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Sat Feb 27, 2010 11:59 am

OK, I have a donor door for my '63 Notch. Do the hinges unbolt from the door? Or, do you have to push the pin out to get the half of the hinge that bolts to the door jam on the body?

I'm trying to remove the lower hinge from the door.

Sat Feb 27, 2010 3:27 pm

The hinges are welded to the door. The pins are pretty hard to get out, if they come out. I destroyed a door once trying to do the same thing. Be careful!

Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:02 pm

Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:35 pm

Cool. A cat eye mirror door 8)

Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:43 pm

notchboy wrote: Cool. A cat eye mirror door 8)

Note the date on that bulletin. 3/63

Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:58 pm

Russ Wolfe wrote: notchboy wrote: Cool. A cat eye mirror door 8)

Note the date on that bulletin. 3/63

Yeah I saw that. Has to be an early pic printed later.

Thu Mar 04, 2010 9:26 am

Finally had a chance to look at the pages you posted Russ. (Can't view big images on my phone) Thanks for posting!!

This tool seems fairly simple. As I understand it, you drive the pins out from the top. Then reinstall them from the bottom.

Some questions:

The only mention the top hinge, I assume that the proceedure is the same for the bottom hinge?

Are the pins tapered at all?

And, could the pins be driven in from the top to install them?

Thu Mar 04, 2010 10:55 am

If you read it, the top hinge comes out downward, and the bottom hinge comes out upward.
If you can see in the one picture, the bottom hinge is in the vise with the door upside down.

Thu Mar 04, 2010 12:16 pm

That's funny. I didn't even notice the door was upside down!! :lol:

I need to pay better attention in class, Prof. Russ! :D

Tue May 18, 2010 9:07 am

I'm still working on my passenger door hinge. I've attempted to push the hinge pin out, just like the bulletin directs above, with the door upside down and pushing the pin into the center of the door. I'm actually using a pin punch that I bought and a good size hammer.

I had no luck what so ever. The pin will not move. So, I had an extra early door that I picked up from a guy fairly local to me. Temporarily, I'm going to use this door. The hinges on this door were really rusted tight. I've sprayed tons of PB Blaster on the hinges, and my friend David from Bug Boys ([plug] http://www.bugboys.net [/plug]) helped me get the hinges freed up by using a pair of vice grips and clamping a rather large pry bar to each of the hinges and working them back and forth little by little. They're both pretty decent now.

Next we had to fix two of the holes that were obviously drilled out in the temporary door. (I'm doing the same thing to get my old broken hinge part off the body) I cleaned out the two holes really well with a carbide bit, and then we sanded the flat surface with an angle grinder and a twist loc pad. My son Harrisen then MIG welded up the two holes. Then, I used a tap and cleaned out all the threads in the other holes. Now, I can get a bolt into all the threaded holes with my fingers.

So, that's where I'm at. One partial hinge still attached to the body. And a temp door prepped. Just need to get better after having surgery a week ago, and I can get back to it.

I hope to post some pics. This has been an adventure that I've never experienced before on a Type 3!

Tue May 18, 2010 9:12 am

Read the first page. It tells which way to drive them. And do it off the car, with the loose end of the hinge in a vise.

Tue May 18, 2010 9:28 am

Yep. I was working on the lower hinge, and had the door upside down driving the pin to the center of the door, just like the pic. Wouldn't move at all...

Tue May 18, 2010 9:30 am

Do you have the hinge in a vise, like in the picture?
The sheet metal of the door is not solid enough.

Tue May 18, 2010 9:33 am

Yup. Forgot to post that part. I have a floor vice that is huge. Was using that.

My only thought was that I wasn't hitting it hard enough. I may have been holding back too much, worried that I would break the welded part of the hinge off the door. (I know that the vice is key, and is holding it)

Tue May 18, 2010 9:54 am

Better try some heat/dry ice rather than break something? ](*,)

Tue May 18, 2010 10:12 am

Heat the hinge.

Tue May 18, 2010 10:32 am

Great advice. I thought about that. But my torch isn't set up yet. I do have a small map gas torch. Not sure if that's enough heat... Will try it next time.

Tue May 18, 2010 12:23 pm

Notched wrote: Great advice. I thought about that. But my torch isn't set up yet. I do have a small map gas torch. Not sure if that's enough heat... Will try it next time.

Alternate with heat and lubricant, such as Kroil or PBlaster.

Apply heat, wait; then apply penetrant, then heat, wait; then penetrant. After that, use the hammer and punch tool.

Sun May 23, 2010 5:05 pm

This is where I'm at. Still drilling out the lower hinge bolts.

Original door.

Broken bottom hinge on original door.

Hinge in donor door retapped.

Wobbled out holes welded up ready to get tapped.

Top hinge holes on door frame.

Sun May 23, 2010 8:16 pm

I had the same problem with a broken lower hinge on my '65 squareback. I heated, hammered, sprayed pb blaster on that pin for days would not budge. I actually thought the pin was moving but the hinge broke loose from the door, what a mess. I ended up taking a cut off tool & making a slit in the hinge to finally remove the pin. I took the hinge to the welding shop to have the cut welded. I used an 8mm bolt instead of the hinge pin, works fine. Here are some pics