door hinge screws seized
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Cross-Country
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 70
Likes: 3
door hinge screws seized
I've got 3 door hinge screws that appear to be seized. The air impact spun a couple of times on one of them, so I'm afraid of doing more damage and then having to drill them out. I've got access to one of those little oxy/propane torches with the small cylinders - can that be used to heat the screws up? Or, is there the risk of warping the sheetmetal on this part of the cowl? I've never used a torch before for freeing bolts. Trying to decide whether I should be spending quality time this weekend with a manual impact or taking what appears to be the easy way.
TIA
TIA
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,963
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From: East KY
They're quite often spot welded. Those screws have been discussed here many times. The concencus here is to let sleeping dogs lie. And even if yours aren't spot welded, if you could peek up inside the back side of that cowl, you will probably see a ton of corrosion aroind those screws. If at all possible, my recommendation is to leave those screws in place and tackle the dreaded hinge pins instead.
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Joined: Sep 2012
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I've yet to have any deny the gentle persuasion of a good hand impact driver. Spray penetrant from behind if you can get to it at all. Worse comes to worse, you should be able to drill them out and repair from there.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 815
Likes: 29
From: Richland, WA.
Hand impact driver would be good as Horvaths said. I would not recommend breaking the stuff free with air drive, I have seen to many of these type of screws/bolts spin the brackets. after broken free then all good most of the time. When using heat to help remove bolts sheetmetal could warp. You have to get the nut area nice and hot, sometimes glowing, at least that's what I use to do on 4wheel alignments on axle parts. Even then required hand impact as well. Good luck on you quest. Kurt.
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Oh, yeah..
When I put them back I use a good anti-sieze compound. I tighten them well by hand and tweak until I'm sure that they are in the right place. If using star wheel latches, this includes driving to verify that the door doesn't pop open on turns and/or bumps. Slamming the door or hitting a good pothole during this point can cause a need to re-adjust because they will move until really cinched down. Then I use only a couple of strikes on the hand impact to snug them down and re-check and check some more. Then, once I am certain that I'm happy with the adjustment, I send them home with the hand impact. Job done.
When I put them back I use a good anti-sieze compound. I tighten them well by hand and tweak until I'm sure that they are in the right place. If using star wheel latches, this includes driving to verify that the door doesn't pop open on turns and/or bumps. Slamming the door or hitting a good pothole during this point can cause a need to re-adjust because they will move until really cinched down. Then I use only a couple of strikes on the hand impact to snug them down and re-check and check some more. Then, once I am certain that I'm happy with the adjustment, I send them home with the hand impact. Job done.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
In all the parts trucks I've had, "48-52, and the three trucks I am driving/restoring I just hit them with a torch, heat them read and they usually turn out. I can get a door off in less than a half hour.
I have pinched my thumb web too many times with an hammer impact wrench and have more than I can count bolts break off just as I was about to get them out. In the '48-52 trucks there's a 1/4" triangle backing plate the bolts screw into and you can get them out fairly easy if you have to to drill and retap them.
Finding the fine thread 5/16 beveled head bolts are hard to find though. You won't be able to find exact reproduction with the domed heads but you should be able to find Phillips head beveled flat head bolts. I bought all of mine some years ago from John's Fun Hundred. Since I bought mine there might be more places that sell them.
I have pinched my thumb web too many times with an hammer impact wrench and have more than I can count bolts break off just as I was about to get them out. In the '48-52 trucks there's a 1/4" triangle backing plate the bolts screw into and you can get them out fairly easy if you have to to drill and retap them.
Finding the fine thread 5/16 beveled head bolts are hard to find though. You won't be able to find exact reproduction with the domed heads but you should be able to find Phillips head beveled flat head bolts. I bought all of mine some years ago from John's Fun Hundred. Since I bought mine there might be more places that sell them.
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Cross-Country
Joined: Oct 2006
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Thanks for all of the info guys.
I bought a set of stainless hinge screws from MidWest Early Ford, but I don't recall if they were domed or not.
I bought a set of stainless hinge screws from MidWest Early Ford, but I don't recall if they were domed or not.
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Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,222
Likes: 6
From: Houston
17! Wow, Bob you are truly the F series king. My hinges came off with 4 broken screws using a hand impact. Both top hinges came off fairly easily, but the bottom ones had much more corrosion and 4 broke. I am going to get the screws out of the triangle adjustment plate or make two new plates. I found these grade 8 fine thread flat allen head screws at Coastal Fasteners here in Houston. When I put the hinges back I am also going to use anti sieze on them.
My hinges, as you can see, are really pitted badly but not rusted through and the sleeves for the pins are in good shape.
My hinges, as you can see, are really pitted badly but not rusted through and the sleeves for the pins are in good shape.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 859
Likes: 3
From: Newberg, OR
the 54 uses 5/16 fine thread flange bolts with slots in the hinge plate and welded nuts on back side of the door pillar. Several of the nuts on mine stripped out so I got some self locking tread inserts from Fastenal. I think they were 3/8" coarse thread inserts. Easy fix, drilled and tapped the nut and screwed the insert in. This might work on the 1/4" triangular backing plate too.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,882
Likes: 3,126
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
Yeah, for a while I was on a roll buying up parts trucks but then scrap prices sky rocketed and reality TV hit and the price for junk trucks, the kind I used to pay $100+, even got for free, became classics and everyone who has one rotting in their yard wants $500 or more for them.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 353
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From: Scottsdale AZ
I broke off (4) of the (12) - 3 of them still have something of a 'shaft' sticking out of the metal while one is broken off flash - so that one will be drilled and tapped out.
The other (3) I am able to get a nut on it, and I am going to try to weld the nut on the broken stud and see if I can try to work it out of the hole... if not, I will drill those out as well....
The other (3) I am able to get a nut on it, and I am going to try to weld the nut on the broken stud and see if I can try to work it out of the hole... if not, I will drill those out as well....
