E Type boot lid hinge replacement by Julien Lebleu

Another great submission by our friend Julien Lebleu

Tools required:

a. Eye protection
b. Leather gloves
c. A large nail or aligning awl
d. A good heavy vise
e. Lubricant for the springs and hinge after completion.
f. Vise grip pliers.

1. Remove the boot cover.  Put match marks between the hinge and the mounting bracket.  Also put match marks between the boot lid and its mounting.

2. Take the hinge to an open area and clamp the hinge into a vise.

3. Clamp a vise grip pliers onto the spring package where it bolts to the boot lid hinge.

4. Remove the bolt that secures the springs to the boot lid hinge.  Remove the bolt and remove the springs.

5. The new springs will come as 5 individual springs and must be stacked together with their hole aligned for the bolt to go through.

6. Take an “aligning awl” or nail that is as large as possible but will still fit through the hole in each spring and clamp the awl or the nail in the vise.  The pointed end should be up.

7. Put on gloves and open the first spring enough to put the hole in the spring over the awl or nail and slide it down.  The spring should have the curl down as you slide the spring over the awl or nail.

8. Take the second spring and do the same thing.  The end of the springs will be on the awl or nail in the vise but the curled end will be on top of the one previously placed on the awl or nail.

9. Take a ratchet handle, 3/8 inch drive is large enough, and put it through the spring end.  Unroll the top spring enough to cause it to hook over the lower spring’s curl.  With the top spring end under your gloved thumb pull on both sides of the ratchet to unroll the lower spring while at the same time forcing the top spring to follow until they snap together as one.  The first 3 springs will be fairly easy.  The next 2 are much more difficult.  Do this for the remaining springs until there is a stack of 5 but they look like one roll and all are aligned on the awl or nail in the vise.

10. Take the pair of vise grip pliers and clamp it onto the stack of springs near the awl or nail so when the stack is lifted off the hole alignment can not be lost.

11. Put the stack of springs, handled by the vise grip pliers, onto the hinge and feed the original or new bolt back into the hole in the hinge and then through the spring stack.  Tighten the nut on the bolt and remove the vise grip pliers.

12. Take the hinge apart and slide the bolt that belongs through the spring ends into place after lubricating the springs and the bolt and it roller.

13. To check if the springs are installed correctly there is a small pin that acts as a stop on the hinge in the up position.  This pin should be tight against part of the hinge assembly.  If it is not then the springs are probably in backwards.  This is easy to fix as you clamp the vise grips back onto the spring stack to maintain alignment and remove the bolt and nut.  Then flip the spring stack over and reinsert the bolt.

14. Do this to both hinges on the boot.

15. Install the hinges on the car taking care to install any alignment shims that might have been in place before removal.  Us the match marks or lines to put the boot hinges back where they were on the car before it was removed.

16. Put the boot lid in place and install any shims that might have been in place back where they belong.  Use the match marks made at disassembly to align the boot lid to the hinges and hopefully the car.

This is a tough little job but the feeling of accomplishment after is most satisfying.  Remember to watch out for your fingers as the springs have a lot of stored energy.  The more springs you add the more energy is available to be released.  Always wear the safety glasses and gloves during this repair.