Door torsion bar stuck in retention plate

[Bitsyncmaster]

The problem is doing it the conventional way. You have someone holding the counteracting torque while you pull the bracket off to rotate is one notch is you can't pull the bracket. The torque holding it is causing the splines to bind. So you need to reduce that torque. The group at that tech meet gave up on mine. It was the same problem, bouncing really bad when the door was opened. Now these days the vendors have the soft lift struts which may fix your problem without an adjustment.

[Carbuilder]

The problem is doing it the conventional way. You have someone holding the counteracting torque while you pull the bracket off to rotate is one notch is you can't pull the bracket. The torque holding it is causing the splines to bind. So you need to reduce that torque. The group at that tech meet gave up on mine. It was the same problem, bouncing really bad when the door was opened. Now these days the vendors have the soft lift struts which may fix your problem without an adjustment.

I don't quite follow. If you are counteracting the torque then there is no torque holding the bracket on. "The torque holding it is causing the splines to bind"...there is no torque.

I held the counteracting torque with one hand on a long pipe extension onto the hex drive on the torsion bar. The other hand, with a smaller ratchet loosened then removed, the 2 bolts holding the plate on. By moving the pipe/extension counteracting the torque both ways slowly there was a position where the bolts had virtually no drag. Removed them, slid the plate off the splines, released the long handle slightly to align the next notch in the spline in the plate with the torsion bar (I wanted it 1 tooth "looser"), reinstalled the bolts and tightened them up....all the while holding the counteracting torque. Took longer to type this then to actually do it.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I don't quite follow. If you are counteracting the torque then there is no torque holding the bracket on. "The torque holding it is causing the splines to bind"...there is no torque.

I held the counteracting torque with one hand on a long pipe extension onto the hex drive on the torsion bar. The other hand, with a smaller ratchet loosened then removed, the 2 bolts holding the plate on. By moving the pipe/extension counteracting the torque both ways slowly there was a position where the bolts had virtually no drag. Removed them, slid the plate off the splines, released the long handle slightly to align the next notch in the spline in the plate with the torsion bar (I wanted it 1 tooth "looser"), reinstalled the bolts and tightened them up....all the while holding the counteracting torque. Took longer to type this then to actually do it.

The splines are twisting a little. I never thought that could happen but when all the torque was off the bracket, it just slipped out with your fingers. It may help if your hex tool fits tighter. I measured a few and there was a few thousands difference.

[DMC VIN 6639]

I have been in this position before. Like everyone said, pull the T panel, extend the door farther. Pull both plate bolts. Then get behind the plate with a larger screw driver or prybar and you will either work the plate off the spline or work the torsion bar out of the front hinge. Either way you need to get the bar out and see if the spline area has mushroomed.

[JRNY13]

All this because the passenger door opens a little too quickly? I would have tried a weaker strut.

[Carbuilder]

All this because the passenger door opens a little too quickly? I would have tried a weaker strut.

Not the correct way to fix it. I have the proper Delorean struts, so the issue is the torsion bar not adjusted correctly. Maybe playing around with different struts would help, but it would be a guessing game as to how much less force to go with a new strut.

[David T]

If you have trouble sliding the retention plate off it can be because the allen socket in the torsion bar has split. When you counter-act the torque you expand the splines making it very difficult to remove the retention plate. That is why in an earlier post I mentioned checking the end to see if there is a crack. When I was doing door adjustments for the club, if I encountered this, we declined to do an adjustment. Too dangerous with all of the people around and we didn't have the time or the tools. If a torsion bar is over-torqued it is very hard on the roof structure. Usually done to compensate for weak, old struts. Once a torsion bar is properly adjusted you should NEVER AGAIN have to adjust it. If the door won't open all the way it is time to replace the strut.