Hinge Woes

[andyburns]

I am currently restoring a very early 230sl and have hit an issue with the two lower door hinges.  Both the upper hinges seemed to operate perfectly but the lower ones were both very stiff when I took them off.

After I stripped back all the various layers of non factory paint I discovered the hinges were lubricated with a hollow drilled center pin.  I think the latter hinges used a grease nipple arrangement instead.  Probably the factory figured out quickly that the first design wasn't the best.

In any event one of the two 'stiff' hinges has appears to have a center pin which has sheared in half.  Probably at some point the hinge has seized and someone has used the door as leverage to shear the pin.  As you rotate the hinge by hand the top part of the pin spin with the other end remaining stationary.

Can anyone shed any light on the early vs late hinge design.   And has anyone got any early hinges they can sell me or know of where I can get a set.

Cheers

Andy

[paults1]

Andy, I had the same hinge problem on my early 230sl.  Gerold, SL Tech, had a machine shop make a new pin with a oil hole drilled through the top.  You could have a local shop try too the same.  The later w113's hinges that have the grease fitting will not fit  the early 230sl's.
Regards, Paul

[andyburns]

I thought I would have to go down the machining route but really really wanted to avoid it.

Did you press out the pins yourself.  They seem very very stiff.  I am petrified I will destroy the entire unit if I try getting them out myself.

Also once apart are there any bushes that the pin runs on.  I cant imagine its directly into the ali.  I am a bit worried there are bushes in there and that they have been turning with the pin for the last 20 years having a reaming effect on the ali.   If this is the case I will also be looking at oversize bushes. 

I love the originality and history of this car so am going to all sorts of pains to try and preserve everything including these hinges.  But I am starting to wonder if the best tactic would be to try and source some new hinges with the the redesigned grease nipple system. 

Cheers

Andy

[paults1]

I did not try to remove the remaining broken pin.  The machine shop probably did it.  The bushings were OK.  The w113dude has reproduced hinge bushings for the later type. Does anyone know if they would work in the early non grease fitting type?

[andyburns]

I am damn interested to know what the production number was when they changed from the early to the late hinges.  I think my car was in the first 100 produced pagodas?  It has a production number of 00061.

[andyburns]

Just for reference for anyone else in the same situation I have attached a pic of the dismantled hinge which turns out to be significantly different than the latter version. 

The trick to pulling the pins is use heat.  After I did this I was able to use a drift and a hammer to knock the pin out without much force at all.

The hinge was seized with petrified grease.  Note that the early version does not have any brass bushes.  The pin is a tight tolerance with the U section of the hinge but can still almost be pulled out by hand once its cleaned up.

There is only one side drilled hole delivering the grease to the helix machined in the pin.

Hope this helps.

[andyburns]

Just had a new pin engineered from scratch.  Cost 150 nzd which I am happy with the alternative of replacing an early hinge was not an option.   Took an experienced lath operator 3 hours.  Sounds quite a bit but look at the level of detail in the pin and I am sure you will agree that for a one off its reasonable.  Hope this helps someone in the same situation.