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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Door hinge pins

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Door hinge pins -- page: 1 2     gobbie 09-07-2011 @ 5:51 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 27 Joined: Sep 2011 Just purchased a 36 Ford pickup with no mirrow on right side, so I opened the door and found there was more clearance to hit the pin with a wrench handle and hammer. Closed door and pulled pin. It worked. No damage. ?? supereal 09-07-2011 @ 9:57 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Removing the hinges from the car body is usually as big, or bigger, task than going after the pins, because the bolts are often badly rusted inside the pillar where they can't be reached. If you do try it, be sure to use an impact driver, or the heads will strip. I found that out years ago. tommorookian 09-07-2011 @ 4:10 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 62 Joined: Oct 2009 There are 3 tried an true methods to remove door pins: None of them work. The "C" clamp tool only works if the pin is not rusted really bad. Most often the clamp will bend or snap in half from the pressure. You can't cut the top off the pin and drive it down as the knurled part of the pin is bigger than the holes in the hinge. The upper hinge is accessible to a hammer and drift but you can't do the lower with the running boards on. Taking the 6 screws that hold the hinge to the "A" pillar gives you access to both pins once you get the door off the car. If your going to cut the tops off the pins and drill them only go down about 3/8 of an inch which is where the knurls end. Make sure your dead center with the drill and only go with a drill 1/16th smaller than the diameter of the pin. Drilling gives the metal someplace to go when you try the clamp or hammer/drift pin or air hammer. JM 09-06-2011 @ 6:32 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 823 Joined: Oct 2009 I have never had much luck removing hinge pins with hammer and drift pin. I just removed the upper hinge pin (passenger side) on a '35 5w coupe to install an outside rear view hinge mount mirror. I used a Bob Drake "C" shaped press tool that many say does not work well but it worked fine for me. I believe this is a beefed up version of his original tool that would bend under load. So far it has worked well on two of my cars but these are both low mileage rust free original cars. I'm not sure it is possible to cut the head off a hinge pin and drive it down in the hinge to get out. I believe the straight knurls below the head of a hinge pin would prevent it from coming all the way through the hinge. I have heard of removing the hinge pin head and drill and taping the pin shank. Then thread a machine screw into the pin and use that screw to pull the pin out from the top. Patience and perseverance are usually your friends when removing these hinge pins. JM This message was edited by JM on 9-6-11 @ 6:45 PM supereal 09-06-2011 @ 4:11 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 It is a good idea to "buck" the hinge with a big hammer or other substantial weight if you have to apply lots of "thump". It requires a helper while you drive the pin. The culprit is the knurling of the pin. It creates lots of rust, making the pin swell in the hole. If it wasn't a painted part of the car, we would use the faster way to rusted parts to loosen, with a torch. Generally, penetrating oil doesn't help much because it doesn't get to the rusted portion. 51f1 09-06-2011 @ 4:07 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 573 Joined: Oct 2009 I took my pins out when I was restoring my truck so I didn't have to be too careful. Some will come out pretty easily by driving them out, but some don't want to come out whatever you do. I've driven them out with a hammer and a drift pin. I have heated the hinges with a propane torch and driven them out. And I have drilled them out. If you drill them out, you can ruin the hinge. The tool described above was ineffective because I couldn't get it in place due to the contour of the door surface. I'm not sure it will work under ideal conditions due to the lack of force generated by the screw. Richard ford38v8 09-06-2011 @ 11:54 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2780 Joined: Oct 2009 When doing this, rememb er that all the force you apply to the pin is transferred to the door hinge itself, and of course the door and the cowl. A word to the wise. Alan Stroker 09-06-2011 @ 11:38 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 I had good luck on my 38, by using Super's air-chisel/pin punch method (with a regulator to allow it to just slowly thump) in combination with having first cut the heads off with a air cut-off wheel. It's so much easier to "thump" down, than it is to "thump" from below. 37RAGTOPMAN 09-06-2011 @ 10:21 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1969 Joined: Oct 2009 They do make a tool, it is a small press, like a C-clamp but a lot heavier duty, I have never used on because was not made when I restored my 37, try a few of the venders, Like SNYDERS, hope this helps 37RAGTOPMAN carcrazy 09-06-2011 @ 9:33 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1682 Joined: Oct 2009 It can be done but it is very difficult. I have done it on a very clean original 1940 Ford that had been in a museum for years. Use a good penetrating oil such as PB Blaster to help free up the pin first.

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