Berlinetta restoration

[cameronfurnival]

Re: further berli exploits

Hi Danny - you are right - after a couple of hours mucking about with flat channel it is just not up to the job - too much flexing - and I think a channel will work much better (I seem to remember you thought this a while back - hate to say you were right!). I was just going to get some ally - about 2mm I think will do - any thoughts? The hinges are fairly worn to so that's not helping but I need to return strength to the door first. The drivers side seems ok but I will strengthen that one too if it works ok on the OS.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

Decision made - will try to source berli doors but meanwhile will fettle what I have. The hinge needs to be dismantled first so I will find someone with gas axe to get the thing apart - will photograph it when i get a minute.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

Hinges have been removed. as suspected one is perfect the other is not good. The good one has the box steel carrier nice and straight, you cant see the join where the hinge pin is and the barrel of the hinge rotates freely without any discernible play. The other one has worn into the box section so there are two oval holes top and bottom of the box section. The pin is solid inside the barrel, didn't even wince when i took my gas (Mapp) to it. Does anyone have a spare one? Worth asking!!! Or failing that has anyone made one up from scratch and can give me some pointers?
Cheers.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

finally got the pin out in a spare 20 mins this afternoon. Had to drill all the way - the pin didn't budge at all. I'm not happy with what I have left and think I need to make a completely new hinge. from my measurements the hinge is a 20 mm round bar drilled to take a 10 mm bar - doesn't seem like that's available off the shelf. Any advice?

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

This prompted me to take a look at my own berli hinges which have been unused for at least 12 years, and every pin is siezed! So I'm following this with interest. I will try soaking each hinge in diesel for a week then a spot of weld on the end of the pin, to stop it rotating as it does now, and some heat will hopefully free them. If not surely there is some tube available that is a snug fit on a bolt that could be cut to length and welded in.

[b_caswell]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

Im not familiar with the Berli door hinge but that bit with the grease nipple in it looks like a gas pipe tee fitting to me. Could wrong probably am.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

Most grease nipples are still, despite metrication, either BSP tapered or parallel.
I don't think there is a standard tube size 20mm OD 10mm ID.
My preference has always been PlusGas, used it since the 1970's on injection moulds. You just need patience before you need heat. After 12 years, what's another day or two?

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

Im not familiar with the Berli door hinge but that bit with the grease nipple in it looks like a gas pipe tee fitting to me. Could wrong probably am.

The hinge is just a bolt which is bolted to the chassis. A tube is then welded to the head of the bolt to make a T shape. A U channel with holes the same dia as the tube is lined up and a pin goes through the channel and the tube. Cut it to length and a spot of weld on each end. The tube can be previously fitted with a grease nipple. So my last resort idea is to find a bolt and a tube that are a nice fit and change both. The dia is not critical but the fit is.

[b_caswell]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

A bit like a five bar gate hinge..........http://www.hooverfence.com/catalog/h...nge-GBMU16.htm

[scott h]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

Same principal but off the top of my head an M16 nut would need a 30mm spanner, so a bit smaller required.

[Tony Stott]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

recently been looking on uk ebay to buy some ostensibly fixed hinge pintles, these come in various sizes and are basically a solid piece of round bar bored out for the pin, not a complete hole,, eventually I found some here a la frog, the pin is 16mm the mounting bolt is 10mm, think 8 - 10mm seems to be normal,
I needed them to mount a steel gate, I used 'em bored out to make then rotatable as the pintle half is mounted in the wall pillar if you want a pic let me know!

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

Interesting...thanks for the help guys. I have decided however that the original design can be improved so have come up with a cunning plan. I am going to remake the hinge using oilite bushes in a piece of steel rod! Bushes are on order now and until they arrive I will satisfy myself by making a jig to ensure the M12 bolt gets welded on at 90 degrees!
The doors are also a really good fit in their apertures so I might try and build in a bit of adjustment whilst I'm at it.
Next job is to fix the cooker for the missus then iron out the last few niggles with the electronic subs payment system before Tony gets cross with me. Have a happy new year all!

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

welded up the holes in the door today. I made a U channel from ally then slipped it in behind the door edge - the hole where the hinge had ripped out was enough to slip it into the door frame plus the splitting at the top needed opening out a bit more.
Once in place it was clamped up (I chamfered the U channel 90 deg edges to enable it to fit in more closely). I drilled a few 9mm holes and used Durafix to plug weld it all together and fill the splits. It isnt perfect but it looks strong enough. A skim of filler will see it good!
The heat from the gas torch caused the door paint to start peeling off (it needs to come off anyway) and I was surprised that it came of in big thick strips - must be at least 1mm of paint on there.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

I acquired some 20mm thick tube today and the two oilite bushes had turned up in the post yesterday together with 300mm of 10mm bright steel bar. The bar was a super fit in the bushes with no reaming necessary so i drilled out the tube to take the bushes - a 13mm drill was perfect and gently tapped them in place after leaving them to soak in oil overnight. I dont know whether that was necessary but was sure I had read it somewhere. After drilling the tube it was cut to length, the bushes tapped in firmly and then offered back into the hinge box.
Before I carried on I thought I would check the old hinge and even with new bar in place it still had a discernible amount of play which would be amplified across the whole door so it went in the bin.
New hinges in place, tacked the ends in place and ground the weld down then welded on the 60mm M12 bolt. The tube has some movement up and down the pivot pin (pindle)so there is some adjustment to be had but this hinge is solid, no play at all - result!
next job is to look at the holes in the door frame for the hinges as they are both badly ovalled. I think I may open them out a bit and use a star washer to lock the nuts in place once everything is lined up again.
My missus has got involved! She tells me I cant repaint it silver and it has to be the same blue as a sunbeam alpine, like this one.
78336251962_Sunbeam_Alpine_For_Sale_Front_resize.jpgAnyone know the proper name of this colour, I think a few minutes on google may be in order. Has anyone any knowledge of a Berli in this colour - if so what does it look like?

[lil_red_roadster]

Re: Berlinetta doors cracking and splitting - any fixes?

Errr, light blue..?
Seriously, maybe Powder Blue...going by these samples here.