Frozen door hinge

Campy · Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 1:47 pm Post subject: Frozen door hinge

The passenger door on my 1959 VW bus that I am restoring has a frozen lower hinge. Someone over in the split window bus section recommended pouring some muriatic acid over the hinge. Does anyone recommend this and, if so, should I mix it with water like I have done when cleaning the inside of fuel tanks?
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racoguy · Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:26 am Post subject: Re: Frozen door hinge

far rider · Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:46 pm Post subject:

Here's what has worked for me. I soak the pin/hinge in pb blaster or a 50-50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid. I apply liberally several times a day for a few days. Sometimes this will be enough. If not I then use an air chisel with a punch attachment and hit the bottom of the pin driving it up. Always works. Whatever method you use good luck.
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oldmanmark · Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 3:52 pm Post subject:

every time i went into the garage for whatever i sprayed frozen hinge with WD40. after several weeks took channel locks and tried to break loose. Nope. try over n over. got out the propane and heated it up each trip into garage and it wiggled more. added WD40, heat until free. never severe heat. several months.

Campy · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 1:37 pm Post subject:

I will try spraying more PBblaster on the hinge for several days, then get out the air chisel with a punch on it. If that does not work, I will heat it up. What if it still won't break free?
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Campy · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 2:00 pm Post subject:

PB blaster has not loosened the hinge. Muriatic acid did not loosen it. I put a punch on my air tool and all that did was spread out ther bottom of the pin. I used a propane torch to heat it and that did nothing. Should I use my oxy/acetelyne welder to heat it up? I am worried that too much heat will ruin it. What else can I do? This is really disturbing.
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Mike Fisher · Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 2:22 pm Post subject: Re: Frozen door hinge

Campy · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 9:34 pm Post subject:

The center part of the piece that the pin goes through is attatched to the front part of the hinge (on A pillar) and stays stationary (the top and bottom pieces are attatched to the rear part of the hinge on the door and move with it), which must be where the pin is frozen. I would like to soak the hinge but there is no way to do it. There seems to be no way to get PB blaster inside the piece by spraying it over it.
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Campy · Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 2:19 pm Post subject:

I have continued to spray PB blaster over the hinge and it is still stuck. There is no way to get the liquid insided the hinge to the pin. I would like to soak the hinge in a solvent but there is no way to have a container around the hinge.
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MMW · Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 1:29 pm Post subject:

I would heat the hinge with oxy/acet real hot, even cherry red if needed. At this point you don't have much to loose as nothing else has worked.

You could also drill a small hole in each section of the hinge to spray pb in it to soak.

Drill out the pin & replace it with a new one?
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Middle child · Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 1:41 pm Post subject:

Nobody has addressed heat warping the door...years ago we used in the auto body field asbestos in a paste form about as thick as toothpaste but made entirely of asbestos...probably illegal and not recommended today. I've done the heat with acetylene torch wd/40 it works....no more paint left but it works.

Campy · Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 7:55 pm Post subject:

I tried a propane torch so the paint is already messed up; the bus is going to be repainted, anyway.
I had thought of drilling two little holes, one on each side, into that center part of the hinge that the pin is stuck in. Once freed, I would cover each hole with a tack weld.
How about grinding off the head on the pin, supporting the base of the hinge with a board between it and the floor, then trying to pound it out? Also, PB blaster might trickle down from the top. Are new door pins available?
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ritchiet002 · Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 12:25 pm Post subject:

ritchiet002 · Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 12:55 pm Post subject:

Used one! http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1557402

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

New! And OD sizes!

http://www2.cip1.com/searchresults.asp?cat=578
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Campy · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:45 pm Post subject:

I drilled a small hole in the upper rear side of the center part of the hinge where the pin is stuck and I have been spraying PB blaster in there, then putting a sheet metal screw in the hole to try and hold the solvent in. It is as frozen as ever.
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Mike Fisher · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:58 pm Post subject:

Take it to a Muffler Shop if you are skeered to put heat on it and drive it out. They can weld up the new screw hole while it's there. You've been dinking around with this for 5 months. Twisted Evil

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