On the N41 and N51 Norcold refrigerators, if you notice the freezer door no longer closes properly, it may be a problem with either the LH or RH torsion spring assembly. When I noticed the door no longer had enough spring force to keep it closed against the gasket, I removed the door to check it out. I found the right hand plastic assembly had cracked and would no longer hold the spring tab in the correct position.
A replacement for the LH assembly is part No. 619042 and for the RH assembly is part No. 619041. They can be purchased from several Norcold parts sources for about $8-10.
The question I have is how to put the door back in place and keep tension on the springs while doing so. Maybe it's a 3-person job? ( Hold the door in place, wind tension on both assemblies, and then screw in 4 small screws to the bottom of the door.) There must be a simple solution. Would appreciate any help. Thanks, The Next Hill
Thanks j-d and Chris. Found the rotation method works. Also found that one of the plastic spring assemblies had cracked and was not holding its spring while in tension. Will order and replace again when I get a new one. Will also order a spare for the opposite side.
This is how I "rotated" and temporarily replaced the assemblies and door. for those just reading this post, I am talking about the small freezer compartment door, not the main ref. door.
Put in both the LH and RH spring assemblies into the frame. Rotate the assembly so that the lock pin is facing in toward the ref. Then attach either one of the plastic holder parts with the two screws to the bottom of the door. With the door folded straight down, attach the other plastic holder to the door bottom.
Close the door, and while holdings it all in place, rotate each spring assembly toward you. You will need to bend the tab a little inward as you rotate it all the way up until the lock pin snaps into the hole in the frame. Each will have rotated toward you approx. 3/4 of a turn and this will restore the proper tension in each spring assembly.
Be sure to examine each assembly before replacing to make sure they are not cracked from use and fatigue. A cracked spring housing can be repaired temporarily with scotch tape until your new one arrives. Removal and replacement should take no more than 10 minutes. (No more taping the freezer door to the frame! ). Hope this helped. Thanks for your input. The Next Hill
Without seeing it, can you Zip Tie the Spring then cut the Tie once it's in place or close to it?
Chris Bryant has a lot of manuals up on bryantrv.com and maybe yours is there. Our N811 has no springs, but the door is so non-rigid that we have to push the lower corner of the door with a knee when we latch the door.
If God's Your Co-Pilot Move Over, jd 2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100 218" WB
