Hinge pins

Terry NJ

Terry NJ

Well-known member
I'm taking the doors off my 30 coupe. The hinge pins are stuck! I got the two top ones out, difficult but not really. Broke the heads off of two of the lower ones. (?) And I can't get the broken or the two whole pins out. I have saturated them with WD40, heated them blue, and pounded them with a two Lb hammer. I have hit them so much, I'm worried about distorting the hinge or the mounting. Anybody got any got any secret method. The mini wheel pullers from the vendors don't seem to work. Also, does anyone make stainless steel pins?
Terry
 
How about trying a pin punch type fitting in an air chisel gun?
Instead of WD40 try using Kroil or the acetone/atf mix.
 
Terry, there is not really a 'secret method' to these. Sometimes they are just frozen in and the only way we have removed them is to set them up in a mill and drill them.
 
Terry said:
I'm taking the doors off my 30 coupe. The hinge pins are stuck! I got the two top ones out, difficult but not really. Broke the heads off of two of the lower ones. (?) And I can't get the broken or the two whole pins out. I have saturated them with WD40, heated them blue, and pounded them with a two Lb hammer. I have hit them so much, I'm worried about distorting the hinge or the mounting. Anybody got any got any secret method. The mini wheel pullers from the vendors don't seem to work. Also, does anyone make stainless steel pins?
Terry
Click to expand...
Try this
 

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When I have a tough hing pin, I usually end up drilling the pin out over half way and using a drift punch the rest of the way. I have never yet had to drill out the full length of a stuck hinge pin. I have done over a hundred hinge pin removals. Heat also helps loosen their grip.
 
Often, they get worn to the point of having a "shoulder" worn into the pin that hangs on the other hinge pieces.....if that makes sense.
Might help to take the pressure off the door a bit and try a pin press as noted above. Heat is usually a friend here too as stated.
 
A ball joint press might do the trick if you can borrow one,the C clamp might not be able to handle the stress.
 
SSsssteamer said:
When I have a tough hing pin, I usually end up drilling the pin out over half way and using a drift punch the rest of the way. I have never yet had to drill out the full length of a stuck hinge pin. I have done over a hundred hinge pin removals. Heat also helps loosen their grip.
Click to expand...


I haven't done a hundred but the few I have done were done as posted above. I tape a layer of cardboard around the door post to protect the paint.
I will admit that I got my 36 year old son to do the process on the last one that was removed. Chap
 
rocket1 said:
A ball joint press might do the trick if you can borrow one,the C clamp might not be able to handle the stress.
Click to expand...

Of course you need a large c clamp to fit over the hinge post etc. My score so far is 4 hinge pins removed, 0 c clamps broken, this after using a mallet and drift punch, you just keep tightening until “bang” out comes the pin!
 
Thanks Guys ! I've been thinking of the C- clamp idea. I may go and buy a sacrificial clamp this AM. I am also ready to apply the some home brew penitrent , ATF & acetone.
Terry
 
In worse cases I cut the top off the hinge pin and drill the pin from the top side . I drill the pin a little better than half way . I use a pin punch to drive the remainder of the hinge pin out .
 
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I have read many comments regarding difficult to remove hinge pins. Sorry for all your trouble but I have the opposite problem. The pins in my roadster door loosen all by themselves and every month or so, I have to tap them back in place. If I forget, the doors get loose in the hinges and I know it's time to tap them in again.

Glen
 
Terry said:
Thanks Guys ! I've been thinking of the C- clamp idea. I may go and buy a sacrificial clamp this AM. I am also ready to apply the some home brew penitrent , ATF & acetone.
Terry
Click to expand...

Hoping you try it anxious to hear of your success, the c clamp I use is an older one I picked up at a yard sale. Be sure and orient it so you are pushing up wards.
 
Sometimes the pins/hinges get a bit bent, try opening the door part way and then removing them. On my passenger side, this did the trick and made them very easy to remove.
 
I had a really hard time with the first pin I took out years ago.

This is MANY years before most heard of the internet ... :D :eek:

Actually we were using the Internet in (1968 and 1969 in Vietnam) and later 1970 ... it was called the ARPANET back then.

I had borrowed one of the removal tools but the pins were damaged beyond being useful so we made new ones.

Did not work very well ...

Then I noticed that the pins that Ford installed at factory are 15/64ths inch and the ones I made for the tool were 1/4 inch that is 1/64 larger than the original pins!

No wonder we had so much trouble.

I had measured the replacement pins as example and they were 1/4 inch (16/64ths) so the pins for tool were made to be 1/4 also.

If you read instructions for removal look on Snyders by looking on their web site you will find their pins (for the tool) are 7/32nds or 1/64 smaller than the 15/64ths original pins.
 
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