News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

37 LaSalle trunk hinge question

Started by Mark Lowery, March 29, 2010, 07:11:25 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Mark Lowery

This problem and the solution may well have cropped up with other years Cadillacs or LaSalles that have exterior mounted trunk hinges.  Mine are somewhat pitted so I wanted to disassemble them before sending off to a plater.  They are apparently pot metal and the hinge pin is most likely brass as everything is non-magnetic.  Unfortunately the pin is driven into a blind hole from one side.  All I can think of doing is drilling a hole from the blind side and knocking it out w/ a pin punch.  I would then tap the resulting hole and fill it w/ a brass screw, cut off flush and send it off to the plater as two pieces along w/ the hinge pin which was also chrome plated at least on its exposed end.  Anybody done this before, or is there another method that is not occurring to me?

Mark Lowery,
CLC#25216

Glen

I’ve never done that procedure before but a standard method would be to drill and tap the pin.  Then use a puller on a screw in the tapped hole.  You can then have a new pin made or install the pin backward (if that is possible) or you can put a brass screw in the tapped hole and cut it off and grind it smooth. 

Hope that helps
Glen
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Greg Mouton

 I would think a good endmill operator could make those hinges out of stainless and polish them up just like the originals , by the way that is what Me and my machinist buddy intend to do with the trunk handle , I would think the hinges would even be easier , if the plating is so expensive like I am told , maybe the trunk hinges are cheaper and not worth attempting


Greg Mouton

Greg Mouton

  Hey how about somebody dig up an old broken piece of a hinge for you to practice on


Mark Lowery

Glen,
Success is mine!  I drilled and tapped an 8-32 hole centered in the pin and it withdrew fairly easily.  Though it is basically a piece of 5/16" brass rod, 1-inch long, it has one other little nuance that will have me inserting a brass screw, cutting flush, polishing and then re-plating.  The end opposite the blind hole is knurled.  So probably, the easiest way to proceed is to re-use the original.  Surprisingly enough, the pin really doesn't show any wear, which would have been the other reason to fabricate a new one.  BTW, the cupped "washer" that goes on the inside of the trunk under the 10-32 screw holding the hinge in place makes the perfect fixture for the "puller".  Just add a close fitting washer use various lengths of screws and out she comes.  Once the knurling is clear of the eye portion of the hinge, it can be withdrawn by hand.

Greg,
This is actually a very complicated piece and would be difficult if not impossible to make w/ a mill.  But there are many other pieces that would be good candidates for reproduction due to lack of availability.  One thing that comes to mind are the bumperettes.  These little vertical pieces that attached to the bumper are often damaged and as often snapped off.  Though originally a stamping that then has studs welded to it prior to plating, I for one would be happy to run a reproduction fabricated from solid stock (Stainless steel?).  For one thing, it would be more likely to survive the kind of minor collision that leads to the damage I have noted. 

Anyhow, I would recommend to anyone reading this post to follow Glen's method and forget about mine.  Even if one did screw up the pin, it would be fairly easy to fabricate out of 5/16 brass rod, and could probably be left un-plated and hardly raise an eyebrow.

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

Mark Lowery

Just to save someone else from correcting me, the screws that fasten the hinge to the body and to the trunk lid are 1/4-28, not #10's as I said in the previous post.  They are an odd length (9/16") and appear to have lead an easy life.  I think this is one group fasteners I'll re-use.

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

Jim Stamper


    If the new pins were made out of stainless, and polished on the visible end they would really disappear .

Mark Lowery

Jim,
I'm liking your idea.  Gets me out of figuring out how to have only the end plated.  It appears the the surface of the pin that actually saw movement was not plated.  Since it was your idea, I'm willing to enter into a partnership (50/50) making SS hinge pins for 30's Cadillacs and LaSalles.  Great supplemental retirement income!  On the other hand, given your talents, I'm surprised you didn't advocate making them from silver!

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

Glen

I’m glad I was helpful and this worked out well for you. 

Talk to the plater about having the hinges plated as one piece.  That way the end of the pin would be plated.  I don’t know if this is possible but it won’t hurt to ask.  I toured a plating shop and I saw they were able to plate things with bolts and not plate the threads on the bolt. 

Glen
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Jim Stamper


     Hi Mark;

     I did think of silver pins but  didn't think rod that size would be available. Wear factor would be similar to brass, but stainless is easy to find.

                                                                                                                        Jim

Mark Lowery

Quote from: Jim Stamper on March 31, 2010, 06:25:35 PM
     Hi Mark;

     I did think of silver pins but  didn't think rod that size would be available. Wear factor would be similar to brass, but stainless is easy to find.

                                                                                                                        Jim
Jim,
Of course my suggestion to use silver was in jest, but now the plot thickens;  I replied to Glen after removing the pin on the left side.  Today I took the pin out on the right, and it has severe wear.  I will at least be replacing that one, and likely as not, I'll take your suggestion to use SS.  As I recall, McMaster-Carr sells 5/16" rod in 3-ft. lengths, Precision ground, Type 440C.  I'm not up on my SS alloys, but it seems that something on the soft side, closer to brass might be appropriate.  Anyhow, I will likely have about 34" excess if anyone else is facing this same dilemma.

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

Greg Mouton

Mark

      With kindest regards I am  disappointed that you find my idea in your words (almost impossible ) and that you  sugested that I attempt to  build something easier   but I am not offended since  I probably didn't make myself very clear ,   I build hand made  musical instruments  and we  do all  of the wood and metal work here at Mouton Accordions , in fact  a lot of it is  stainless ,  and all of it has to be  show quality , my point or my attempt at helping you  was that you could ,  that is IF you have the TALENT  and DESIRE  a GOOD machinist could EASILY  make  a new hinge for you  and maybe duplicate the original  ,  although he may need a couple of tools or machines that  I left out of my sugestion to sand and polish I assumed everyone got the idea  ,  I was trying to help  you  with the skill that I have which is limited in the lasalle and cadillac  area but pretty extensive in making things that to the lay person may think  impossible  ,I hope this post encourages you Mark and some of you guys reading to try something difficult or something that   someone has told you is impossible  ! because  often times it is easier than you realize , I  show local teenagers how to make parts for my accordions here so that I dont have to make all of them myself , (more time for me to spend with the lasalle )   I know there must be a lot of talent here at this forum  all we have to do is unleash it  , guys at other hotrod  forums do amzing things  , here the goal is to keep the car original  I'll bet some of the guys here have done equally amazing jobs to be able to keep the car original and make unbelievable parts when nessesary    , when it would have been easy to buy a different part or modify the car .,   I met a clc member Mr Mark  Mathew  that has made some very cool  parts for his lasalle Hurst  he has some great ideas that he  has allready used and work for his purpose 

ps  maybe someone will start a thread with some of those stories & pics of how the jobs got done and some tips for the young,  like me that are still wet behind the ears lol     

Mark I hope I didnt orfen you  (-;


Greg Mouton 


Mark Lowery

Greg,
I take no offense, but I still think you don't appreciate how complicated this piece is.  I dare say there are only about two parallel surfaces on the whole damn thing, that being the opposite faces of the hinge bosses.  Undoubtedly these were castings made from a hand carved pattern that then had machine work performed on them to drill and tap the mounting holes and bore the hole for the hinge pins.  I also don't think they are particularly prone to breakage, and hence there would be little or no demand for them.  There are however many parts that are prone to breakage which have not to my knowledge been reproduced at this point.  My suggestion concerning bumperettes or bumper guards is perhaps a little off the cuff but I can guarantee there would be a substantial demand, and hence would warrant the effort involved in set-up costs.

So I appreciate the suggestion, but I really don't think reproducing these hinges would be worth the effort.  You may have noticed my WTB post concerning the need for a rear door hinge for the same car.  If I don't get any action on this, it may become my project of choice, and yeah, if it had to be made from scratch, doing it in SS would be a kick.  Already the pins are available in SS, and sadly for the sake of authenticity, I'll probably paint them once installed!

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

Classic

I didn't take my '37 hinges apart when I had them plated and the plater didn't bat an eye (Jon Wright Custom Chrome Plating in Grafton, Ohio - he is highly regarded by professional restorers and has done cars for Pebble Beach
http://www.customchromeplating.com/).  He also did my wiper transmissions without taking them apart.
Gene Menne
CLC #474

Mark Lowery

Quote from: Classic on April 02, 2010, 07:35:23 PM
I didn't take my '37 hinges apart when I had them plated and the plater didn't bat an eye (Jon Wright Custom Chrome Plating in Grafton, Ohio - he is highly regarded by professional restorers and has done cars for Pebble Beach .  He also did my wiper transmissions without taking them apart.

Eugene,
Well this is interesting to me particularly for the wiper parts.  The trunk hinges I have already taken apart, and as I related above, one pin was fine, but the other was severely worn and for that reason alone, I'm glad I withdrew the pin.  I will contact the plater in Grafton and see what he can tell me about how they can pull this off w/o having the parts separated.

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

Steve Passmore

Quote from: Mark Lowery on March 30, 2010, 12:04:49 PM
Glen,


Greg,
One thing that comes to mind are the bumperettes.  These little vertical pieces that attached to the bumper are often damaged and as often snapped off.  Though originally a stamping that then has studs welded to it prior to plating, I for one would be happy to run a reproduction fabricated from solid stock (Stainless steel?).  For one thing, it would be more likely to survive the kind of minor collision that leads to the damage I have noted. 

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216


Mark, Did you know these bumperettes are already available from Bruce Berghoff? allbeit in alloy.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

Mark Lowery

Steve,
I will Email him immediately.  I thought he said he was out of them, but perhaps he just meant the original plated steel version.  I would be a willing customer for an alloy version as they are functional as well as aesthetic.

Mark Lowery, CLC #25216