Hinge pin stuck

[96lt4c4]

Well I bought a hinge pin tool and within 30 min it was trash. I managed to get one pin out but the other one is stuck. All the points on the tool rounded off.
I was able to get the exhaust and u joint bellows out, so I can see the back of the pin. Are you guys just heating these things up.

Its an 89 Alpha 1 drive

 

[Don S]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

Yes, use heat. Locktite 271 is on it.
Heat the bellhousing, not the pin itself.
You are turning them Counter Clock Wise to loosen aren't you?

 

[96lt4c4]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

Yes, use heat. Locktite 271 is on it.
Heat the bellhousing, not the pin itself.
You are turning them Counter Clock Wise to loosen aren't you?

Yes, come on Don...LOL, righty tighty lefty loosey,

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

about the best tool is a 1/2" drive 1/2" hex bit socket from a quality tool maker, next best is a piece of 1/2 hex stock and a 1/2" 6 point socket. mine is a 3" piece of a pin punch I cut off. and yes heat is the ticket.

 

[96lt4c4]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

about the best tool is a 1/2" drive 1/2" hex bit socket from a quality tool maker, next best is a piece of 1/2 hex stock and a 1/2" 6 point socket. mine is a 3" piece of a pin punch I cut off. and yes heat is the ticket.

Cool, I getting ready to head over to a local tool supply on my lunch so i will see what they have.

 

[96lt4c4]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

about the best tool is a 1/2" drive 1/2" hex bit socket from a quality tool maker, next best is a piece of 1/2 hex stock and a 1/2" 6 point socket. mine is a 3" piece of a pin punch I cut off. and yes heat is the ticket.

Just went and bought 1/2" drive 1/2", 13 mm, and 14mm hex impact sockets. Hopefully I can get that stupid thing out.

 

[QC]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

HEAT!!! I actually broke the hinge pin itself last time I was messing with this . . . didn't know (or ask, or read properly in the manual although I had one) about the heat either If you break/broke the pin take a look here:

Broken Pin thread

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

loctite 271 is mean, occasionally I get on the 662 or 571 was used on. most require a temp of over 400*F to break the bond.
couple loctite red with corrosion white and its break out the oxy/acetylene rig, in fact it usually gets broke out just cause.
just cause I like fire

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

if all else fails, weld a 1/2 inch allen to it , use a bar for leverage, and a lot of heat on the housing.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

if you do get it the housing cherry... and you do get the pin to crack.... just crack it and leave it in there for 10 minutes or so after the heat is gone... then back it out.

 

[wil7483]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

I went to Ace hardware and got one of the mini-pen torches that uses butane lighter fluid and it was the ticket I needed to break the bond.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

try and pull the zerk before you heat...

 

[96lt4c4]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

I soaked it down with some Areokroil the night before last. So, when I got home last night I hit with the torch for about 30 min. Then soaked it with kroil again then heat again. I used the 1/2" hex socket I bought on a long torque wrench. It was like butter it came out so easy. I dont think it had ever been apart. My boat is in fresh water only so i guess that makes a difference.

I dont know if anyone has tried this. Its hard to do but I was able to get the bellows out and heat the pin from behind.

Now I am going to have to make something up to get the shift cable nut loose..... I keep hitting road blocks with this project.

 

[Don S]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

You need to heat the bellhousing AROUND the pin, not the pin itself. You also need a big torch (oxy, act.) so you can heat the alum hotter than the SS pin.
This causes the alum to expand and the bolt turn easier, corrosion is your problem, the Loctite gives up at 350?

 

[wil7483]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

I guess mine thought I had a big torch because it wouldn't budge at first. Once I heated it with the mini torch it broke loose in less that 5 minutes.

 

[dandi]

Re: Hinge pin stuck

We too bought a Mercruiser hinge pin tool just to ruin it on the first pin. Took the advise about using a 1/2" allen wrench and got the second one out much easier. It still required the torch but we wouldn't have wasted a week waiting on a tool if we had read this post sooner.