Weird Stuff Happens!

JayChicago

JayChicago

Well-known member
40 Ford. Trying to remove the passenger door window crank handle, to replace the missing escutcheon. Couldn't get the roll pin to come out. Tapped it all different ways with various small pointy tools. Used penetrant sitting over several days. Still stuck tight. Even wedged a 2X4 under the crank so I could smack it with a drift pin without damaging the regulator. No go. The pin just would not budge. Gave up in frustration, to try again another time.

Drove the car several times since then. Today I'm rolling down the window, and the crank handle comes off in my hand! The roll pin is out, is gone, nowhere to be found. (probably is inside the door)

Apparently, with the penetrant, the pin dropped out from simple driving vibrations, even though it would not budge when I tried to beat it out.

Go figure. Weird!
 
There's pretty much no end to the weird stuff that happens when working on our old vehicles. For me it's been the spring or clip that pops away during removal that just dissappears. Slow and careful dismantling of the entire shop still does not yield it. It's just gone. Vaporized. I feel your pain, but that pin is not likely to be found in your door. It fell through the only drain hole that was actually open to the running board and rolled off 5 miles from home. A piece of old coat hanger is close.
 
JayChicago said:
40 Ford. Trying to remove the passenger door window crank handle, to replace the missing escutcheon. Couldn't get the roll pin to come out. Tapped it all different ways with various small pointy tools. Used penetrant sitting over several days. Still stuck tight. Even wedged a 2X4 under the crank so I could smack it with a drift pin without damaging the regulator. No go. The pin just would not budge. Gave up in frustration, to try again another time.

Drove the car several times since then. Today I'm rolling down the window, and the crank handle comes off in my hand! The roll pin is out, is gone, nowhere to be found. (probably is inside the door)

Apparently, with the penetrant, the pin dropped out from simple driving vibrations, even though it would not budge when I tried to beat it out.

Go figure. Weird!
Click to expand...

Man,i lost count over the last 50-60 yrs how many geezus clips,aka e-clips,split pins, and such have gone awol. as a matter of fact it was just a few weeks ago that the drivers door handle broke of in my hand while exiting the car in the garage.did not lose the pin. was not a roll pin but a solid steel tapered pointed at one end which supprised me that it was not a roll pin. so when i located an nos door handle for the '37 that solid tapered pin i thought was going to be too snug in the pot metal door handle it might have split so i found a roll pin. Tom.
 
The lost roll pin is not an issue, not the point. I ordered a couple extra roll pins when I ordered the escutcheon, cuz they are cheap and I know they are easy to loose.

The point is, the original (I think) roll pin would not come out, but then later fell out on its own. I found that strange, kinda weird.
 
I guess the penetrant and the wiggling just had a delayed reaction. You almost got it out, and time did the rest.
 
i have too been stymied by the inability to remove the roll pin on one of my door handles. what incantation did you utter over it or was it some sort of Faustian deal with the devil that was the source of your good fortune?

or maybe i should ask what strange brew was used as an anti-corrosive. :)
 
Sometimes a roll pin can get caught up by a ridge worn from the constant pressure of the escutcheon spring. Your penetrant and later cranking may have convinced it to overcome the ridge.
 
ford38v8 said:
Sometimes a roll pin can get caught up by a ridge worn from the constant pressure of the escutcheon spring. Your penetrant and later cranking may have convinced it to overcome the ridge.
Click to expand...

so maybe agitation is the key...i've been told i'm good at that. i'll give it a try.
 
Many handles have 4 holes not just 2 . This is to help align them when changing sides. Were you tapping in the wrong hole? Could you see the end of the pin?
 
JayChicago said:
The lost roll pin is not an issue, not the point. I ordered a couple extra roll pins when I ordered the escutcheon, cuz they are cheap and I know they are easy to loose.

The point is, the original (I think) roll pin would not come out, but then later fell out on its own. I found that strange, kinda weird.
Click to expand...

Jay,YEP.
 
GB SISSON said:
There's pretty much no end to the weird stuff that happens when working on our old vehicles. For me it's been the spring or clip that pops away during removal that just dissappears. Slow and careful dismantling of the entire shop still does not yield it. It's just gone. Vaporized. I feel your pain, but that pin is not likely to be found in your door. It fell through the only drain hole that was actually open to the running board and rolled off 5 miles from home. A piece of old coat hanger is close.
Click to expand...



Not a finish nail?:cool:
 
ford38v8 said:
Sometimes a roll pin can get caught up by a ridge worn from the constant pressure of the escutcheon spring. Your penetrant and later cranking may have convinced it to overcome the ridge.
Click to expand...
That makes sense. I guess it was something like that.
 
fordyford said:
Many handles have 4 holes not just 2 . This is to help align them when changing sides. Were you tapping in the wrong hole? Could you see the end of the pin?
Click to expand...
Yes, could clearly see both ends of the roll pin.

There have been times in my past when I had trouble getting it in right hole, but not this time.
 
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