Door Hinge Pin; Stumped in Georgia

E

Evan Lewis

Member
I have a '31 Tudor and have been trying off and on for some time to get the top hinge-pin out of the passenger side door so that I can put a hinge-pin mirrow on. I have read several posts and have tried to use the suggested methods to get this pin out to no avail. I have soaked it over and over with PB Blaster, used a very heavy duty hinge-pin remover, rotated the door and hammered on the pin with a small punch in different degrees of open looking for the certain spot where the pin is not held captive, etc. and the darn pin will not budge. I'd rather not use heat because of damaging the paint on the hinge and the area surronding the hinge.
I would appreciate any and all suggestions as to what I might try before I try drilling the pin out and risk damaging the hinge. I feel confident that someone out there in fordbarn land has the solution to my problem door hinge-pin!
Thanks in advance for your help!

Evan Lewis
 
When you hammer on the end of the pin it tends to swell the pin and make it hard to drive out. If it won't come out with soaking and hammering, then I'd carefully drill a hole about 3/4 of the length of the pin and a diameter just smaller than the OD of the pin. Then take a punch that nearly fills the hole and hammer it down and out. This way you are more or less pulling the pin from the far end, plus the hole will relieve some side pressure, so it should easily drive out without fear of hurting the hinge.
 
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I think the only good option is to carefully drill out the hinge pin(s). If you carefully use a center punch to center the drill bit, then drill a small hole first, it seems to work well. Once the small hole is drilled down maybe a 1/2" or so, then drill a little bigger hole making sure the drill stays centered. Once the pin is nearly drilled out (several successive drill sizes) to the outside diameter of the hinge pin, you should be able to use a punch to drive the remaining part of the hinge out. Putting some PB Blaster or some other penetrating oil into the drilled out top part of the pin for a day or two before punching out the pin might help some. I did this to several hinges on my 28 coupe than I don't believe had ever been removed in 80 years with success.
Rusty Nelson
 
As best I can determine, and I could very well be wrong-as usual-, the stock pin is <1/4". So make sure you stay on center and small with the bits you are using.
 
5window said:
As best I can determine, and I could very well be wrong-as usual-, the stock pin is <1/4". So make sure you stay on center and small with the bits you are using.
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The pins on my Sport Coupe measured 15/64ths of an inch in several un-worn areas after I removed them.

I know some folks who have used 1/4 inch drifts to try and drive the pins out.
 
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I think I read somewhere that Henry's pin was 0.245". I had bought one of Bob Drake's C style pin removal tools and, while the toll was very substantial, the hardened pins supplied were just a bit too big and jammed in the hinge. I turned them down a bit and also used to cut off drill bits to push along.
 
Sometimes after some hammering on the pins you need to drive them back down and file the end as they tend to mushroom as Tom stated. Rod
 
Evan! I have the exact same problem as you and have currently tried everything. I even bought the Hinge pin remover tool from synders and all it did was stop and mash the bottom of the pin. I guess drilling it out is the only method but I don't trust myself to do that!

let me know if you figured it out or what steps you took

Justin
 
Start at the top and grind the head off, center punch at dead center, drill about 1/2" down with a 1/8" drill then enlarge to a 3/16". Use a steel punch (not hardened) and drive it down and out from the top. Worked every time for me.
 
fordgarage said:
Be careful using drill bits for pushing. They can easily shatter under pressure and send shrapnel in your eye. Drill stock is not for impact or high axial pressure.
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Yeah, seemed like a good idea-the pin was pretty short,but (fortunately) it wouldn't budge at all and I abandoned the idea
 
Thanks to all for your suggestions and input about getting the @#$% pin out of the door-hinge. I'll keep working on it and post what happens.

Evan Lewis
 
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