How to remove those 60 year old mangled door hinge screws?

[klcarrie]

So, off and on I've posted deconstruction photos from my 55 Commercial 'Snappy' that I am working towards 'rusturection'...

Before getting into bodywork, I've left what I think are amongst the worst mechanical issues for last and those are the front door hinge screws.

After soaking for over a year, periodically applying a liberal amount of acetone/oil mixture, I took to it yesterday to remove my doors from the bus.

I was able to successfully remove the left side door:

The lower hinge pin (211831421) was an easy drift out. I was able to remove the 4 upper Countersunk Raised Head Screws (N142892) by pounding the appropriate Phillips Socket into the screws' slots and using a breaker bar to break loose the screws.

LH Upper A -- Successfully removed the bolts - gonna need to replace the A Pillar though

I was unsuccessful in removing the other screws. Pics follow:

LH lower -- Sheared one bolt while removing it... other three are rusted in.

RH upper A - Rusted

RH lower A - Rusted

RH upper - Hinge Rusted 211831421B

I am attempting to refrain from heating/welding so as not to distemper any of the hinge (211831401, 405, 411, 412) metal.

What opinions do you have as to removal of these Rusted and distorted Screws.

Also, Any advice on removing the rusted mirror hinge pins (211831421B)?

Thanks,

Kevin
_________________
Pritchin'
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Currently looking for:

- Bay Bus Pinion Nut Socket

- 64-67 big nut (rear) drums and brake parts, 46mm axle nuts (Big Nuts)

--
'55 Wolfburg Pannel Project
'55 Wolfsburg SC Project
'71 Westy

[tubdub]

check with Eric at Nor Cal Relics. he can point you to a tool that works good

[campingbox]

This tool:

http://www.yardstore.com/browse.cfm/4,3698.html

Combined with an air chisel and an impact bit set.

[CaLiBus]

HEAT HEAT HEAT till red hot. Sorry but that always does the trick for 50 plus years of old screws and hinge pins. Never had any issues putting heat to hinges and phillip screws on my 55.
Cut off the remaining mirror arm, use a center punch and support the hing with a 2x4.
A torch is your best friend when you have something this old. You have more old screws then just doors waiting for you.

[Campy]

I, too, use the tool that fits on an air chisel. It works good with the vibration. Mine is a Snap-on that I bought out of one of their tool trucks for about $40, years ago. It is one of those tools that people should have in their tool boxes.
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[dawerks]

I know you don't want to weld but... I use KCW's trick, weld a bolt onto them. The heat + bolt is 100% success and if you use a heat sink there's 0% chance of messing up anything else.

If anything the hinges are already shot from 40+ years of no use
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"There is only one sin; disconnection from self."

[quartermilecamel]

I know what WILL remove those screws. Weld a bolt to those screw heads. Then you will have a hex head to work with. Welding a bolt is much more accurate way of concentrating the heat. You cant contain the heat of a torch as well as the "bolt weld" method. I x2 and x3 the bolt method. Used it many times.
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Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[BUGTHUG]

[campingbox]

[Clara]

[BUGTHUG]

[RPGreg2600]

You can always just drill them out.take about a minute per screw.

[klcarrie]

[Eric&Barb]

[velvetgreen]

I know I watched a video of "glideking" doing the weld on a nut trick- check out his thread for more details- cannot recall what page it is on but he has been poisting lots of vids

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...;start=160

[Riff Raff]

The tool Mr. Campingbox suggested with an air chisel is tits for this kind of job.
Before I fashioned myself something similar but much cruder, I had about a half dozen gate hinge screws on my SC that were in snug enough that the heads on the screws stripped while attempting extraction
The screws are made from a pretty soft alloy, so they strip easy, but also drill out easy.

I drilled a small hole through the middle (the stripped Phillips centres the bit nicely). Drilled the hole all the way through.
Then aimed the sharp blue flame of my micro torch in the little hole. This has the great advantage of heating up the screw much faster than the surrounding area so you get the expansion differential that weakens the corrosion bond on the threads

While it was still good and HOT, I used an Easy Out to turn out the screws.
I know, I know, I don't like relying on Easy Outs either, BUT, they do have their place in the tool box for specific applications.
I found this to be one of them, as the screws were surprisingly easy to turn out good and hot.
I only had one that was really stubborn and I was not about to apply the amount of torque that would come close to breaking the Easy Out (having performed that miracle in the past), so I had to drill out one screw entirely.
It was somewhat tedious, but no more so than a hundred other tedious jobs required on these rusted relics.
_________________
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge
- Daniel Boorstin

[Campy]

Buy the tool and try it first before using any of the other methods. As I noted earlier, everyone should have one in his tool box. The end is like the end of an impact driver that you hit with a sledge hammer. You can change bits in it.
Years ago, I was able to remove all but one small phillips screw from the hinge carrier of my 1957 bus. That last screw was stuck and the center of the screw had gotten pretty rounded. I thought that I would have to drill it out in order to remove the engine door hinge. I bought the tool from Snap-On, put it on my air chisel, and it removed the screw.
_________________
Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[klcarrie]

Its an extreme PITA to find specialty tool suppliers in Canada.
In Edmonton, I am 500 miles from the US border, but in the heart of Oil and Gas fabrication country. Can't find the old man to save my life. What gives?
Snap-On doesn't show it in the catalogue, nor does Mac Tools. The little guy specialty houses also don't show the tools in their extractor kits.


So, I have a 3/8" Drive 4" Old Man on order from a supplier on Amazon.
I sent it to my US address at Montana Shipping Outlet. I tend to make a few trips down a year for items as I hate to unnecessarily forward Government(s) duty and taxes not explicitly determined prior to purchase.

The T-handle 8mm box nut tool I bought from Samestagsales was levied with a 100% duty. Not happy about paying over $50 for an 18$ tool.

I recently bought a Kukkos 6304-5-6 puller set, a Rilex 6305 puller, a 24mm reamer and a Jogr Drift that I waited 4 months to pick up. But they were worth it. Smooth as butter bearing extractions and bushing drifts. Easy on the wallet. Free from randomized levy.

6305 in Action...

So I'll revive this thread once I get the tool and give my screws a whack!

I digress.

Kevin
_________________
Pritchin'
--
Currently looking for:

- Bay Bus Pinion Nut Socket

- 64-67 big nut (rear) drums and brake parts, 46mm axle nuts (Big Nuts)

--
'55 Wolfburg Pannel Project
'55 Wolfsburg SC Project
'71 Westy

[klcarrie]

Well I didn't pick up the knocker yet, but due to some impatience on behalf of Pete, I (we) was able to get the screws out.

It took:
Heat, but we still broke screws. We then ground the boss of M8 vinyl nuts and mig'ed them to two of the remnant studs; Worked better than drilling out and tapping a third broken stud

When I get it, I Will update as to using the knocker on some other, less critical door glass frames and maybe on some door hinge screws from my Single Cab.

Thanks Pete...

[edgood1]

I just used this knocker on my front doors for the first time yesterday and it work incredibly well. I was dreading taking the doors off but it took about 3 minutes for each door and the screws are intact. wow.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia