[Martin]

I need to replace the pins and bushings in the driver's side door hinges on my 69. That in itself is relatively easy. The question is how do I get the wiring harness for the power windows disconnected from the door or the body of the car ?

Last time I worked on the wiring harness I found that I couldn't get it out from the inside of the door and through the hole it goes through and even with the dash board out I couldn't get get all plugs disconnected on that end either. What am I missing ?

If there is no solution beyond total disassembly of the under-dash section, to get the wiring harness free on one end, I will find a way to suspend the door in the air while I do the hinges.

 

[Bruce]

Unfortunately, diconnecting the door harnesses requires removing the dash pad. Once the pad is off, you reach behind the metal dash and remove the 1/4 head metal screw on each side for the ground wires. Unplug the driver side door wires from the main harness and from the passenger door harness. Remove the driver side door harness from along the top of the metal dash. Finally Push the rubber plugs out of the doorjamb frames. It really is tough to unplug them without removing the metal dash but it can be done. However, you can rebuild the hinges without removing the doors. TCCN had an article on rebuilding 69-70 hinges which should be available in about two weeks via the Cascade Cougar club site. If you plan to do it before then, let me know.

 

[Martin]

Thanks Bruce,

I will be doing it this Friday and Saturday night - after the kid is a sleep.

Good ways to hold the door in place while doing the task w/o removing the wire harness will be greatly appreciated. When I did the pasenger side a few years ago I ended up chipping paint on the fender and door.

 

[bowl]

I put masking or drafting tape along the edges when pulling a hood, deck lid or doors. I have used a floor jack to support the door with a folded towel on the lift pad to potect the doors bottom edge. Its still a balancing act but it helps.

 

[Bruce]

Taping the edge of the door is a good idea and I shove a towel between the door and fender. To hold the door up. I put a 2x4 between two jack stands to hold the door. I use 1/4" plywood shims to set the final distance if the stands can't be adjusted to the right height. I've had floor jacks sag with time so I quit using them except for lifting.

 

[Martin]

Thank you both,

Monday I will let you know how it went.

Martin

 

[Martin]

The bushings have been replaced. I suspended the door in ropes from the rafters + used the jack stands with a 2x4 + shims for fine tuning. By loosening the door brackets from the door I gained just enough space to remove the lower hinge for reworking of bushings on the work bench. I redid the bushings for the top bracket with it in place. I can't believe how tight the space is. Including several attempts to get the door lined up right, it took me 5 sweaty hours in daylight . Actual usage showed that it still needs one more round of hinge alignment.

 

[Bruce]

Hinge repair is never easy with the fenders on and even tougher the first time around. The rafter trick is a new one, neat idea. To get the door to line up, lift the door so that it appears to be a shade high. (1/8" max) The weight of the door will pull it down to the correct height when the supports are removed.