Door removal

[Guest zazothex]

Does anyone have a good way to remove the hinges & doors from a postwar connie? I've tried any number of swear words, but none of the large slotted machine screws seem to budge, even after making sure the nuts on the front of the A pillars are off. I've found that almost all the bolts heading into the aluminum window frame are practically cemented in.

[abelincoln]

Zazothex:

Haven't tried this on the Lincoln, but other cars old hinge screws came out using an impact driver. The tool has a heavy spring that twists the screwdiver bit when hit with a hammer. Try parts store, tool supplier, Sears, e-bay.

Abe

[Beltfed]

Here's a trick if you can get to the head of the screws. Take a old time solder iron, not the little one for soldering small wire, but the big old brute dad had. Get it hot and place the tip on the screw head for several minutes until it gets really hot. Let it cool and repeat several times. The heat expands the screw and breaks the rust bond. The tool "abelincoln" describes works well with this process. BTW, the tool I have is not spring loaded. You put it to the screw head then turn it in the direction you want to go and it rides up on a 'cam'. When you strike it with a hammer it puts a large rotational force on the screw in the correct direction. Just be sure to push down hard on the tool to the screw or it will cam out. Good luck.

[DSpringer]

I used a pneumatic impact wrench with a screwdriver attachment and lots of Thrust penetrating oil, but I didn't have to deal with aluminum on the '41.

[40ZephSedan]

Another idea may work. I'm surprised how well small home cordless drills work, if the impact type. Was trying to get my son's cat converter off his old Accord with an air impact, cheater bars, nothing worked. Hours later my older son comes home and says "use the new cordless hammer drill I gave you for Christmas". I said "Yah-right-that was too small, only a 5/16 hex driver, that's for drywall screws!?" But I tried it, sure enough the rusty nuts came off in seconds _ would not have believed it if I had not seen. Big old air impacts give slow big bangs, but these new cordless Dewalt 20V brushless Impact Drivers have a lot of torque, they are compact and work well on cars too! Have adapters from the 5/16 to 3/8 socket for deep wells. I think they vibrate so fast compared to the old air impacts that it is almost like ultrasonic vibration breaking the rust and corrosion loose. Impressed me! Paul

[Guest Joosten]

Another idea may work. I'm surprised how well small home cordless drills work, if the impact type. Was trying to get my son's cat converter off his old Accord with an air impact, cheater bars, nothing worked. Hours later my older son comes home and says "use the new cordless hammer drill I gave you for Christmas". I said "Yah-right-that was too small, only a 5/16 hex driver, that's for drywall screws!?" But I tried it, sure enough the rusty nuts came off in seconds _ would not have believed it if I had not seen. Big old air impacts give slow big bangs, but these new cordless Dewalt 20V brushless Impact Drivers have a lot of torque, they are compact and work well on cars too! Have adapters from the 5/16 to 3/8 socket for deep wells. I think they vibrate so fast compared to the old air impacts that it is almost like ultrasonic vibration breaking the rust and corrosion loose. Impressed me! Paul

Well I'm going to try that !

i trie'd it today with a impact Driver,and had no success .