Bongo Fury

The self-closing sliding door mechanism is noisier than I would like, especially in the middle of the night. Are they all like this, or is there something I can do to quieten things down a bit? I don't want to disable it, as it is useful.

EARPLUGS

... already use them against the snoring!

Clean the runners and a light greasing?

The problem is not the sliding, but the motors which pull the door shut after the first "click".

They are a bit noisy even at the best of times. Try spending a night at a Bongo meet and you'll here them all night long . Often if you close it gently it will latch closed but not engage the motor so you could try that.

You can disable the motor altogether if you don't want it. We just use the close it slowly and don't engage the motor method

Slowly is the key with that sliding door, don't slam it like a sliding van door and it should last a hell of a lot longer.

Again, it's not the slamming of the door, but the whining of the motor as and after it closes that I am asking about.

Is it the internal or external noise you are concerned about? You could try adding some acoustic matting inside the metal door skin and around the motor which will be very fiddly.

Steptoe wrote:Again, it's not the slamming of the door, but the whining of the motor as and after it closes that I am asking about.

Remove the door card and check the drive gear and motor are well lubricated, and the gear is not worn. You should be able to pin point the noise easier with the card removed.

The motor isn't that loud in my experience. Try opening the door up and giving it some lubrication perhaps?

I personally find the hummmm and whirring quite soothing

What noise are you on about
I'd try giving it some lubrication

OK. Had it all out last night and found the cause. The motor bearing were dry and squeaking. Closing the door was OK, but as the mechanism reset after the door was closed, it was squealing (like a stuck pig, but not quite so loud!).

Although I also took the cover off the worm drive and regreased it, this was not strictly necessary.

1) Remove 3 bolts, unclip the lock lever and remove the 2 larger plugs from underneath. loosen the cable nut to release the cable outer from the mech, then also slide out the cable nipple. You can then manoeuvre the mechanism away from the door.

2) Undo the 3 pozidrive screws holding the motor to the worm drive, and remove the motor. Might be sensible at this point to mark the position of the gears to ensure it is in this same position before you reinstall the motor. With the motor removed, try turning the spindle. In my case, it was squeaking indicating a dry bearing. It will feel 'notchy' as it is a DC motor, but it should not feel 'rough'. You can apply 12v power to the exposed terminals to test it (in both directions).

3) There are small holes on the drive end of the motor, so if you hold it with this end upwards you should be able to spray some GT85 or similar down into it. Don't overdo it! This should provide some lubrication to the bottom bearing.

4) Might as well grease up the worm drive at this point prior to rebuilding.

5) Check the gears are in the marked place prior to reinstalling the motor, and tightening the 3 screws.

6) Reinstall the mechanism into the door following the reverse of the above. Don't forget to tighten the cable locknut to keep this in place.

Job done. Now the 'close' noise is the same as the 'reset' noise. Would like it to be quieter still, but this certainly helped.