Survey Says...!

OK, Guys,

I need some help. Would you be so kind as to take your digital calipers out to your 246 ('not sure if a 206 is the same), open the driver's door, turn towards the firewall, hunker down and commence to measure? Thanks.

1st spec is the average width of the release levers for the engine cover, fuel door & deck lid. (I need both the pivot end and the 'lift' end.)

2nd spec is the average width of the slots in the back plate that the levers mount in. (Again, both pivot end & 'lift' end.)

Why? Well, I bought one of the very nice metal replacement pieces from Superformance. The problem is..., you guessed it. My levers are a tad wider than the channels in the new plate! Now, there are probably two reasons to consider:

A. My levers may have been replated & are a tad fat!
B. The machinest punched the wrong buttons on the CNC unit & the slots are a tad slim! (Or, the right buttons were pushed for the wrong measurements?)

My original plastic plate is not readily available to take some readings. However, here are the average measurements on the new steel plate & my old levers:

Pivot End Lift End

Plate 13.03mm/.513" 12.96mm/.510"

Levers 13.31mm/.524" 13.26mm/.522"

As you can see, it ain't gonna work!

Now, my levers fit quite nicely in the original plastic plate, so I'm inclined to believe that reason B, above, may be the more likely. However, before I contact Colin & whine a bit, I thought I'd ask the audience, and show him the results of this sorta-survey.

Again, I appreciate the help.

Coop

 

Greetings, all.

My previous title may be misleading. I'm not conducting an all-out survey; I'd just like to have a couple of comparisons before I get with Colin. I also just noticed another glitch in my original post. In the paragraph that lists the measurements, the title line should read "Pivot End -- Lift End." I took measurements at each end of the old levers & the slots in the new plate.

If you have a plate & some levers readily available, obtaining the average of all three levers & channels/slots should be fairly easy. Since measuring an installed set is a bit awkward, even a spot check of one lever & its corresponding slot would be helpful. In either case, any info you can send my way will be much appreciated.

I can still pull the levers/cables, sans back plate, to access the different compartments. However, it looks tacky with the three levers hanging by their cables over the exposed recess in the firewall covering. They also work a lot better with a proper pivot point!

Thanks,
Coop

 

Thanks, Pietro.
I'll stand by for your specs. And, Congrats on the award!

Thanks, Uro.
That adds a bit of a twist. I should have access to my old plastic plate tomorrow. As I mentioned in the first post, the slots were wide enough for my levers to fit in, with some room to spare. Is yours an original-type plastic piece? It'll be interesting to get a few more figures to compare. Hmmm. The sketch works! How'd you do that? Digital pic of the drawing?

OK. Cheers to both.
Coop

 

Uro,
The plastic on mine had cracked/split from both of the holes. I cut out a thin aluminum patch & JB Welded it (and the cracks) to the lower part of the back side of the plate. I held it in place with six small C-clamps while the JB dried. I drilled the screw holes & slightly countersunk the plastic holes to lessen the stress. Great results: Strong & undetectable repair. When the new & improved plate arrived, I thought I'd give it a shot. Oh well, I can now put the repaired original to the test.
Thanks for your input.

Mark,
Your similar experience was reassuring to me. Misery loves company! I'll bet you're correct on that cable length issue on your right-hooker. We know that the fuel door cable would be way short. Unless the latches were reversed, I suppose the deck lid & engine cover cables would have to be long enough to do a one-eighty at the latches to properly pull on the release mechanisms.

Pietro,
'found the batteries, eh? I appreciate your persistance. Your measurements are a welcome addition to this comparo. My friend measured the levers on his Tipo M coupe. They are the narrowest of the lot: .477 inches. His back plate was missing when he bought the car, so we can't get specs off of it.

All,
I have seen the light. Production tolerance was anything but tight. Perhaps there were a number of vendors who supplied these; perhaps they were cannibalized from another marque. And, some levers may have been replated. At any rate, it looks like I will be able to install the new plate in my friend's coupe (.477 levers/.510 slots). My refurbished back plate will be re-united with its original levers in my Tipo E coupe (.524 levers/.555 slots).
Now, I just have to wrestle with two sets of those pesky little return springs! As the cables are hooked up at the other end, there's not a lot of wiggle room to line up the levers, hold each compressed spring in place with needle nose or tiny vice grips, then slide the shaft into the plate & through each lever & its individual spring. Three hands would help! For those who have attempted this, you know what I'm talkin' about. Building up the assy on the workbench would be a luxury; in situ, it's a 'treat.'
Lastly, referring to my original post, the machinest at Superformance is off the hook.

For those who are still planning to take some measurements, you can put away the calipers. I think we've found a workable solution using the parts at hand. I'll catch ya the next time.

Many thanks,
Coop