1950-53 door hinge disassembly (update)

[G Pennington]

I am trying to disassemble my door hinges so I can replace the bushings.  I've tried using a hammer and punch to force the pin out but no luck.  Soaked them in WD-40 for two days and the pins still won't budge.  I have a friend with a 40 ton hydraulic press, but I'm afraid I'll break the hinges if I apply too much force.  Anybody have any experience with this?  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Quentin Hall]

I have replaced the pins and bushes in several of these for 53s. You  may need to heat the casting with an oxy torch. Heat and let cool and you shpuld have no problem pushing out on a press. In fact I'm pretty sure I did the last lot in a vice..  If i recall the better bushes are teflon not brass. . . But others may chime in. 

[G Pennington]

Thank you, Quentin.
I will try the heat, cool, and press method.  Won't have access to the hydraulic press until after Christmas, but will post results.  Also, do you know if the hinge pins have a serrated section under the head?  Hard to tell from my parts book.....

[Quentin Hall]

Yes. I do remember them having a serrated collar. Also be mindful of  them being handed. The domed head is upwards when on the car.

[G Pennington]

Yesterday I tried to disassemble the door hinges.   Heated with a butane torch, allowed to cool to room temperature.  Used the hydraulic press to push out the hinge pin on one hinge.  Managed to bend the pin (am having a new one made), so decided to hold off pressing the pins out of the other 3 hinges.
Discovered these hinges have no bushings.  The pin in a tight fit in the upper & lower tangs of one hinge half, and is very loose in the center tang of the other hinge half.  Lots of corrosion in the bore of the center tang.  The bushings I bought on eBay do not fit at all.  Thought about boring out the center tang and making a custom bushing, but there is not really enough metal left to bore it much.  The existing bore is .050 to .060 inch larger in diameter than the pin- so it's quite sloppy.
ANY IDEAS?  Getting the doors installed properly is key to aligning the front & rear fenders, so this is holding up my assembly of the body.

[Quentin Hall]

Hmmmm. Not sure why you are having such dramas. Perhaps you need more heat. I seem to recall just heating with an oxy torch , quenching and oiling and then pressing out with just a big old vice.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Why wait for them to cool down?

I thought the idea of heating the parts up was to slightly expand the outer part to allow the pin to be driven out.

Letting it cool down will only allow the heated part to re-clamp itself back around the pin.

Bruce.

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

Wick some candle wax in them, an old Hot Rod trick back in the 50's.

[Caddy Wizard]

When using heat to loosen parts for disassembly, take them apart while still hot.  The hinge will be hotter than the pin and will expand a little more, loosening its grip on the pin.  It will come out fairly easily while the hinge is hot.

Similarly, when reassembling parts that are designed to have an "interference fit", cool the inner part (place it in a freezer for a while) and warm the outer part.  The parts will go together with much less force...

[Quentin Hall]

Of course that is right about the heating . I now remember just putting the pin under load in the vice, heating the casting and it just popped. The very best by far penetrant is atf and acetone in equal measure.

[G Pennington]

Thanks for all the advice on getting the pin out.  Will get with my machinist buddy next week and dissemble the remaining 3 hinges one way or another.
Now, about the bushings (or lack thereof):  The hinge pin has a dia. of .341 in.  The hole in the center portion of the hinge (the part that pivots) is .390 - .410 dia.  This is a very loose fit- that's why I was having so much slop in the hinges.  It just seems to me there should be a bushing or sleeve with an ID of .345 or so for the pin to pivot in.  I found no remains of any kind of bushing when I disassembled the hinge.  I guess the hole could have simply "wallowed out" from 63 years of wear & corrosion, but it looks too round and consistent to have been the result of wear.  Is anybody aware of any kind of bushing or sleeve that was used in these hinges?

[Quentin Hall]

Try this for size. I can't say for certain that they are the same size but knowing GM it is highly probable that there is an interchange. http://www.ecklersearlychevy.com/early-chevy-door-hinge-pin-and-bushing-kit-two-door-1949-1954.html

[G Pennington]

Bingo!  Ordered the early chevy kit, bushings fit perfectly, pins fit ok after I shortened them 3/4 in.  Finally found the remains of the old bushings- they were completly corroded to powder.  Thanks, Quentin.

[Quentin Hall]

Good news.