Misc Debris from the front

Not much to add to today. Just a little disappointed in one of my recent purchases, so I figured I would share it with you.

Buffalo needed new doorhinge bushings, and the only way I could purchase them local was as a pair of ‘kits’. New Pin, new bushings and a retainer clip. $10/each kit.

Now, I have never had issues with these before. Done this a few times on chevys since the design sucks mucky pond water. The bushing wears out and there becomes a half inch of play in the door and all kinds of heck starts to happen. In Buffalos case, it was a noisome gap at the top that continually whistled and allowed rain in when on the highway. Not much, but an annoyance to say least.

SO, kits in hand, do some strange framing and straps and blocks of wood with rolling jack under the door to hold things ‘kinda’ in place while I hammer out the old pins: Easy peasy. Then I get the new bushings in place. This is where things started going sideways. Dunno who is making those bushings for Dorman, but they SUCK!!!! Shattered two of the four, JUST PUTTING THEM IN PLACE. Wasn’t even hammering on them, just slipped them in place and levered the door in to hold them there, and crack!; they fell into pieces. Not going to even bother trying to get replacements, I needed that door in place to leave the ‘Stead,,,and, well, you’ll see. Redneck School of engineering and Machine shop services came through.

So, I started digging around. Found a chunk of old copper pipe that was heavy walled and and just the right ID for the pin: chucked it onto a drill and did some redneck machining with a grinder while the drill was the ‘lathe’. I did use a my dial caliper to make sure I didn’t over do it, but that was as high tech as my little shop managed. Those bushings are supposed to be hammer forged brass or bronze; they were simple cast parts. Cast won’t hold up to the stresses a door places on that area, PERIOD. I’m just glad it happened while I was in there doing the deed, and not later on this week (if that long) and really got under my skin. I hate to do shit twice, when once should be good enough.

Seeing how I like my Chevy, and that such a small part is now crap from the factory, I think I am going to make a die to manufacture new ones. Something I can clamp into a press and form new parts with. Old brass washers are good enough and with a proper die, they will form nicely. Anneal the washer before pressing and it will work harden I have the old pins and dimensions and making a die, is really just turning two chunks of steel in the lathe. (three since there are two sizes of bushing: different internal dimensions, but same outer).

Or not. So many little projects going on as it is, those parts can be turned on a lathe in about 5 minutes instead of making a die that I will need once every five years or so. Just another piece of clutter in a tool shop that doesn’t exist yet,,,,

And I really need to get on that aspect seeing how there are things I can make that other people are going to need and with issues of the day: IE supply chain snafus, parts backordered till next year in some cases, etc etc,,,,, Well, a guy with a welder, grinder and Engine Lathe has some serious collateral for bargaining. And Knowledge, gotta have the knowledge and a “we can fix that” creative attitude.