Door Hinge Pin Removal

You need to clean the paint and dirt from the hex head in the bolt and tap the allen socket in as far as posible to eliminate the chances of stripping the head. I never said it was easy, I said it was easier...

 

I removed the door to get better access to the hinge pins. Then I ended up cutting the jamb side of the hinge off the door side hinge with a dye-grinder because the pin was almost welded to the jamb side of the hinge. Nothing I did including Oxy-Acy heating made any difference in freeing up the pin, but you really can't get it that hot without burning up the door. Then I ordered new hinges and screws to re-install.

The hex screws should be removed with a quality impact steel hex socket (a fairly new one that's not slightly rounded on the end) to eliminate the chance of rounding out the screw, because it is a mother@%$!# if you do. Here's a source: http://www.menintools.com/gp38hex.html

 

The screws are expendable if need be. I cleaned out the holes and scraped out the paint, then tapped a good quality wrench into the screw as far as it would go and used a handle extension to increase torque. Even so, I still had to use a chisle and hammer to persuade some of them to turn. I also snapped an allen wrench on one of them, so the screws are quite strong. But if you strip out the screw hole and cant knock out your pins, your gonna be in a world of doodoo.

 

Im not having any better luck. Broke down and used the oxy torch, heated the door side hinge cherry red. Hit it with an air hammer and it will not budge. I think its time to start drilling. *^&$#*@(*&.

 

I dont know if that tool would work, but I am not going to spend money for a once in a lifetime tool that may not work. I'm going to try one more attempt at knocking them out and if I fail im going to drill them out. Then I am going to take a hard look at the other pins and talk myself into leaving well enough alone. Those pins should be stainless or something.

 

Nor will anything else I have found.
As you try to drive the pin out it mushrooms inside the hinge, also there is a wear lip where the hinges turn, now add 30 years of corrosion and you have something which usually needs to be drilled out.

I have an extra set of stainless pins if anyone is interested.

Richard

 

You have a PM

 

I'm curious what kind (brand) of drill you used. I cannot find a right angle drill that is small enough in size or diameter to clear the door frame, without forcing me to go in from an angle. The head would need to be less than 1 3/8 to clear the door and allow me a straight shot.

But you mention going in from the end of the pin opposite the grease hole? That would take quite a very small tool head to get in at a straight angle, the curvature of the door is in the way. Were you working on a 308 GTB/S??

 

I found they make a right angle drive (DRE-575) for my dremel tool, should be here is a couple days. Its appears small enough that hopefully I can get a straight angle on the pin and be able to drill, cut or grind the pins out enough to push them through. I will grind off the grease nipple flange even with the hinge, drill down into the pin to bore out the center, and (hopefully) push the pin out the same direction it went in, cutting off the pin in sections as it exits. Thats the plan anyway.

As for the Loctite stuff, it may work on something else but it didnt work in this situation.

 

Okay, the dremel right angle drive idea didnt do much more than help be burn up a bunch of drill bits and dremel bits. But I was able to grind out the threads to open the hole up a bit larger and clean the gunk out of it.

So I ground the grease zerk head of the pin off flush with the hinge to attempt pushing them through the other way. Then I ground the end of a long tapered punch down until it would slip into the hole in the pin and bottom, and bent the punch a bit so it cleared the door enough I could get a clear swing at it. The dremel at least was able to open the hole up a bit, so it wasnt a complete waste. Then I started beating the punch with a dead blow hammer, and low and behold it started moving. The upper pin was the hardest, It hammer it hard all the way out. As the pin exited the hinge, I cut the pin off in sections as it will hit the inside edge of the door if you go too far. Two cuts on each pin, and voila, out, done. But I had to really put the smack down with the hammer to get them moving, they wernt ever going to move being afraid to hit them.

I shudder to think of trying the pins in the other door, but maybe with the heads ground off and pushing them from inside the hole, it wont be SOOO bad? I think I'll take a better look at them. If the door isnt loose at all I am leaving well enough alone.

What was odd was as the lower pin exited the hinge, once the pin left the center section, it fell through the lower section of the chassis hinge. That door wasnt loose at all on the hinges, so I guess I better measure the holes and pins see what the deal is. Sure glad to finally have them out, its been a real thorn in my side for quite a while, as I'm sure some of you are dealing with as well.

 

+1 My lower hinge pin was hard to remove but I Really had to beat the hell out of the upper pin to get it to move (also used an 8'' punch with a slight bend to clear the door)

 

I have a sagging door, so I embarked on removing the pin. Well, after 2 days, the door is not off the car, and on the bench. I cut the hinge off and now have access to the door part of the hinge. Ground off the ends of the upper pin and started beating on it with a long drift. After 3 hours, torch, and a heat gun, it moved about 1/4 of an inch but does not want to move any more.

I have no idea what to do next ?? I read above where someone was able to get it to come out with beating but this pin has beaten me.

what's next ? Take it to a machine shop to see if they can get it out? I am dead tired tonight and am leaving town for a few days on business. Hopefully, I will be in a better mood next weekend.

 

could you possibly post a pic ?

 

I'll be 50 years old this year (god willing), I have worked on my own cars since I was 15 years old.

Removing the hinge pin on our 1975 Dino GT4 proved to be the most difficult automotive project I have ever encountered.

Hours and hours of swinging a 2 pound hammer, Kroil penetration oil, heating with an acetylene torch (the door is stripped to go to paint, otherwise this would not have been an option), more curse words than I knew I had stored up, a blow to my left hand that nearly sent me to the emergency room, feelings of defeat...

What finally was the key to success? A few seconds of an air hammer broke it loose (moved about 1/4"), then back to manual labor for about 1/2 hour, and that lousy S.O.B. fell onto the floor with the most beautiful sound I have heard in some time.

The trick with the air hammer was to grind the sharp tip into a flat blunt tip. (The sharp point wanted to expand / mushroom the pin, which would have made removal impossible.)

Total time: about 5 man hours. The taste of success was very sweet.