The pins on my 46 doors just will not come out. Is there a trick? Am I going to have to drill them out and get new ones?

I have never had this much trouble getting hinge pins out.

I ended up removing the hinges from the cab. I had to cut all three of the bottom bolts on the lower hinge (both sides), So I will be drilling and rethreading those.

I still need the hinge pins out so I can mount the mirrors.

Got any ideas?

 

Fix, try heating the hinges up with a torch, then pound them out. On one of my '46's I just heated the hinge up, then pounded them out. Very slow work, but it works.

 

I ussually only have a propane torch around, and that didn't seem to make a difference.
I guess it might be time to invest in oxy acetalene.
They gotta come out, so I will keep working on them until they do. These things are really stuck.

Thanks.
I just wanted to make sure that they werent welded in, or pressed in, or anything that would make all my bangin useless.

 

There is a very handy hinge pin removal tool that is available from Bob Drake and probably Dennis Carpenter. It is $20. Be careful pounding on the pin from underneath. The end can mushroom.

 

Thats a really neat tool.

I already have one. I must have picked it up at a flea market or junk sale or something. I put it in my tool box and kind of forgot about it. (mostly because I didn't know what it was for) I thought it was a really weird C-clamp.

I wish you guys were closer cause sombody needs to smack me for not thinking of trying it.

I'm blaming it on the paint fumes. Just sprayed the rough coat of primer on my front clip. A couple more hours and it should be ready to finish sand.

Did you know that red oxide primer makes a really good hair dye? I guess I'll be a red head for the rest of the week.

 

Paint fumes LOL. I have a similar tip: Chasis greese makes your hair Doo like a fifties movie.

 

I wonder if the Ford factory swedged them on the bottom a little to keep them in. You may have to file or saw off the part that sticks through the bottom up even with the bottom part of the hinge. The pin press should come with some different length pins in order to push it up through. Gary is right, torch is the best bet.

 

I'm gonna finish sand my front clip, and put the hinge oins off for awhile. Maybe they will just rust out.
I think I'm going to have to remove the hinges from the doors as well, and stick them in the vise so I can really get at them. I've looked at the replacement pins and they don't have anything that should be sticking them in, but then again they probably wouldn't. I think my pins are just happily stuck in 60 years of wear, rust, and caked on paint.

I haven't tried the chassis grease hair gel, but it looks pretty good on my dog (Holley). She likes to sleep under the truck. crawling out leaves a nice slicked down patch along her back that I have to wash out.

 

If you heat the hinge part with oxyactylene torch to less than dull red will expand the hinge bolster enough that when the hinge is in a vise you can drive the pin out. Try to direct the heat to the hinge and not the pin as you want the hinge to expand enough to let the pin out. This should be done as quickly as possible to reach the hinge temperature first. Drive the pin from below with a drive punch that is flat faced wo the pin will not be upset and swage the end. If the pin is already swaged to any extent, cut or grind the exposed part below the hinge, and then try the process. Don't expect the pin to move with just one large blow. Many fair blows are better and keep the hinge hot until the pin is out. Usually when the pin starts to move it will keep on with repeated blows until it's out. Obviously, use a smaller drive punch than the inside diameter of the hinge or you'll have another pin situation to deal with.

Elder Rodder

 

I kind of figured that the propane wasn't getting it hot enough, fast enough.

I don't have oxyacetalene so I will have to wait to try that out.

You said to put the hinge in a vise? Does that mean that you removed your hinges from the door? How did you reinstall them? Are there bolts that fit, or did you rivet or weld them back on?

Thanks

The oxyacetalene torch is on the wish list, I just have to find someone to give the wish list to.

 

Fix,
I dont have anything more to offer that hasnt already. But I do remember the BAD time I had with my hinge pins way back in 1993. As a result I have not and wont drive them in beyond the beginning of the knurl. Only one has a tendency to work out, and needs a couple taps infrequently.

 

I ordered some drawings of hidden hinge plans.

Maybe I can avoid the problem altogether by building some hidden hinges.
I'll let you know how they work out when the plans arrive. I don't have much in the way of machining tools, so if the plans require a mill or anything they wont help at all.

My doors are junk anyway, so I might as well try out the hidden hinges while I'm putting the doors back together.

Thanks

 

This is a link that if not helpful, at least should be interesting:
http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...384#post200384

 

Thanks. Not all that helpfull with the hinge pins, but I wasted about two hours readin the other posts.


I could have been workin on the truck. (you're mean).

 

I didn't respond to what to do about your cut-off hinge screws. You can drill the centers of the remaining screws, with a small drill, and use an easy-out to back them out, or, just keep enlarging the drill size until almost to the threads, and then try with a larger easy-out. You must be quite well centered to tap original threads to save them. This is difficult since most bolts and screws bread with an uneven surface. You should use quite a small drill and center-punch the screw first. Not too much pressure and keep the drill from wandering off-center. The small, and very sharp, drill will make faster progress than a larger one and you can drill and enlarge a hole more easily than starting with a large drill that is difficult to center. If the small drill wanders off-center then the threads are still OK and an easy out may be able to back what's left of the screw out. Best to get the original cut-off screws out with pentrating oil, a little heat, and an easy out. That can work wonders in situations like this. These screws should be 5/16x24 and are available through most early Ford suppliers. I know Dick Spadaro www.dickspadaro.com/ has them with a nut with the screw since most people destroy the threads in not removing the existing screw patiently and accurately. These screws use the nut to hold the door hinge to the recess. If (ah, the big if) you can back the originals out then you should be able to "chase" the threads back to usable shape with a 5/16x24 tap. All this is gentle work and patience here will save time and frustration later. What I'd like to know is how you managed to cut the screws off in the first place without destroying the hinge and its' recess?

Elder rodder