Frozen door hinges

[bugedd]

I have an extra set of door hinges that will be used when I paint my other shell, and I am trying to get them to move smoothly. As they are now, they would barely move with the doors on the car, so off the car I can't get them to budge due to 30 years of sitting. Can they be disassembled and rebuilt, or just soak them for a month, or ??

 

[jlaird]

Tis a soaking job I think.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

You might try a little Electrolic Rust Removal. You need a Plastic Tub, Arm and Hammer Washing Soda,Battery Charger, A big Hunk of Steel for an Anode, some wire with a fuseable likk, some alligator clips, Water,

Hook it up, immerse in fluid, leave overnight. Bet it works real well after that.

Google Electrolytic Rust Removal for more details.

 

[bugedd]

I think I would blow something up if I tried that

 

[weewillie]

PB Blaster

 

[Jim_Gruber]

No it's magic and really simple. Here's a You Tube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5I5WBG5HPw

Watch and see how simple it is. I took some badly rusted togetherpart and dunked overnight. Next morning rusted part simply screwed apart.

 

[Gliderman8]

You might try a little Electrolic Rust Removal. You need a Plastic Tub, Arm and Hammer Washing Soda,Battery Charger, A big Hunk of Steel for an Anode, some wire with a fuseable likk, some alligator clips, Water,

Hook it up, immerse in fluid, leave overnight. Bet it works real well after that.

Google Electrolytic Rust Removal for more details.

I have used this setup also. IT WORKS... just do it in a ventilated area.

 

[BlueMax]

Rut, I had the same issue with my hinges and needed one good set. If you have access to acetylene oxygen outfit heat the center portion of the hinge cherry red then quench in cold water. The quenching shock will enable you to drive the door pin out then you can inspect and clean everything with the glass beader then lightly lube reassemble and ready for primer and paint. There is no way to properly inspect the door hinge pin otherwise to determine what it’s overall true condition, because of the rust...

 

[Gerard]

Google Electrolytic Rust Removal for more details.

Good article in my tech section, but I think PB Blaster and/or dip in phosphoric acid would be sufficient. Time frame for soaking is probably less and much less complicated, especially given the small size.

https://gerardsgarage.com/Garage/Tech/ElectrolyticRustRemoval/Electrolytic.htm

 

[bugedd]

So I take it the pin that runs through the hinge is supposed to press out? How stubborn are those to get out under normal, not rusty/crusty circumstances?

 

[BlueMax]

Rut, I wanted my hinges as close to new, soaking in penetrate or acid dipping was not in my view the proper way to do a through job. The reason is, you can not inspect the inside diameters of the hinge and you can not view the condition of the pen.

The pins are press in and they go in only one way. You can see if you brush wheel the two ends. A small swedge from the factory is where they force the hinge’s alloy over on to the pin, locking it into place. That is the head, so you drive it out from the other side.

If you choose to remove the pin keep in mind that they may be worse than you hope for and you will have to find a good pin and hinge combination. When everything is properly clean with no contamination of rust you have a true evaluation of what you’re working with.

I think you will find some rust in the pin to hinge area just from age and time, if the rust is not bad then I would just clean them and lightly lube. In my case I needed to do more, two of them had way too much free play, and in one the pin was moving inside the hinge.

I put the hinges in the vice and heat the center part cherry red because my pins were frozen in. I then quench the hinge in ice water. The thermal shock is so intense that the pins were easily driven out by breaking the rust free. I had 6 hinges to make 4 good ones buy trial fitting different parts to each other until I found the perfect combination. I then drove the pins tight and center punch the edges of the hinge over on to the pin to hold in place. HTH