Broke a bolt - how do you fix this?

[Jeff K]

1008710088

This is the Passenger front door hinge mount

Ok, 30 years of rust and this bolt broke off while removing the nut. It looks like it's attached to a metal plate, but I can find no part in the guide or shop manual.

How can I fix this?

Thanks
Jeff

[DMCMW Dave]

Remove the headliner. It's a bolt with a flat metal head about 2 inches in diameter glued to the fiberglass from underneath. You'll probably have to make a new one. It's not available as a separate part that I know of, it was considered part of the fiberglass body.





Ok, 30 years of rust and this bolt broke off while removing the nut. It looks like it's attached to a metal plate, but I can find no part in the guide or shop manual.

How can I fix this?

Thanks
Jeff

[Jeff K]

Remove the headliner. It's a bolt with a flat metal head about 2 inches in diameter glued to the fiberglass from underneath. You'll probably have to make a new one. It's not available as a separate part that I know of, it was considered part of the fiberglass body.

K thanks Dave..

I just installed a new brand headliner too! Uugghh..

Any guide on removing the headliner? I hope it can be saved.

Jeff

[WelmoedJ]

Depending on what type of glue you have used to stick the headliner to the body, you could use a hairdryer or heatgun to soften the glue and make peeling off the headliner easier.

[tommyrich]

I had this exact same thing happen about 2 months ago...Remove the weather strip and slowly peel the headliner away around where the weatherstrip was. You don't have to remove the whole headliner. You can remove about 18" of the headliner away from the door lip to let the liner come down about 2". You will also need to remove the sun visor screws on theat side as they hold the headliner up. Then go in between the liner and the roof with a screwdriver and pry the large washer (~2") that is glued to the underside of the fibreglass (other side of the broken bolt). It should come off with not too much effort (but using a hammer on the screwdriver will help). Since the head is already missing it should come out easily from between the liner and the roof.

Next, fashion a new bolt/washer with either with either a new large washer or you can hammer out the existing bolt from the washer you just removed and replace it with a new one. Tack welding the head of the bolt to the washer would be preferable but you could probably glue it. Make sure the new bolt is not too long, the longer the bolt, the more you will have to pull down the liner to fit it in. Put the bolt through the hole and glue the washer to the roof (I used 3M window weld, but RTV would probably do), be careful not to get it on your new headliner :frown:. When it dries, put a new nut on the hinge, re-glue the headliner and you are good to go. It helps to have a helper to hold the liner down while positioning the new bolt/washer.

The instant the bolt snapped on me, I thought it was the end of the world (I have new liners too) , but it only took about 2 hours total (not bad for anything on a Delorean).

Good luck,
Tom