms we could use and pass around builders this might save some headaches! If the protruding part of the lock is cut off then the remaing internal parts can be put in place and the three mounting holes drilled from the inside. The larger hole can then be cut using the three bolt holes for reference with the help of a template copied from an X1.9 door? Just a thought after all these years..... I remember getting it wrong on both doors and having to glass everything up at least once each side!
Guy

[mogul_x]

Great idea on the template, Guy! If nobody else can come up with the parts, let me know. The junkyard that I got my latches from had three X1/9's, and wasn't the sort of place that cleaned up regularly.

I got the only good set of exterior handles, but if the cars are still there, I might be able to get the internal bits and a chunk of door on the cheap.

[shaun]

A cutting and welding job, might save that for another day. I thought it was just a case of brazing a bolt on to the catch, four holes and hey presto it all fits together and works first time.

So three options, cut and weld shaft or grind the back plate down or glass in some metal sheet thinner than the door.

Templates would be a good idea, even if they were on the back page of the club mag.

[SUSIT]

Hi Shaun
An area to be very careful with. both mechanisms on my doors broke free when the securing screws pulled through the fibreglass. Took a long time to reglass the hole get the thickness right and redrill the mounting holes in the correct place. I am sure it took 3 attempts on one side. One of the jobs a Dremil is very useful for due to lack of space.

[shaun]

Looks like I have modified and original versions, think that job can wait until early April. As for the Dremel, keep thinking how useful one would be.

[strat6v]

Right hand catch is ok.

[Sando]

Mine were modified a bit too much then! I had to thin down the 'u' shaped bit that hits the striker.
As you'll find though shaun hanging the doors and getting the catches right can take ages. Then a few weeks later they may drop a little too, as it all settles down. Out comes the shims on the bottom hinge and the angle grinder (or Dremmel - very useful bit of kit) to get the latch working smoothly again!
Deep joy.
R :cool:

[catswhiskers]

Shaun,

The centre square drive is just 'peened over' like a rivet head. I just ground off the overhanging areas (with a dremel ) to release the spindle. I then drilled and tapped the centre of the spindle M6, made up a 2mm thick spacer and clamped the spindle back into the latch using a larger clamping washer and loctite.
The hole in the door for the spindle needs to be oversize to allow for positioning and that will allow you to set the latch lever against the door handle plunger. You can then drill through from the inside of the door for the 3 fixing holes. Pictures show door handle plunger locked and unlocked for reference.
I didnt have any real problems setting latches and striker plates but like Sando says, the doors do have a tendency to settle so allow adjustment in the striker plate holes.
Best of luck.
Mick

[strat6v]

Glass the doors in permanent, then enter dukes of hazard style!!

[catswhiskers]

John,
Thats alright for you young ones but my days of climbing in windows ( or more often out of them after rolling ) are well and truly behind me. I'll stick with door catches thank you.
Mick :rolleyes:

[CorseChris]

Strewth Mick - door locks already?? Took me 5 years to get that far.....

One thing I did (that you probably already thought of anyway) was to fill the countersunk recess in the lock plate where the fixing bolts go. Idea being that as the inner surface of the door is flat where the bolts come through (not covex like the metal X 1/9 door) this would help to reduce any cracking stress on the F.G. as it's already pretty thin at this point.

[catswhiskers]

Duly noted chris,
Although I would say that, as you probably saw when you came over, my shell does seem to be rather generous on wall thickness, with the average wall being 6-7mm.
This does help to spread load in these prone areas and where possible, I always use extra backing plates or washers together with stainless screws/nuts.
I am still looking for another pair of overcentre catches though if anybody has a pair going spare. Hint Hint.
Cheers,
Mick :rolleyes:

[CorseChris]

Pair of catches...let me have a look in my stock....

[Chris J]

'Wish I'd dug this thread out earlier than now...

...Which side of the short dog leg lock lever does the rod to the inner door handle go?

My car had some very one off types (cables running down curved brake pipes?!). I'm changing it back to a conventional type.

It's the prospect of loosing useful threads like this that's a bit scary when this forum occasionally disappears off the internet. I must not have been paying attention in 2005, because I don't remember this one. No wonder I didn't know what catch spacers were until very recently.

The info on this forum (when you can remember what words to search for!) is the best build manual of all. Building a Stratos replica must have been a steep learning curve in pre internet days? At least all the Italian car donors were still in scrap yards.

[strat6v]

Just play with it, pull it here and there and all of a sudden it will burst open ;)


















Don't know about the door latch mechanism :confused:

[BAS]

Just been fitting them today.

So, I bent the rod leaving about 2" to go through the lever from the door card side. I made a trial one first out of wire coat hanger. As John said it needs to pulled and bent around to stop it rubbing on the inside of the door card and to allow the internal handle to return.

[Chris J]

Thanks Brent. So it must be routed toward the outside of the door?
Using one of Mick's, see photo:

[BAS]

No, otherway round.

[strat6v]

Whats wrong with the cables? If the lengths are correct then it would be a better solution :confused:

[Chris J]

Whats wrong with the cables? If the lengths are correct then it would be a better solution :confused:

The lengths are not correct John, because the inner door handles were towards the very front of the door pocket and the cables ran in a big 'S' shape to keep it all away from the window slider. I'm fitting 850 Spider/Miura handles now.

It took long enough to get the trimming and trim adhesive off one door inner. I might have to do half a job on the other side to save time.


Brent,
So it goes the side of the white arrow?

[strat6v]

Brent is correct, otherwise the rod would foul the locking arm.

[Chris J]

I made it work on the wrong side with a dead straight rod adjustable for length. Good fun making all the little brackets and stuff? (not).

The catches and latches/strikers are mounted 20mm higher than the normal postion on this car for some reason?

[BAS]

The lengths are not correct John, because the inner door handles were towards the very front of the door pocket and the cables ran in a big 'S' shape to keep it all away from the window slider. I'm fitting 850 Spider/Miura handles now.

It took long enough to get the trimming and trim adhesive off one door inner. I might have to do half a job on the other side to save time.


Brent,
So it goes the side of the white arrow?

yes, well mine do.

I'll take a photo if you like as the doors are apart.