Old topic, new question, BAGGAGE DOOR????

[5B Steve]

  My baggage door was lost going down the interstate last summer, (rubber hinge failed) went back to get it

  and someone help themselves to it before I was able to turn around and pick it up.  Having no luck on finding

  one for my 1975 MCI-5B would it be possible if a MC-7 or MC-8 could be cut down and re skinned to replace the

  one that was lost?


Steve 5B....

[gus]

Your door would only have fallen off if it weren't latched securely.

The rubber hinge supports nothing with the door latched.

[Nineforever]

lost your baggage door ....... sounds scary   > ( happens i would be taking a closer look at the other 5 making sure there is now issues  < saftey> to those traveling behind or approaching you. Have dodged a flying axle and set of drivers would hate to see the damage a flying luggage door would do .

[artvonne]

I'm pretty sure the doors are 5 only. Call Luke, at least if he don't have one he can start the process of "where" to start looking and he would know what would fit, if anything at all would.

  It is true the latch holds the door over and above the hinge, I had two of mine secured by only the latch when I rolled her home and until I fit new hinges. Just finished the second hinge yesterday.

  Crazy question but have you asked MCI? Im sure it would be a small fortune in the unlikely chance they had one, but ya never know.

[5B Steve]

Your door would only have fallen off if it weren't latched securely.

The rubber hinge supports nothing with the door latched.

  Gus, after looking at the opening the rubber was dry rotted at the top!

  Steve 5B....

[artvonne]

Gus, after looking at the opening the rubber was dry rotted at the top!

  Steve 5B....

  Thats how mine were. The front right door hinge was totally gone rotten rubber, open the latch and it would fall right out. It still snarped down good and tight closing the latch, provided you made sure to center the door correctly while closing the latch. It would never have simply fallen out unless the latch opened on its own somehow, which may be possible.

  I still have to do the two rear door hinges, and buy more screws. Some moron replaced the stainless ones with steel. But at least now I can use both front cargo bay doors as God intended.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

I replaced my rubber hinges with the reinforced ones from Stuart Bonney, and then added a small cable to each upper corner to keep the top from tipping out if for some reason the rubber ripped. Later I also got the steel hinges and put a couple of those on each door. I guess i am a little paranoid about losing a door and having to try and find a replacement, especially since my stainless is polished and i doubt that another door would ever be able to match up the same.

[artvonne]

  Slightly off topic but where did you get the steel hinges, are they stainless, and how $$$ 

[Busted Knuckle]

Guys while it's great to know how perfect some of you are, Steve asked if anyone knew if another model door could be cut down to fit.

I didn't read anywhere in his post asking why he lost it,.

Let's stick to trying to help him, not bash him for having lost it.
  BK 

[artvonne]

  I dont think anyones bashing anyone, at least I hope not. But we certainly wouldnt want anyone else to lose one either. Were just trying to make the point that the hinge by itself should not lead to losing the door. Obviously his came off anyway, so I see this as a learning experience.

  I drove 200 miles back from Little Rock with the assumption the latch would keep the door secure. It would appear that may not be 100% factual, and that the door latch should be locked to prevent its unlatching due to the weight of the door hanging on the latch pins, vibrations, or whatever could occur to open the latch.

  So I see two things. The first is that the door cannot open or fall out with the latch closed. Second is the possibility the latch could open in transit leading to loss of the door.

  I honestly dont believe any other model door will fit, at least not directly. The MC7 has taller doors. not sure length is the same. If they are longer, it may be possible to cut it down and rebuild it to work.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Paul,  Edannbus@aol.com   yes they are stainless, $10 each a year ago.   

[gus]

I know what his question was, but what good would it do to replace the door when the latch was probably the real problem? This is  attacking the symptom and not the problem. Nobody bashed him and I don't think he took it that way. If he did I apologize. I was in no way criticizing because it appeared to me that he didn't know a properly operating latch would keep the door from falling off.

I didn't read about anyone saying they are perfect. Don't be so quick to judge.

By latch I mean the two short rods on the side of the door that slide into the two gizmos on the edge of the door opening, not the lever in the center of the door. The side rods are forced into an off center cam arrangement that tightens as the center door latch is pushed into the locked position and will in no way allow the door to fall out when properly adjusted, they will be really tight.

With the door drastically out of adjustment it is possible to close down the center latch lever and have the door completely supported by the rubber hinge if the short door rods are inside or outside the frame side gizmos and not really secure. It will feel latched but isn't.

I don't think the door could ever come loose if both the side latches and the center latch are properly adjusted. The center door handle/latch also has an over center locking system when properly adjusted, it should close with a definite snap when correctly latched. These two things have separate adjustments as I remember, not 100% sure of that though, it may be at the same place.

These adjustments are probably covered more clearly in the maint manual.

[Fredward]

Hey Steve,
I did check around the two guys I know here and neither of them had anything for an MC-5.
Sorry - Fred

[artvonne]

Hey Steve,
I did check around the two guys I know here and neither of them had anything for an MC-5.
Sorry - Fred

  Probably a dumb question, but does MCI sell anything like that? Probably a lot of work to cut down an MC7 door, but if you cant find the right door, any door is better than no door.

[5B Steve]

Hey Steve,
I did check around the two guys I know here and neither of them had anything for an MC-5.
Sorry - Fred

  Hey Fred, Thanks for checking.

  Steve....