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Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

DrJay

Freshman Member
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Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Newbee here. Does anyone have the secret to getting the hood (bonnet) hinges out. I can get the nut off, but the bolt does not want to move at all. Is it reverse thread? I have sprayed a ton of release oil on the bolts. Does it have to be heated?

Took the dash out for repaint. Behind the two turn signal lights and light holders. They are like carboard with some rubber grommets on the ends.. the rubber is all rotted. What can I use for this?

Is there a special tool needed to pull the steering wheel?
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Welcome.

Unfortunately I can't help with your questions. Someone will be along shortly that might know.

However, most of us put the year/model car in our sig line so that other people know to what car we are referring.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Best I can offer is that they can be real buggers! If they do not budge at all, heat might help and a little "persuasion"! It will help that you have the dash out since they are a contortionists dream to get at with the dash in! I am assuming that you have a Bugeye, since removal on newer cars is pretty straightforward!
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

I got the dash out. as I tried to do it before and could not.
One guy suggested that I use a pneumatic wrench.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

OK,
I've never had mine apart, so I'm not sure. I'm guessing that it is seized onto some sort of bushing. If there are no immediate flammables adjacent to the area I would try heating .
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Be trying PB Blaster for a few days before takin' a heat wrench to it. And gentle persuasion... brass drift and a "knobbling hammer". 6 oz. or 10 oz. Mebbe a heat gun.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

I had a very determined bolt left from my rear spring removal. (I had to cut off the head) 2 or 3 days of PB Blaster, heat (propane torch) while it was hot, I held a candle against the threads and let wax wick down the threads and finally poured cold water on the bolt to cool it quickly. It just turned right out.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

bugimike said:
they can be real buggers!
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif
Mine is a quite rusty example of a Bugeye and the hinges haven't been used in 20 years due to the front tilting bonnet. I did however manage to get them off without heat. I did let them soak for a couple days with occasional spraying with WD40, and then a little persuasion with a hammer.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

NOT WD 40, BP BLASTER works much better.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Think Jack meant PB Blaster. It works ok but my preference is Kano Kroil. Great stuff in a chemical plant environment.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

You guys just come up with names I've never heard of.
Couldn't we just call it "penetrating solvent" or something?
Whatever, the point is to lube the rust in the bonnet hinge with a penetrant until it becomes free enough to pull out with force.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

leecreek said:
Think Jack meant PB Blaster. It works ok but my preference is Kano Kroil. Great stuff in a chemical plant environment.
Yes, aero kroil is the best stuff you can get for that and I have tried them all. I have never seen it available in a store however. For those of you who are cheap like me. One of the best homemade oils that works well and is cheap is to take an oil cup and mix up a 50/50 mixture of automatic transmission fluid and kerosene. It works better than wd-40 and crc if its something that you are going to leave and let soak for a few days, because those will dry up quick leavig nothing behind. The atf and k1 will stick around and keep working in over time.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Woops, we get it at any auto place. Google it.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Thanks for your suggestions. I have been hitting the hinges with PB Blaster, a hammer and a air wrench.. Still no good and now got some nasty stripped bolts...

Is there any other way to get the hinges replaced?
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Yeah, cut both the head off and the welded-on nut with an angle grinder (thin disk). Then force the hinge out forwards. This may distort the hinge housing but that can be straightened. Weld on a new nut. Buy a new bolt. Use a torch to heat the hinge and remove the old bolt if it's stuck inside.
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have NEW hinges to install, so I may try this, if I can not get the bolt to move. It seems that the "welded" nut is inside the hinge housing under the dash..Would that be correct? Just wondering, if I have to install a new secured nut, can I use something like jb weld ( epoxy) instead of acutally welding it in?
 
Re: Help with hinges please and other quesitons.

Not as securely as a lock washer and a nut. "Up-side" of that is: You're not likely to need to undo it for as long as you own it. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
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