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Freeing up Door Hinges

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AH.MKII.Restomod

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The door hinges off my Bt7 are completely frozen. I soaked them in acid for an entire day, baked them and cannot get them free.

I imagine I can knock the pins out but I was hoping to get some advice first as to not ruin them.

THanks.
 
Yeah Im thinking the acid soak was very bad idea . Those hinges are aluminum you have probably made them worse rather than better .
 
AH.MKII.Restomod said:
I did try penetrating oil and the acid bath did no harm. My best friends family is a metal plater and has been for 40 years. No damage done.
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Well you might try taking them to a machine shop that has a hydraulic press and see if the Pin can be pressed out
 
The steel pin has rusted and expanded in the alum. hinge. You need to heat it and cool it through a few cycles to break down the rust on the pin. The two metals will expand and contract at different rates and the hinge will free up. A propane torch may produce enough heat. Clamp the hinge in the vise and just heat the center part of the hinge where the pin is supposed to pivot. Let it cool down . Do it a couple times. Then heat the same area up and carefully try and work the hinge open and closed. It may take some time and more heating /cooling cycles but has always worked for me.
 
Brinkerhoff said:
The steel pin has rusted and expanded in the alum. hinge. You need to heat it and cool it through a few cycles to break down the rust on the pin. The two metals will expand and contract at different rates and the hinge will free up. A propane torch may produce enough heat. Clamp the hinge in the vise and just heat the center part of the hinge where the pin is supposed to pivot. Let it cool down . Do it a couple times. Then heat the same area up and carefully try and work the hinge open and closed. It may take some time and more heating /cooling cycles but has always worked for me.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will give it a try
 
Hey Jay,send the hinges to us and we will repair them.Many times you can free up the hinge but the pin will get broken.
We can fix them while we do the transfer.
Marty
 
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