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Fri May 16, 2014 2:09 pm

I put a post on this in the paint and body section some time ago.
I bought a 1959 double door through eBay in 2012 that was supposed to have had all of the body work done and about ready to go. When it was delivered from Colorodo, one of the number of problems with it was that the lower right front door (passenger) hinge is frozen (I was never told this). I have tried everything: air punch; spraying PB blaster over it a whole lot of times; heated it with a propane torch. I have an oxy/acetrylene welder; should I carefully heat it with that? Should I drill a couple of small holes in the center part on the front part of the hinge that the pin goes through so I can spray PB blaster onto the pin? Shoiuld I grind off the head of the pin, put a 2x4 piece of wood between the base of the hinge and the floor, then try to knock it out from the top with a puch and a hammer? Are new door pins available?

Fri May 16, 2014 3:06 pm

If you end up needing a pin let me know. I have one that I removed to put a mirror arm on the PS of my Kombi.

I would avoid banging on the hinge if it can be avoided. There areas where the ends attach to the door/body are scary thin. I quit banging on the DS upper hinge on this bus because the door metal was deforming. I bought one of Joey's hinge removal tools and had the mirror arm on the DS and the PS pin out in less than 30 minutes.

I have had fantastic luck with using Automatic Transmission Fluid mixed 50/50 with Acetone. I just took apart some popout frames and was able to do one just with that mixture. The other one required some heat. But once I broke the screws loose I started soaking them and they spun right out.

Sat May 17, 2014 12:37 am

I would like to soak the hinge but there is no way to get a liquid around it.

Sat May 17, 2014 5:02 am

Cru62, can you post where to get joeys hinge pin removal tool for those in need? Also I like your mixture although open all the windows/garage door and use a mask as we all know acetone can cause cancer in California :wink:

cru62 wrote: If you end up needing a pin let me know. I have one that I removed to put a mirror arm on the PS of my Kombi.

I would avoid banging on the hinge if it can be avoided. There areas where the ends attach to the door/body are scary thin. I quit banging on the DS upper hinge on this bus because the door metal was deforming. I bought one of Joey's hinge removal tools and had the mirror arm on the DS and the PS pin out in less than 30 minutes.

I have had fantastic luck with using Automatic Transmission Fluid mixed 50/50 with Acetone. I just took apart some popout frames and was able to do one just with that mixture. The other one required some heat. But once I broke the screws loose I started soaking them and they spun right out.

Sat May 17, 2014 11:21 am

Campy wrote: I would like to soak the hinge but there is no way to get a liquid around it.

I have my mixture in a pump can for oil that I bought at my FLAPS. The bottom is crimped tightly around the bottom of the sides. This mixture creeps so well that although I have had many other fluids in this same oil can, the ATF/Acetone mix manages to creep slowly out of the bottom. Nothing else, not even straight acetone, creeps out like this. I would guess that if you built up a well around the pin and sealed it as well as possible and just kept the area around the pin wet with no standing head, that over time it would creep into whatever joint there is. I kept the can near the frames that I was working on and just rewetted the area around the heads of the screws each time I walked by.

Since It is only the middle section that turns on the pin maybe if you drilled a hole into the top of that section and injected the fluid of your choice it would help.

Sat May 17, 2014 3:28 pm

Campy wrote: I put a post on this in the paint and body section some time ago.
I bought a 1959 double door through eBay in 2012 that was supposed to have had all of the body work done and about ready to go. When it was delivered from Colorodo, one of the number of problems with it was that the lower right front door (passenger) hinge is frozen (I was never told this). I have tried everything: air punch; spraying PB blaster over it a whole lot of times; heated it with a propane torch. I have an oxy/acetrylene welder; should I carefully heat it with that? Should I drill a couple of small holes in the center part on the front part of the hinge that the pin goes through so I can spray PB blaster onto the pin? Shoiuld I grind off the head of the pin, put a 2x4 piece of wood between the base of the hinge and the floor, then try to knock it out from the top with a puch and a hammer? Are new door pins available?

Use a Oxy/Acet torch and heat that sucker up cherry red and then toss cold water on it. That should break it loose.

Sat May 17, 2014 7:07 pm

Campy wrote: I would like to soak the hinge but there is no way to get a liquid around it.

Wrap the snot out of it in cotton kite string, all over, all around, a huge wad. Then keep that soaked for a couple weeks. You can hang a handle-hole-punched tuna can on a wire under it to catch the inevitable drips.

Sat May 17, 2014 10:03 pm

Braukuche wrote: Campy wrote: I put a post on this in the paint and body section some time ago.
I bought a 1959 double door through eBay in 2012 that was supposed to have had all of the body work done and about ready to go. When it was delivered from Colorodo, one of the number of problems with it was that the lower right front door (passenger) hinge is frozen (I was never told this). I have tried everything: air punch; spraying PB blaster over it a whole lot of times; heated it with a propane torch. I have an oxy/acetrylene welder; should I carefully heat it with that? Should I drill a couple of small holes in the center part on the front part of the hinge that the pin goes through so I can spray PB blaster onto the pin? Shoiuld I grind off the head of the pin, put a 2x4 piece of wood between the base of the hinge and the floor, then try to knock it out from the top with a puch and a hammer? Are new door pins available?

Use a Oxy/Acet torch and heat that sucker up cherry red and then toss cold
water on it. That should break it loose.

Exactomundo!.. It's truly the only way for those SOB stuck solid hinges.. But don't pull on the door! You could F up the door. Pry the hinge open a little at a time with a pipe wrench. When the hinge moves freely then tap out the Pin with squirts of PB plaster.

Mon May 26, 2014 12:52 pm

It is still frozen no matter what I do. There is no room to put a wrench on one side and a wrench on the other side to put torque on it.

Mon May 26, 2014 2:23 pm

Campy wrote: It is still frozen no matter what I do. There is no room to put a wrench on one side and a wrench on the other side to put torque on it.

You tried heating it up till its red? Propane torch won't do it if it is that stuck.

Mon May 26, 2014 2:53 pm

Braukuche wrote: Campy wrote: It is still frozen no matter what I do. There is no room to put a wrench on one side and a wrench on the other side to put torque on it.

You tried heating it up till its red? Propane torch won't do it if it is that stuck.

How about a wedge? Slide it in the folded hinge and use a clamp? Constant pressure & blaster? The wedge would have to be metal-----maybe a sacrificial chisel or you could fabricate something with that torch you have.

Mon May 26, 2014 3:13 pm

Braukuche wrote: Campy wrote: It is still frozen no matter what I do. There is no room to put a wrench on one side and a wrench on the other side to put torque on it.

You tried heating it up till its red? Propane torch won't do it if it is that stuck.
X2, I haven't encountered a stuck joint yet that didn't see it my way with a big oxy actelene torch, it'll move when it's glowing red. Sometimes it'll sieze back up when it cools so multiple attempts may be necessary, hosing it down with PB blaster or Liquid wrench while it's still hot helps alot too, smoky as hell but it gets drawn in as it cools.

Mon May 26, 2014 5:04 pm

I borrowed an air chisel with the pointed tip tool.

3 second burst and it was out.

Good luck.

Mon May 26, 2014 6:00 pm

laughingboy wrote: I borrowed an air chisel with the pointed tip tool.

3 second burst and it was out.

Good luck.

If it is as stuck as he is indicating he might tear the hinge off before the in comes out. Ask me how I know :oops:

Mon May 26, 2014 7:07 pm

last time I used a propane torch it just weakened the rivets to my door. Wont do that again. It has to be quick hot like acetaline torch.

Mon May 26, 2014 7:48 pm

Braukuche wrote: laughingboy wrote: I borrowed an air chisel with the pointed tip tool.

3 second burst and it was out.

Good luck.

If it is as stuck as he is indicating he might tear the hinge off before the pin comes out. Ask me how I know :oops:
Yeah, air chisel or pounding sometimes moves far more things than just the hinge pin, loose rivets and broken off hinges come to mind for me too :evil: . The only way I'd try that again would be with a length of heavy waterpipe between the bottom of the hinge and the ground, but even then I'd get it moving with the torch first.

Tue May 27, 2014 7:00 pm

Braukuche wrote: laughingboy wrote: I borrowed an air chisel with the pointed tip tool.

3 second burst and it was out.

Good luck.

If it is as stuck as he is indicating he might tear the hinge off before the in comes out. Ask me how I know :oops: If you are having that much trouble, I would remove the door and put in on top of a big vice, have someone hold the door.

Heat the pin up with a torch, cool down with cold water, then drive the pin out. If you get the pin hot enough it will drive out. If it did not drive out you did not get the hinge/pin hot enough. Rince/repeat as needed.

Tue May 27, 2014 7:10 pm

StockNazi wrote: ... I would remove the door...

Can't remove if can't open? Did you wrap it in string and use Liquid Wrench for a couple weeks? Tap it lightly all over with a board after soaking.

Tue May 27, 2014 7:54 pm

BarryL wrote: StockNazi wrote: ... I would remove the door...

Can't remove if can't open? Did you wrap it in string and use Liquid Wrench for a couple weeks? Tap it lightly all over with a board after soaking.

What Barry said. Try the least invasive methods before breaking out the nuclear options. Unless you absolutely, positively must have it overnight. Then, Flame On!

Fri May 30, 2014 11:10 am

Any luck?