I got the car back on it's tires, soon to take off interior panels to find that dang clip and remove the tulip to assemble the clip back on. But I had to resolve a weakened battery during this time leaving me with key fob and tps issues. I posted another thread hoping to get some advise on that.
Need This Simple But Important Clip
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Well I have the interior back and side panels off. I looked everywhere for that dang clip including the trunk and the small cavity where the seat belt winds up inside....no luck. I am open to any ideas on where to get another clip, new or used. Anyone here selling extra clips? I need just one.
I am leaving the interior in pieces because I will be removing the tulip to install the clip. All the interior back panels and center console has to be out to get the tulip out. I will give some thought in how I could modify a generic clip, or add a flat piece with a "D" hole, along with a generic clip.
A simple problem with no solution.
I am leaving the interior in pieces because I will be removing the tulip to install the clip. All the interior back panels and center console has to be out to get the tulip out. I will give some thought in how I could modify a generic clip, or add a flat piece with a "D" hole, along with a generic clip.
A simple problem with no solution.
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Dude. Read back through the thread. I'm having some 3D printed in stainless steel. (And frankly they should be done by now!) Also, Rob was going to try some printed in nylon.
We're here to help brother - just follow along!
We're here to help brother - just follow along!
Oh, Ah, Yes Yes Yes!Dude. Read back through the thread. I'm having some 3D printed in stainless steel. (And frankly they should be done by now!) Also, Rob was going to try some printed in nylon.
We're here to help brother - just follow along!
I was thinking you were having 3D printing done in plastic as I understood 3D printing would be done prior to tooling. I thought the tooling and parts would be many months away.
Oh PLEASE tell me when that clip will be available. I've been wasting lots of time at home trying to fabricate one piece without success.
A related question: Is it just my Solstice, or do all tulip driver-side flippers don't align well to the tulip? If I get the clip (rather when I get the clip from chickenwire), the flipper door will rest lower than it should to look right. It seems the silver painted plastic door itself was molded wrong with the hinge holes located too close to the door creating the misalignment. It leaves me to wonder if someone was trying to align the door and lost the clip in the process. That door cannot be aligned from what I can tell.
Another unrelated matter but also regarding alignment. Do all Solstice rear hatch passenger side sit too high by the tail light? I have seen it before on another one.
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All flaps are identical. Pull yours so we can see pics and we can maybe offer some advice
You need to read the alignment manual. It's posted here somewhere and describes how to line up all the body panels
You need to read the alignment manual. It's posted here somewhere and describes how to line up all the body panels
Is there a Solstice body alignment manual on-line that I can access?
I will temporarily install the driver-side tulip door and post pics later today on how it is misaligned. The picture I posted at the very beginning is the passenger side which is perfect.
About removing the tulip. I won't be doing it. Removing the tulip is more than just removing all those screws. There are adhesives involved at the two ends where the thick rubber stripping channels water. I don't want to disturb those critical things so I am working with the tulip in-place.
Though I had removed the interior back panel specifically to search for the clip, I am so glad it is out of the car because now with the seat belt slot removed, I have much better access to the coil spring area of the tulip door. I will take pics of that too.
About the inside door pillar and back panel removal...It took a lot of force to pop the retaining clips. In places where it seemed exceptionally tight, I carefully inserted a long & wide flat blade screw driver right at the clip and carefully twisted it to pop the retainer. Doing so was much less over-all tress on things.
Thanks Rob and the rest of you for all your on-line advice. I have been a PITB with all my little issues.
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Yes. All you need to do is ask Google... 2nd link of search: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Solstice body alignment manual
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I have had both the rubber seals behind the doors off both our cars several times. You don't have to remove them to pull the tulip panel. You can roll it off the tulip panel and leave it still attached to the quarter panel. Not an issue.
the hinge has a shaped edge that acts as a stop for the flap by forming a rest for the flap when retracted. It is impossible for the flap to be misaligned downward if this stop is in place and timed correctly. If your flap retracts below the surface of the tulip panel, it is an issue with the stop. If it does not align at the hinge side, then the hinges are misaligned.
Roll the tulip off those side seals??? Ok, good to know if I decide to try it again. Thanks for that tip.
The flap is misaligned primarily on the hinge side, across the entire leading edge. I quickly looked up from below and not see an easy way to adjust the pivot points relative to the tulip. I will study it further using a mirror.
Thanks for helping me.
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if you look at the pictures of the underside of the flap and the hinge detail beginning in post #20 to this thread you can see that there is no way that an intact flap/hinge can be misaligned on the forward edge. Alignment is built into the assembly. The only way it can be out of alignment is if the mechanism is damaged or somehow forced out of alignment. But since you already said you are missing one of the metal clips, this is likely the case.
I agree with you Rob. I did not see a means for adjustment. You describe the condition well.
I truly think I have a bad silver flap with the holes drilled into the tabs too close to the main plastic. The holes should have been drilled closer to the opposite end of the tabs they are within. That would set the flap taller at the hinge points. Maybe I need both a flap and a clip for complete resolution.
Now I do wonder if the non-adjustable hinge pins are on a separate piece than the tulip. Maybe I can force down the tulip when screwing it all back together which would adjusted the hinge pins in a favorable direction. Maybe that is why I didn't notice the misalignment before. Maybe I need to screw it all back together, applying down-force on the tulip when tightening. This theory is out the window if the hinge pins are one and the same with the tulip.
I truly think I have a bad silver flap with the holes drilled into the tabs too close to the main plastic. The holes should have been drilled closer to the opposite end of the tabs they are within. That would set the flap taller at the hinge points. Maybe I need both a flap and a clip for complete resolution.
Now I do wonder if the non-adjustable hinge pins are on a separate piece than the tulip. Maybe I can force down the tulip when screwing it all back together which would adjusted the hinge pins in a favorable direction. Maybe that is why I didn't notice the misalignment before. Maybe I need to screw it all back together, applying down-force on the tulip when tightening. This theory is out the window if the hinge pins are one and the same with the tulip.
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The holes are not "drilled" into the plastic part, they are molded in position. Now, if the pin was spinning because the clip was gone it may have worn the hole out of round?
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Generally the flaps become misaligned because pressure is placed on them that deforms or moves the hinges. The hinge pin is fixed on one side and passes through a mount on the spring side. These parts can be bent which could result in misalignment. The holes as CW stated are cast into the part and cant be out of alignment.
Try moving the flap up and down in the mount while closed. If it does not move or if the movement is very small, then its more likely that the mounts for the hinge are out of position. These parts CAN be replaced. In fact, I have removed the entire metal structural part of the flap mount by applying heat, activating the adhesive and prying them off.
If you look carefully at these pictures you will see the metal structure in place on the panel, and then removed. The hinge pins pass through metal tabs that are part of this structure. If enough pressure is put on the flap from above I have seen these mounting tabs deformed so the flap is out of alignment. The good news is that you can reposition these mounting tabs to bring it back into alignment but you have to be very careful because if they are flexed repeatedly they can fail. While I don't recommend it for the faint of heart, you can use a heat gun to activate the adhesive and remove the flap and the metal mounting structure and work on it out of the car.
In the last picture in this set you can see the hinges and structure on the bench. The hinge pins and their mounting tabs are clearly visible. I have seen these bent outward by over loading the flap in the Z axis which drops the flap forward edge down.
http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/f62/punisher-65168/index181.html#post1972985
Try moving the flap up and down in the mount while closed. If it does not move or if the movement is very small, then its more likely that the mounts for the hinge are out of position. These parts CAN be replaced. In fact, I have removed the entire metal structural part of the flap mount by applying heat, activating the adhesive and prying them off.
If you look carefully at these pictures you will see the metal structure in place on the panel, and then removed. The hinge pins pass through metal tabs that are part of this structure. If enough pressure is put on the flap from above I have seen these mounting tabs deformed so the flap is out of alignment. The good news is that you can reposition these mounting tabs to bring it back into alignment but you have to be very careful because if they are flexed repeatedly they can fail. While I don't recommend it for the faint of heart, you can use a heat gun to activate the adhesive and remove the flap and the metal mounting structure and work on it out of the car.
In the last picture in this set you can see the hinges and structure on the bench. The hinge pins and their mounting tabs are clearly visible. I have seen these bent outward by over loading the flap in the Z axis which drops the flap forward edge down.
http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/f62/punisher-65168/index181.html#post1972985
I got home from work and studied my situation very carefully with a good light and a good mirror.
chickwire, The hinge pin holes in the flap/door did appear to be molded-in, not drilled. And the holes are perfectly round with no play when the hinge pins pass through. So I am good there. Do you have any idea when your fabricated clips will be available?
Now as for Rob's input. I think he may be onto something. The hinge pin brackets do seem to be a bid deformed in such a way that the hinge pins are closer to the floor. I will try to straighten them which would bring the hinge pins up higher. It seems it won't be enough for total perfection, but even a 50% improvement would make a really big difference. I will try adjusting via re-bending them to get the hinge pins higher. I will heed your warning over "excessive bending causing the metal tab to break". That makes sense.
Thanks guys for hanging in here with me. Getting this Solstice perfect sure has it's challenges.
Oh, following up on a comment I made earlier. The hinge pins are glued very well, solid in-place. Pushing down on the tulip while screwing the tulip down would surely yield no improvement on the situation, just as Rob's pictures clarify.
chickwire, The hinge pin holes in the flap/door did appear to be molded-in, not drilled. And the holes are perfectly round with no play when the hinge pins pass through. So I am good there. Do you have any idea when your fabricated clips will be available?
Now as for Rob's input. I think he may be onto something. The hinge pin brackets do seem to be a bid deformed in such a way that the hinge pins are closer to the floor. I will try to straighten them which would bring the hinge pins up higher. It seems it won't be enough for total perfection, but even a 50% improvement would make a really big difference. I will try adjusting via re-bending them to get the hinge pins higher. I will heed your warning over "excessive bending causing the metal tab to break". That makes sense.
Thanks guys for hanging in here with me. Getting this Solstice perfect sure has it's challenges.
Oh, following up on a comment I made earlier. The hinge pins are glued very well, solid in-place. Pushing down on the tulip while screwing the tulip down would surely yield no improvement on the situation, just as Rob's pictures clarify.
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Ron - glad you brought it up. Those clips are taking longer than most projects from the service I've been using. I know that they usually "group" several projects together to run bigger batches to keep their prices down, but I've not heard anything from them in a week now. I'll try to follow up tomorrow.
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I will do a test print tomorrow
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Checked the status of my order. Said it's still "in production". I guess it doesn't surprise me as this place is like a "service bureau" and they pileup orders to fill a full bed in the printers. That keeps the price down, but I'm sure they're not printing a lot of SS so I may have to wait a bit.
I'll keep you posted.
I'll keep you posted.
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Provider says it's shipping today. Probably will see it by the end of the week.
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