Projects tips for removing stubborn Model A hinge pins

Starting on my 30 Sedan project, damn hinge pins kicking my ass.
Bought a pin remover.... it just bent.

any idea's out there, be for I just drill them out

 

penetrating oil, torches, hammer, punches, patience, ice and motrin for smashed hands and plenty of foul language....that worked for me.......FNG.....

 

try the fire wrench and a air chisel. turn down the bit a fuzz smaller than the pin . becareful and try not mushroom the end of the pin.

 

Heat cherry red with torch drive out with pin punch that works!

 

First thing to do is remove the whole hinge unit from the body...get them in a vice, and then go at it!

 

I wish I could, I been spraying penetrating oil on all the screws and hinges/pins for 5 days lil here, lil there trying anyway to get the damn doors off... driving me nuts!!!

guess I'll have to fire up the torch see what happens

 

If you look at a new hinge pin you will see that it is designed to be stationary with the door side of the hinge. If you open and close your door and the pin remains stationary with the body side of the hinge it is very difficult to remove the pin. I got mine apart by drilling out the pin enough top and bottom to seperate the hinge halves. From there if you can get the hinge half off of the body a hydralic press will get the rusted pin out. I repaired the door side hinge halfs with washers. Hope this is some what clear.

 

I got one out with the pin removal tool, the tool bent on the second one and I never got the others out. Tried most everything here. I'll be checking back to find a way I haven't tried. THANKS for the post and suggestions.

 

Not meaning to hijack this thread, but it's a similar problem that this brought to mind. The screen in the gas tank of my A won't budge. I made a tool with tabs and it just bent them. I soaked it with blaster & Kroil every time I walked past it for months, still no go. It's in nice condition as is the tank so I'd rather not destroy it. Any suggestions?

 

I got my tool from Sacramento Ford "new heavy duty" then recommended penetrating oil for a few days then use the tool. all mine came right out and the tool is still perfect.

 

If you have a heavy bar of steel around the shop a foot long or so,drill a hole in the end that will let the rivit head in and use it on top of the hinge like a dolly block.Have somebody hold it and try a pin punch.If this doesn't work you may have to heat or drill, good luck!

 

The last few I have had the machine shop drill them out really wasn't that much and they were perfect.My last 2 cents

 

31aBoy has the right idea. It worked on my F1. Also try one of those cheap hand air chisels with a driver thats the same size as the pin. If the hinge pin moves right away you got it made if not start thinking about drilling.

 

I have had good luck taking a small torch head and heating the pin from the Top and then the bottom. Try to keep as much heat off the hinge as you can. Once the top and bottom of the pin are red. Use a spray bottle with water and quinch it as soon as the pin is red. Keep spraying the water untill it is cold . You may have to do this a couple of times, hot to cold. It will srink the pin and break up the rust. Drive it out with a punch or air chisle.

 

I have a fool proof trick. Next time I need to remove pins I'm going to photograph doing it for a Tec article. I use a Slide hammer, or Knocker/Morgan tool. It's the tool that makes all those screw holes in Quarter panels. I drop a 5/16" X 4" bolt in the end of the tool and then Weld it to the Top of the Pin. A very little Heat and Slide Hammer "UP" and Out they come, No problem. Beating on the Bottom of the Pin just makes a Rivet out of it and then Your Screwed.
The Wizzard

 

FWIW there's been a lot of threads on this. I finally broke down and made a morgan knocker , basically take an air chisel and weld a handle on it and on the end of the chisel weld a socket for a screwdriver tip.

So basically you're just making an air powered impact driver, but you use the handle to turn the screw, if that makes sense.

I haven't had time to work with it properly but it seems to do the trick pretty good for removing the hinge screws.

for the hinge pin I'll use some combination of heat, violence, and cursing ;-)

 

I took a worn out air chisel bit and welded on a punch to it. Drill the pin just a bit for the punch to sit in and heat the hinge along the pin area. The combination of heat and the air chisel it should come out with minimal foul language.

 

Why didnt I think of that??????? Thats a damn good idea. Good Job!

 

Heat and quench using the penetrating oil as your quench...heating and trying to remove pins hot is just making things worse, heat it up and cool it down with penetrating oil, then not only is it broken loose from the heat, but the oil helps lube and flush out the crud in the hinge...THEN you can go in there with your fancy tools...

 

If you grind the head off of the pin it will usually drive out from the top side easier than from the bottom as long as you have not buggered the bottom hole up already.

 

This will NOT work on early Ford hinge pins without damaging the pin hole below. Ford pins have a Seratted section on top to lock them in place so not to turn in the center section. Trust me, Pulling them out is way better than Driving them out.
The Wizzard

 

Thats a good point I never thought of with the knurled edge below the head. I did this to my Sedan, and they came out easily. Thankfully I got lucky and my new pins hold really well and do not move.