Hab door hinge bolt has fallen out

[barryd]

Yes the whole thing moves so I see how it works now. Well spotted Colin (Again).

So I just need to find the right allen key now. I'm going to see if I Can suss out what size I need online. How totally shite though. There are three hinges so presumably if all three of those tiny little feeble grub screws work loose and the bottom plug falls off your hab door bounces down the road. WTF!

EDIT: Typically 2mm-4mm according to ChatGTP.

 

[runnach]

Buy set of Jacket Allan Keys, Barry. I carry a set and take very little space and should cover you for most eventualities. Pic added.

When the pin fell out, could you view any indents on the pin around the area where it located with the grub screw?

With the pin out, using grub screw, check to see if the thread is stripped, if it is, then locktite the pin in place, and look to fitting a roll pin part way into hole and pin itself, if I were home, I could have popped over and put a pledge of weld on it
Pic won’t attack, google, then images for jacket Allan keys.

Edit: a local garage will happily lend you one.

 

[r4dent]

Maybe not something you can do yourself Barry, but perhaps you will know someone who can do the following.

With pin in place, drill 2.5 mm dia hole into long middle section of hinge part attached to door, allowing drill to part penetrate the actual pin, remove pin and tap M3 thread into the hinge, then insert 3mm hex grub screw into hinge and the part drilled pin itself, it won’t fall out after this.

Edit, pin can remain in place and have the hole tapped using a 3mm plug tap.

M3 grub screw.

View attachment 142763

Vibration, gravity and time are a powerful team.

If adopting this approach I would be tempted by a drop of Loctite in the bottom screws.

 

[runnach]

Vibration, gravity and time are a powerful team.

If adopting this approach I would be tempted by a drop of Loctite in the bottom screws.

Agreed, copious amount too

 

[barryd]

Buy set of Jacket Allan Keys, Barry. I carry a set and take very little space and should cover you for most eventualities. Pic added.

When the pin fell out, could you view any indents on the pin around the area where it located with the grub screw?

With the pin out, using grub screw, check to see if the thread is stripped, if it is, then locktite the pin in place, and look to fitting a roll pin part way into hole and pin itself, if I were home, I could have popped over and put a pledge of weld on it
Pic won’t attack, google, then images for jacket Allan keys.

Edit: a local garage will happily lend you one.

I think the bar / rod that came out looked pretty smooth to me all round but ill have another look when I take it to bits again to try and get the washers in that I never put back. Do I want loctite threadlocker to fix the stripped threads (it might not be stripped) or loctite superglue to glue the bottom plug in?

 

[Robmac]

I think the bar / rod that came out looked pretty smooth to me all round but ill have another look when I take it to bits again to try and get the washers in that I never put back. Do I want loctite threadlocker to fix the stripped threads (it might not be stripped) or loctite superglue to glue the bottom plug in?

I wouldn't think it is stripped Barry rather just come loose with vibration.

I would use Loctite thread Locker (Blue) and also remove the grub screw from the other hinges and Loctite those as well. I wouldn't use Loctite red as if you ever had to remove the pin again it would be a real pain and would involve a heat gun.

 

[runnach]

I wouldn't think it is stripped Barry rather just come loose with vibration.

Obviously difficult to say if thread is damaged, Rob. If this has been a long time issue with owner of MH, maybe the screw has been horsed up so many times the thread is fubared, Go-No Go gauge is the only 100% way to check thread integrity.

I am curious to know if there is a location indent or some kind of keyway machined into the pin for grub screw to locate into?

Another get me home option, poke a small piece of ptfe tape into hole then apply grub screw.

 

[barryd]

An update. After rummaging through various places you wont believe this but I found the right size allen key. The Grub screw is fine and goes in and out ok. It maybe looked slightly further out than the other two. I gave the other two a bit of a tighten for good measure but they didnt move. So I took the top one (the dodgy one) to bits again which was a right PIA as the bottom plug did not want to come out and I then put the washers back in which was even harder as the only way the whole thing lines up is when the door is shut and then its so high up (you can only do it from the outside). So I had to balance on the step and thankfully having lost a bit of weight my gut didnt get in the way and bounce me off with the door shut. Got them in though!

I could see no grove or indent in the hinge post when removed.

Anyway I got it all back together and tightened the grub screw.

So if I get the Loctite thread locker blue do I just squirt it on the grub screw and then just put it back in and it will stop it vibrating out again?

Im still tempted to glue that bottom hinge plug. Its been out a couple of times now.

My super engineering work so far. (Well the hinge as it now is)

 

[Robmac]

I'm a little curious to know why it sticks out more than the ones on the other hinges Barry? That would sort of suggest that there should be some sort of recess for the screw to lock into - but if there ain't one on the shaft then it can't be.

Yeah, just squirt a bit of Loctite on the thread and screw it home again. Glueing the plug shouldn't do any harm either as long as you don't glue the hinge to the shaft at the same time!

 

[barryd]

I'm a little curious to know why it sticks out more than the ones on the other hinges Barry? That would sort of suggest that there should be some sort of recess for the screw to lock into - but if there ain't one on the shaft then it can't be.

Yeah, just squirt a bit of Loctite on the thread and screw it home again. Glueing the plug shouldn't do any harm either as long as you don't glue the hinge to the shaft at the same time!

I assumed the grub screw was sticking out a bit more than the others as it had vibrated loose a bit. It would be impossible I would think to line up a recess as all you can do is batter in the rod and lining it up would require some kind of Witchcraft I am sure. Anyway if I glue the bastud bottom plug its never going to come out I would hope.

 

[merl]

An update. After rummaging through various places you wont believe this but I found the right size allen key. The Grub screw is fine and goes in and out ok. It maybe looked slightly further out than the other two. I gave the other two a bit of a tighten for good measure but they didnt move. So I took the top one (the dodgy one) to bits again which was a right PIA as the bottom plug did not want to come out and I then put the washers back in which was even harder as the only way the whole thing lines up is when the door is shut and then its so high up (you can only do it from the outside). So I had to balance on the step and thankfully having lost a bit of weight my gut didnt get in the way and bounce me off with the door shut. Got them in though!

I could see no grove or indent in the hinge post when removed.

Anyway I got it all back together and tightened the grub screw.

So if I get the Loctite thread locker blue do I just squirt it on the grub screw and then just put it back in and it will stop it vibrating out again?

Im still tempted to glue that bottom hinge plug. Its been out a couple of times now.

My super engineering work so far. (Well the hinge as it now is)

View attachment 142796

Wind it out a turn, dab a bit of Michelle's nail varnish in the thing, tighten it back up. Resume monitoring your solar on your phone like a sad twat.

 

[Robmac]

Wind it out a turn, dab a bit of Michelle's nail varnish in the thing, tighten it back up. Resume monitoring your solar on your phone like a sad twat.

I think Michelle would insist he used his own Merl.

 

[runnach]

I assumed the grub screw was sticking out a bit more than the others as it had vibrated loose a bit. It would be impossible I would think to line up a recess as all you can do is batter in the rod and lining it up would require some kind of Witchcraft I am sure. Anyway if I glue the bastud bottom plug its never going to come out I would hope.

I would assume any recess on the pin will be positioned to line up with the threaded hole when the pin is fully home and flush with the bm and top part of pin, then you fit the end caps.

 

[barryd]

I would assume any recess on the pin will be positioned to line up with the threaded hole when the pin is fully home and flush with the bm and top part of pin, then you fit the end caps.

I should have photographed all the bits really. I had to take the top cap / bung off as well to bang the pin back out to take it to bits this morning and I noticed the top cap had a recess hole in it and the bottom cap did not. I can see no way of positioning the pin in such a way that the recess hole if there was one would line up.

 

[Fazerloz]

Personally I wouldn't put anything on the grub screw. One day you may want to get it out and little grub screws can be a pain. More than likely never touched since it left the factory.

 

[barryd]

Personally I wouldn't put anything on the grub screw. One day you may want to get it out and little grub screws can be a pain. More than likely never touched since it left the factory.

I thought the idea of the thread lock blue stuff Rob recommended was that it just stops them vibrating out but they can still be removed with hand tools? To be fair it is kind of hard to get the allen key in and its tiny so you cant get much of a turn on it.

 

[runnach]

I hope you don't lose a nut Barry, I shudder to thinks how many pages your lost nut would create?

 

[barryd]

The hardware shop never had any Loctite thread lock blue. They had something similar called thread lock blue by someone else but bizarrely in a red bottle so I just bought the super glue. Will use that in the morning for the bottom bung on the top hinge and keep an eye on it.

 

[AllanD]

Personally I wouldn't put anything on the grub screw. One day you may want to get it out and little grub screws can be a pain. More than likely never touched since it left the factory.

Agree with that, it’s very possible that the screw hadn’t been properly tightened from the beginning. Just make sure it’s tight enough now and check all is well every now and again. If it does come loose again maybe think about thread lock then but I’d be surprised if it was needed.

 

[Robmac]

Probably right. Although the Blue Loctite is designed to release with a bit of effort, it would be quite easy to ream a small grub screw with an Allen Key.