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How do you get stubborn door hinge pins out ?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by beaulieu, Apr 10, 2008.

  1. beaulieu
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 362

    beaulieu
    Member
    from So Cal

    Hi

    The door on my car has one side of the hinge welded to the door post and the other side to the door , so to take off the door you need to pull out the pins that have been in there for decades ,

    anyone have a homebuilt tool ?
    the one you buy at the Model A Ford shops are not strong enough,

    I would rather not use an air chisel ,
    but was thinking of using some set-up using a body shop hydraulic pump and ram and pushing the pin out....

    any ideas ?

    Thanks

    Beaulieu
     
  2. Custom.Rust
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 7

    Custom.Rust
    Member
    from vt

    mine came. Out with a hammer, punch and swearing... Lots and lots of swearing. Enjoi
     
  3. Sloppyseconds
    Joined: Jan 29, 2006
    Posts: 1,295

    Sloppyseconds
    Member
    from Pasadena

    Old pins are easy...just grind off the head on the top and center punch and drill them out. You can drill just underneath the diameter of the pin and then a simple punch. This usually works..if not sell the car and buy one with easier to remove hinge pins
     
  4. sawbuck
    Joined: Oct 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,909

    sawbuck
    Member
    from 06492 ct

    why not a air chisel?grind it down to size ,it works and no damage.almost to easy
     

  5. Yeah, that's what I do too. After you grind the head off, it's easy to find the exact center of the hinge pin so you can center punch it. Then I use one of those long two-step drillbits that are surplus from the aircraft industry to drill the pin out with lots of cutting oil and lots of pressure. If you make a hole that's just a little smaller than the size of the original hinge pin, then you just have sort of a rusty sleeve left to punch out with a drift punch. The heat of drilling and the cutting oil helps loosen it up too.

    The top part of the hinge pin has the serrations on it and that part fits tighter in the hinge, so sometimes you don't have to drill all the way through the hinge pin if you can get the top part to start to break free from the hinge.

    If you can't hold the drill bit completely vertical inline with the hinge pin (because a drip molding or something is in the way), make your center punch mark slightly outside (away from the car) so that when the drill goes down crooked it will then wind up in the center of the hinge pin (instead of chewing up the lower part of the hinge as it works its way down deeper).
     
  6. I guess it depends on how stuck and how rusty they are. I never had much luck with the air chisel on the heaps I've been working on. The air chisel just mushrooms the end of the hinge pin sometimes and makes it even harder to get out.
     
  7. oldrelics
    Joined: Apr 7, 2008
    Posts: 1,727

    oldrelics
    Member
    from Calgary

    Weld a straight punch(just undersize of pin) to a 'donor' air hammer chisel, grind pin flush with hinge (so it doesn't flare), heat hinge HOT with oxy-acet torch, HOLD TONGUE JUST RIGHT, then giver snooose on air hammer. Did all 6 on my A coupe with no drill.
     
  8. sawbuck
    Joined: Oct 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,909

    sawbuck
    Member
    from 06492 ct

    i grind the pin flush with bottom of the hinge. it cant mushroom.well almost cant.still need penetrating oil and maybe some heat.but i have got some tough ones out this way
     
  9. I've been doing this for Decades. Take your Morgan Knocker and drop a 3" 5/16 bolt in the end nut. Wire weld the end of the bolt to the Head of the hinge pin, this would be before you grind it Off. Heat the hinge with your Torch and pull the pin by sliding the Knocker handle. It never makes the pin a Rivet and they always come out with out damaging the 2 hinge pieces.
    The Wizzard
     
  10. thunderbirdesq
    Joined: Feb 15, 2006
    Posts: 7,092

    thunderbirdesq
    Member

    +1 on this. Heat, heat, heat! It's also easier on the door jambs and bolts too.
     
  11. thirty7slammed
    Joined: Sep 1, 2007
    Posts: 886

    thirty7slammed
    BANNED
    from earth

    I heated and beat, cussed, busted my hand with a BMF hammer, I wish I would have tried this, it sounds like it would work great.
     
  12. I don't think I've ever damaged any of the pieces doing it this way. Any time you beat on the actual Pin you enlarge the Rivet effect it has. The Ford pins must come out the Top side since they are Knurled just below the Head to keep them from rotating. Good Luck
    The Wizzard
     
  13. BigChief
    Joined: Jan 14, 2003
    Posts: 2,084

    BigChief
    Member

    Mac's Antique Auto parts (and others, I'm sure) sell a hinge pin removal tool. It supposed to pull the pin without damaging the hinge or paint. Hmmmm.

    That tool plus heat should get it out with little problem if it works as advertized.

    Anybody use one? I bet Bruce Lancaster probably has an original Ford dealer tool for the job sitting someplace, eh?

    -Bigchief.
     
  14. That tool is marginal at best. I have one. It works IF your hinges are in grate shape and NO ridges on the pins. If they are stubborn at all the push pin just bends.
    The Wizzard
     
  15. beaulieu
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 362

    beaulieu
    Member
    from So Cal

    we trieed the tool sold at vintage Ford shops , it either did nothing or bent the tool !

    But I do appreciate some of your ideas and will pick up a slide hammer at the swap meet this weekend

    Please keep posting , I am sure there are others with this problem

    Thanks

    Beaulieu
     
  16. Zombie Hot Rod
    Joined: Oct 22, 2006
    Posts: 2,452

    Zombie Hot Rod
    Member
    from New York

    Try taking a C-clamp and drilling a hole the size of the pin on the end (the pin itself, not the head) then weld a hinge pin to the other end. Grind the head off the pin and use the clamp to push it out like a press...

    Hope that made sense.
     
  17. dirthawker1313
    Joined: Apr 18, 2005
    Posts: 647

    dirthawker1313
    Member

    where was this post a week ago? i tried to remove the pin in my 51 ford. after much frustration i decided it would be better to remove the whole hinge and get the pin out. needless to say i ended up having to drill out all 8 screws just to get the hinge off. then i had to drill and tap all eight holes for new screws plus buy a new hinge!! OWELL it was good for experiance i guess.
     
  18. Iceberg460
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 880

    Iceberg460
    Member

    Not trying to hijack this thread but anybody know where new pins can be bought? Will need to dill them out of my '29 Star and nobody makes parts for that car so i would like to find a place with different sizes so i can find some that i can make work. Thanks
     
  19. thirty7slammed
    Joined: Sep 1, 2007
    Posts: 886

    thirty7slammed
    BANNED
    from earth

    Can you get one of the pins out so you can measure dia, that will help finding new pins.
     
  20. Iceberg460
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 880

    Iceberg460
    Member

    Will try again tonight, but i doubt it, there rusted in there pretty good
     
  21. gavin
    Joined: Dec 6, 2005
    Posts: 94

    gavin
    Member
    from Sonoma

    For hinge pin's try Tom at http://www.ccrod.com/home.htm. He's really helpful and knows his stuff when it comes to hinge pins. I had a hard to find pin, and he had just what I needed.
     
  22. LOTS OF HEAT AND BEESWAX! i have seen many hinges destroyed using a BFH that without heat and some type of penatrant make it worse. when you put them back together make sure you use anti-sieze.
     
  23. Iceberg460
    Joined: Jun 6, 2007
    Posts: 880

    Iceberg460
    Member

    Thanks Gavin, see some on there catalog that i think i can make work
     
  24. Take your time ,they did not rust up overnite.
    Penetrating oil takes time to work
    Also if u can get a small bearing puller in place and keep the pressure on .
    Using a hammer really knocks the hinges off and creates more headaches.
     
  25. Sloppyseconds
    Joined: Jan 29, 2006
    Posts: 1,295

    Sloppyseconds
    Member
    from Pasadena

    Us e a Shotgun....you might have to stand on a ladder depending on the height of the hinge. place barrel against head of pi and fire...may take a few times but it works...
     

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