Targa Catch refurb kit

[Neil63]

Having read various posts on springs and clevis pins for refurbishing targa catches I thought I would do some research and costing. The expensive part is cost for us to achieve as individuals balanced against taking a chance and ordering volume with the hope of selling on. I have emailed a number of companies in relation to making the grooved clevis pins to the correct length. One has come back to me at present but the min order makes it a costly initial outlay.

I am not expecting a group buy commitment but checking if this is viable given the price point and if Craig at LB or anyone else has this in flight.

To create a kit (all in stainless) as follows:
4 Springs ( assume easy enough to bend? So would be pre bent)
8 Grooved Clevis pins @ 30mm from inside edge of head to start of groove
8 e-clips
16 wave washers
(I have omitted the shorter peened over pin as assume standard Clevis pin cut to length, the possibly drilled to ease peaning over)

Initial pricing would be c £25 - £30 ( me with no overheads) and not sure how viable this would make it.

Any thoughts welcome

Attached is is what I emailed companies it’s based on the standard din spec on the Thomas Potter website with the G1 measurement changed to 30mm which I understand to be correct.
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[Stratos Fear]

Neil - I've just re-furbed mine using the Chicago screws but your price of £25-30 sounds reasonable to me for a complete refurb kit.

Peter

[Moxox]

Neil, As already mentioned I'll buy a set at that price, many thanks for getting this far!

[john]

I will have one too.

[westonTB]

Count me in too, one set please.

Tim.

[gtmpaul]

Could you please add me to the list for a set
Thanks Paul

[Stableblock]

I'll take a set too please.

Thanks

Peter

[Marcolino]

One set for me too, please.

Marcus

[Neil63]

Ok I really want to do this as part of my build so need a few more before I commit. I accept I won’t cover all costs initially but confident will sell over time, just need to reduce financial exposure a bit more. I have been reading up on bending spring steel even small diameter. Metal work at school in mid 70s came flooding back. (Annealing, tempering and hardening, Cherry red, blue, straw!!)

I finish work on Tuesday having taken early retirement and feel like an expectant father waiting for the LB kit. I know this should be in build thread but had a play in garage today cleaning up a few bits. I have both types of steering column so lightly blasted, wire brushed etc.

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[MooglyMoog]

how much lower would the pric ego if we ordered 50 or 100?

[LPH_UK]

Bit of a thread hijack, but I can get stainless steel versions of the door handle plates made (shown in Neil's last post). I got some done and my local place will still have the files for doing them.

[john]

What are you blasting with Neil?

[Neil63]

What are you blasting with Neil?
John
a very fine mineral powder. It’s only good for light paint / rust removal. I then finished them off on the wire brush wheel on my bench grinder.
Cheers
Neil

[Neil63]

how much lower would the pric ego if we ordered 50 or 100?
The price would definitely drop probably to sub £25 it’s just standing the cost with the risk of not selling them. It’s the clevis pins that are the killer and only one company has come back to me prepared to do them.

[Neil63]

Ok. I’ve decided to go for it. Springs, e clips and wave washers ordered. I am doing one more loop on the pins before ordering those. Once I have started putting together I’ll move to a group buy thread.

[john]

Thanks for getting this off the ground Neil.
Just let me know when you want some money.
Re blasting, I was wondering because I bought a soda/grit blasting pot a few weeks back.
The soda works really well but the process is as slow as a very slow thing.
Not tried the grit yet.

[Neil63]

Thanks for getting this off the ground Neil.
Just let me know when you want some money.
Re blasting, I was wondering because I bought a soda/grit blasting pot a few weeks back.
The soda works really well but the process is as slow as a very slow thing.
Not tried the grit yet.

I had a pressure pot but found it created too much waste so bought a freestanding cabinet of the type sold at machine mart. Took couple of minutes to do the columns.

[Gordon Caro]

Neil,

I am just refurbishing my catches and have sourced solid aluminium rivets for the centre pivot which holds the spring in. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222911118812?ViewItem=&item=222911118812
The head requires thinning down and I drilled a 4mm dia hole in the small end about 3mm deep to allow for peening over when fitted.

Gordon

[Neil63]

Neil,

I am just refurbishing my catches and have sourced solid aluminium rivets for the centre pivot which holds the spring in. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222911118812?ViewItem=&item=222911118812
The head requires thinning down and I drilled a 4mm dia hole in the small end about 3mm deep to allow for peening over when fitted.

Gordon

Gordon
Perfect. I have placed the order for the clevis pins and the springs have arrived so all good to go for complete kits.
Thanks for the info

[Neil63]

Final update before progressing to group buy. Clevis pins will take c 1month due to small batch run so expect to be available towards end of May. Final drawing attached. Springs have arrived and my crude jig appears quite effective. I am checking everyone on my targa catch and will complete the final bend at the end of the process.


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[john]

Nice progress Neil.
May will be fine for me. Actually May next year will probably be fine for me!
Let us know when you want some cash.

[STR_Strat]

I tried a slightly different approach to sourcing the pins and turned some of these :

12950

Into these :

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[Stratos Fear]

From the work I've done on my catches , I'm thinking the head of the clevis pins may need thinning down a bit to fit under the body of the top catch?

[STR_Strat]

From the work I've done on my catches , I'm thinking the head of the clevis pins may need thinning down a bit to fit under the body of the top catch?

Possibly but these are the 30mm long ones. For the pivot pin, I tend to re-use the originals as they are not really on show once assembled. Easy enough to skim the head if I do decide to replace them though.

[LPH_UK]

I found that the dimensional tolerance on the levers were 'somewhat lax'! I had pins made to identical sizes and the fitted some catches but not others,took a bit of messing and having another pin made at a slightly different size (distance from head to the 'slot' for the clip).

Also had to prise open on the bodies very slightly to make it fit over as mentioned above.

[Stratos Fear]

Leigh - that was my experience too - but it all worked out in the end!

[ProtoTipo]

I tried a slightly different approach to sourcing the pins and turned some of these :

12950

Into these :

12951

Hi Dave,
Have you got a link to where you got the over length clevis pins?

Thanks.