I fought the deuce and the deuce won

[lawdog1623]

So today is the first full day of turning wrenches on my baby. I picked up two great replacement doors to replace the rusted ones already on the truck. I also picked up two new windshields and numerous other parts. All told, i spent around 800 for a lot of n.o.s factory parts to spiff up the truck. I started with the windows. They went on easily and look amazing. It Changed the whole look having new glass and frames with all new hardware. Next was nos hood hinges. Very tight spaces but i got er done. Next was new hood latches and hood plates. Son of a!!!!! This was the first run in with a rusted screw that eventually got rounded out. Wd40 wouldnt break em loose. I eventually was able to get em off by using a vise grip to grab the head. Next i wanted to hang the new doors. I start by soaking all hardware with Wd40. I removed the nuts from the hinges. All that was left was to pull the pin and take off the door right? WRONG!!! The bolts were so rusted that the bolt heads twisted off. I nearly freaked. I then had the bright idea to just remove the hinges and replace with new hardware. The result? 6 rounded out screws. I got two out but the rest wouldnt budge. After about 4 hours and a lot of cussing, the doors still arent on the truck. The old doors fought hard and won. Although frustrating, i had fun and im sure itll get a lot harder next week when we sandblast and paint the whole truck.

 

[Josh]

Wd40 sucks for rust. Get a can of PB Blaster. Works 100x better.


I share your frustration with the doors. Tried to remove mine last summer and after an hour of trying I finally gave up.

 

[plym49]

X2 Also, use heat.

 

[lawdog1623]

Feel free to direct me on any ways to remove rounded out bolts from door hinges if u know. I figure the old hot rodders trick for restoring (Pb blaster and a hand torch) should do the trick. I guess ill be drilling out the stripped bolts and removing them by the stud. Thx and god bless.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yeah, best bet is to start soaking everything you plan on working on with penetrating oil 1 week prior to doing the work. Then the day you start work, buy taps, dies, and ease-outs. 1hr into starting the work, switch from beer to whiskey. 2hrs into the work call for help. 3hrs into it let someone else try. 4hrs in quit till tomorrow.

Tomorrow, start it all over again!

 

[lawdog1623]

I was hoping to get these out without damaging the threading on the cab. I dont really care about the rest. I just didnt want to booger up the threads on the truck. Im probably asking for too much with this though.

 

[Josh]

Ive used a dremel tool to cut a big slit in the head of a stripped out screw. Just be enough to get the biggest flathead screwdriver I can use short of ruining the integrity of the head.

 

[silverstate55]

PB Blaster & an impact driver (and a BFH) usually do the trick for me. Heat is also a good technique.

Of course the impact driver will only work on screws before they're rounded.... otherwise try Josh's suggestion for converting them to flathead screws & try the impact driver. My Harbor Freight impact driver is still working after many years of hard use.

 

[runk]

Impact drivers are your friend as well ! Electric (one of the newer battery powered impact drill/drivers), air, or even the old fashioned whack it with a big hammer type.

Just finished putting my doors back on after painting, I managed to get all the screws out with PB blaster starting 1 week prior, and my new battery impact driver. Interestingly enough, most of the screws on the (most likely) 60+ year old original drivers door were re-usable. (The truck was clearly originally a gasser made in the early 50's, and the drivers door matches the zillion layers of paint and rust on the gasser style cab.) But, I trashed all the screws on the passenger side which appears to be fairly new (nice and clean, no rust, and only one layer of paint). I guess they don't make them like they used to.

 

[SMOKEWAGON66]

I was one of the lucky ones...all my door hinges came off on the first try...I took them off when I was painting my truck when I first got it. Most of the stuff I do I seem to be fairly lucky with on this particular Deuce. The hood latches were a pain, but I used liquid wrench and they gave up after a few minutes of heavy torque.

 

[jtrojan715]

x3 on PB balster and heat. some times an impact driver will help even on slightly stripped phillips screws.

 

[DeucesWild11]

I'd also go for heat.. and PB Blaster. Soak first, try if no budge heat up with a plumbing torch or similar. Heat works wonders on rusty stuff. I like the dremel idea too for the slit.. Did that before!

 

[lawdog1623]

I will definitely try the dremel method . Thats a gr8 idwa. I broke out a 20 volt impact driver. Ill be picking up pb blaster tomorrow and soaking everything. I will b certain to post pics of the process and post it.

 

[m816]

Heat and beat with your impact driver. after that doesn work, weld a sharpened bolt into the boogered screw hole and work it out with and impact socket

 

[Bob H]

Got a welder? Works nice on stripped heads, they're good for other things too!

 

[RANDYDIRT]

Another tip is to put some valve grinding paste on the tip of your phillips impact bit. It makes it really grab. You can get a small can at napa for a few bucks.

Dirt

 

[srajetk]

My door hinge bolts were pretty bad, torch, and a large c-clamp to press them out, and lots of patience.

 

[Speedwoble]

I pulled a door off at Glen's (91w350) place in Salina and it fought hard. I found a bit in my toolbox that was the right size, BIG, and had extra lobes in between the regular phillips lobes. I put that in a socket on an extension, smacked it with a hammer to seat it and was able to get them all out. Some I had started to round out before finding this bit.

I second the suggestion of the old fashioned hammer type impact driver. The advantage is the force of the hammer blow helps hold the bit in while it applies the torque. Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

 

[ranchhopper]

Always put the screw driver in the slot and give it a couple good hits with a hammer to break the rust loose. This usually works good for breaking the screws loose sometimes I had to put a vise grips on the shank of the screw driver for a little extra leverage. You will have to heat the hinge pins to get them out be careful you dont move the hinges when you drive the pins out or realignment of the door will be a nightmare.

 

[joshs1ofakindxj]

I recently broke 3 or 4 of the harbor freight impact driver bits. Next one will be from Sears.