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Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws
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Technut27
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 8:33 pm    Post subject: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

Hi Samba!

I finally bought a pair of aftermarket mirrors last summer and a pair of Thing Shop door hinge mirror mounts a long time ago. I'm finally getting around to putting them on and the driver side hinges came off just fine by hand. The passenger screws are another story. I've stripped the paint off them and tried to get penetrating oil into the threads but have had no luck getting them to budge by hand or with my impact wrench.

Normally I'd be happy to heat them with a torch but I'm nervous to do it with the fuel filler right next to it. I don't mind the paint being ruined on the hinge that will be replaced but don't want to ruin the surrounding paint on the body.

Any tricks that I might want to try to break them loose? Also with those heads being so large are there special Phillips bits for them?
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

Impact driver and a #4 drill bit (I think that is the size)

https://www.tooltopia.com/kd-tools-1140.aspx?utm_s...gLFMfD_BwE
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cellobus1
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

I've had some luck drilling into the center of the screwhead a bit so the screwdriver goes in a little deeper. I've used a big screwdriver with a hexagonal handle, putting a (big) socket and ratchet on the handle and really leaning on it. A couple gentle well-placed taps with a flat hammer face beforehand may help. Also try tightening them first?! If all that fails, then drill all the way through and stick an easy-out in the hole. If you use a left-handed drill bit, you may not need the easy out, or any of the other techniques I've mentioned for that matter.
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Al Capulco
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

You can also look here, https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...oor+screws
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mondshine
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:34 am    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

If you are the kind of guy who can't own too many tools, check this video:


Link


Good luck, Mondshine
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uglymug
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 11:28 am    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

I drove around town looking for a #4 Phillips bit and couldn't find one that wasn't part of a kit. So, I ended up using a thick rubber band (from broccoli) and a #3 bit in a screwdriver. I put an adjustable wrench on the handle for torque and tightened (yes, tightened) first. When I got a little movement, I reversed the pressure on the wrench and they all came out without any slips. Low tech, but worked fine.

Those thing shop mirror hinges are sweet, and the stainless screws make everything look nice.
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Technut27
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 1:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

Thanks for the tips! I picked up an impact driver today and will give that a shot. The largest bit it came with was a #3 which seems pretty common. The light in my garage is better now and I can tell there is still paint/primer around the screw heads, I'm going to work on that some before I give it a try. Its snowing in Ohio how so I have until spring to figure this out.

That shake-n-brake is pretty cool and Christmas is coming. Though I think Santa is bringing me a torque multiplier so I can finally get the rear drums off.
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

They usually carry the #4 bit at Home Depot, or search the internet. I just was cautions not to strip them!
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 7:24 pm    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

This is why my thing only has a mirror on the drivers side. I pounded them HARD with an impact driver before finally succeeding on the drivers side. Too scared to do the passenger side.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:35 am    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

Having something heavy and solid set against the back side (maybe a carefully shaped wedge) will help when using a hand impact driver.
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Ron Domeck
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

I have always used a hand impact, not air. We have restored over 20 cars and have never broke or had a bolt that I could not remove.
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Technut27
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 11:07 am    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

I picked up a shake & brake and am hoping to give it a shot this weekend. Between the hand impact and that I have a good feeling about getting that passenger mirror on.
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Technut27
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 9:00 am    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

Ugg, I'm still pretty new at this but I'm learning, and thanks for all the advice!

Here are the resulted of "operation get that hinge off" last weekend:

Strike 1 - So the Shake & Break looks awesome, sadly I don't think my 6 gallon compressor has the output to drive my new bargain Harbor Freight air hammer. My compressor looses its edge pretty quick and I wasn't able to reproduce what I have seen in the video's. Screws still firmly in place.

Stroke 2 - Penciled a line across the screws and tried the manual impact wrench. Maybe I'm being too gentle but after what felt like too many tries they didn't budge.

Strike 3 - Propane torch - I was too chicken to go all in with the torch being so close to the gas cap but I got it good and hot. Not glowing hot but enough to burn the paint off the head and hinge plate I'm looking to swap with the Thing Shop mirror mount one. Hit it with the Shake & Brake as best I could and the manual impact... still stuck.

Luckily I'm only in an Amazon gift card I got for my birthday so far. I hit up the car guys at work to see if anyone wants to earn a good 6 pack and show me what I'm doing wrong Smile
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mondshine
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 6:28 am    Post subject: Re: Seized Passenger Door Hinge Screws Reply with quote

This is just a wild guess (since my Thing is far away in Winter storage) but it might be possible to remove the plastic plug on the A pillar and hit the back side of the hinge screws with penetrating oil.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

It might be worth a try.
Good luck, Mondshine
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