fuel door hinge spring

My Tacoma is like my house, getting on and needing a bunch of little things. Latest is a broken fuel door hinge spring that lets the door flop around when open instead of being help open in a detent. Not the end of the world but it's one of those things that makes my nice truck otherwise feel a bit trashy.

Looks like the bottom of the hinge pin is missing an arm that would insert into the door. The dealer says this comes only as an entire assembly which isn't super $$, but if course it comes unfinished and needs to be painted to match the body color. More $ and more PITA. Anyone here come up with a way to fix this without replacing? And for those who have replaced with the new assembly did the part come with new rivets?

 

Doesn't look like anything is missing to me. Mine didn't have a bottom "arm" the same way that the top does. I suppose mine could have broken off but didn't look like it.

I had an issue recently where the door was rubbing on the body when opened. The hinge pin was all outta whack and causing it to bind. I took it all apart and was able to straight the pin, lube it up and it's pretty much good as new now. I didn't do a great job getting the hinges to wrap back around the pin after taking it apart but it'll have to do for now since I didn't catch that until I'd riveted it back on

 

Hmmm... mine operates freely but the detent when it is full open is gone. Just flops around.

 

What kind of rivets did you use? I have a pop rivet tool and rivets up to 3/16", I believe. I might take it apart and see if I can restore the detent somehow.

 

I bought the OEM rivets, they were a little under $2ea, IIRC. They are 1/4" rivets so I had to also buy a new rivet gun. Not sure you'll find a 3/16" rivet that will work if you don't want to use OEM or have a tool for 1/4".