I have my cab up on blocks and I want to take the doors off for painting ,and to make it lighter to put it back on the fame. the doors are not very well alined and the hinges have been spot welded in place. I tried to take out the scews holding the hinge to the cab after a good dose of penitraiting oil but no luck I didnt want push it. Is there a trick to getting them out?

 

Heat, lots of Heat!
That's what I did and they unscrewed easily, Yes they are spot welded, but those will break once the screws are out.
Reamer
48 F-5 fully Restored!! This week!

 

I have had to heat almost every one I have taken off. Usually I ruin one screw driver per truck because of the heat. I also usually run a tap threw the triangular plate behind the door post to clean up the threads. I use a thin grinding disc to cut the weld or use a big chisel. Plan on buying all new bolts, the old ones will get mangled. They're kind of hard to find but I bought mine from John's F-Hundreds.

There isn't much adjustment on the doors. For gap problems on my F-2 I used a port-a -power to jack the corner out. I have also had to use 2X4 blocks in the hinges stuck in the hinges and slowly shutting the doors to bend the hinges, closing a gap at the back of the door.

 

I just took my doors off my 52 F1 and had to drill most of the srews, I used my air drill which has alot of torque and drilled through until the heads came off. I still now have to drill out the triangle pieces but that should be easy in the drill press. My bolts thereads were rusted tight expecially the bottom ones.

wgc

 

I've used an Impact Driver to remove door screws.
(Impact Driver, Cam action when hit with a large hammer, throw and scream action when you miss the driver and smack your hand. )

 

I had all kinds of problems with mine too so I welded a nut to the head of the screws with the heat from the welder they came right out. This is one of the best tricks I have found for getting bolts with broken or rounded off heads out. Hope This helps.

 

Here are the pages out of the shop manual dealing with adjusting the doors:

 

Thanks guys as always I can count on you guys for help
dennis

 

After parting out a few trucks I came up with a "tool" that works great for removing the screws without damaging them.


I took and old damage air chisel punch and welded an old cheap 1/4" socket to the end so that I can put in a screw driver tip in it. Then I welded a steel rod off the side of it to get leverage on the tip. I put the setup back in the air chisle and use the air chisle to hammer away while I put pressue on the rod in the loosening direction.

The hammering of the air chisle loosens the rust and keeps the tip frimly planted in the screw so it doen't strip....after 30 seconds or so it will screw right out (even the really rusty ones at the bottom). I makes a LOT of noise so avoid using the "tool" late at night if your niegbors live close.

I use this "tool" to remove all my old screws now...I can completely strip and old rusty door (remove it from the cab and get all the guts out of it) in less than 15 mins....

It chews up the tips but they are pretty cheap to replace.

 

I see that we must have bought our impact drivers from the same manufacturer as they have the same instructions.

One of the hardest parts of the job is to try and get down on all fours with a throbbing hand to look under all the stuff in the corner of the shop where you think the impact driver landed and rolled after you threw it while shaking hand back and forth and screaming...........

Bobby

 

jpb222,

Great tip. I'll have to try to rig one up, as soon as I buy an air hammer but it's still a great tip.

Dick and Bobby,

Are you talking about hitting just the back of your hand when missing the impact wrench entirely or still correctly hitting the top of the wrench but you don't realize, because you've been at it for quite some time, that the pieceo of skin that is between your forefinger and thumb is creeping over the edge of the top of the impact, now that hurts!!

 

Bob,

I think that you must have the newly released instructions for "advanced" users. Rookies are only allowed to complety smack the hand with the hammer, the pinching of the web of skin isn't allowed until you have succesfully swollen one hand up so much it forces you to listen to the little demon on your shoulder that is tempting you to try and hold it in your other hand while weilding the hammer with your non dominant hand.......

Bobby

 

Well I got one door off 3 out of 6 screws broke off I used a impact driver with a pipe wrench I try to learn from others pain next I'll try the air hammer trick How do you get the plate out with screw ends still in it Drill them out?