[DML] Aligning Latch Pins

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To answer you question about aligning the striker pins, aka, latch
pins, it is not easy. The torsion bar should have been adjusted and a
good strut installed. First make sure the door itself is properly
installled, ie, the gaps are roughly equal all around. You should also
have good inner and outer seals installed. Missing, torn, or "dead"
door seals affects this a LOT. Now check that the door and the guides
do NOT touch the top of the head of the latch pin. That has the effect
of moving the door forward or back depending on which pin is hitting.
You have to add or remove washers to get the height right. Sometimes
grinding is necessary. Check that the latch locks in the doors are
tight and all of the screws holding them in are there. You may have to
remove them to clean and lubricate them to get them to work properly
and in synchrony (I think that's a word?) NOW you can start to adjust
the positions of the pins. Be aware that the door moves in an arc so
you have to figure for that motion. The pin should glide right in
through the center of the guides and into the latch without hitting
the side of the head of the pin. This adjustment should be done on a
hard level floor so the car is not tweaked. Move the pin in small
increments till you get BOTH pins to click into the 1st locking
position at as nearly the same time as you can. It may be easier to
remove one pin and do the other first and then reinstall the other pin
and adjust. Close the door by pushing on the rub strip in the middle
of the door slowly while listening for the clicks. You should not have
to slam the door to get it closed and nothing should rub. If the door
seals squeak lubricate with some silicone spray on a rag. It also
can't hurt to squirt some oil on the ends of the struts and the
hinges. You may find you will have to go over the whole internal door
adjustment procedure to get it right. It can take a lot of time to get
the doors to work right, especially if someone who didn't know what
they were doing mucked them up or they were forced (slammed) closed.
Out-of-adjustment latch pins are sometimes just a symptom of deeper
problems with the doors. Hopefully it is not on your car. By the time
you are done you too will be an "expert". The "secret" is to take you
time, work slow, use your ears and sense of touch. Going over the
adjustments many times will get it better and better and you will get
better and faster at it.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757 


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "brandelorean" <brandelorean@...> wrote:
>
> Hey Everyone,
> 
> Not sure if you guys remember me, but Vin 3323 was a painted DeLorean 
> 



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