Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

AAAaaaa, I'm sick of working around the doors on the Clipper in repairing the floor and the rockers.

Who's going to give me the best way to remove the doors, so they'll go back on without too much fuss?

I see that you can unbolt them from the pillar with the Phillips Head bolts and I'm assuming that the whole hinge assembly comes out with them.

Or you can unbolt the hinges from the inside of the door.

It looks like both of those options require disconnecting the little arm in the middle that limits the swing of the door. I'm not too sure how that is removed.

I'll have to rig up something to hold the weight of the door as I'll be doing it solo.


So what's the Packard Preferred method?

Either way, you'll have to disconnect the door check but if at all possible do not touch the bolts inside the door. You have to file or cut the rivet on door check. Packard said to remove the Phillips screws and if others not touched, door would go back with no adjustment required. Only problem is those screws can be a b---h to remove. If it has gotten wet or sat untouched with condensation inside there, strongly suggest dosing with a good penetrating oil a day or so before you do it. Maybe a couple of whacks with an impact screwdriver to loosen, then a large screwdriver after the oil had a chance to work. I had a heck of a time on one door and finally resorted to the bolts. That one did require adjustment and is a PIA by yourself. I held mine up by making a padded "L" frame that would slip into & over my floor jack. Worked pretty well.

I had a feeling that they were the way to go. In prep I sprayed them with a little PB Blaster and after a soak I hit them with the Air Impact on low pressure with a #4 Phillips Socket. They broke free without much drama. I just did one at a time, then tightened them back up.

Thanks for telling me about cutting the rivet! I would have torn the inside of the door apart!

I was thinking of making a sling from tow straps and hanging it from my little forklift. The car is up pretty high on jack stands right now and I don't want to move it while a good part of the floor is removed. Is the top of the frame strong enough to support the weight of the door, or am I asking for trouble there?

You're talking of placing the straps through window opening meaning that as top of the frame? If yes, I haven't tried it but it is fairly strong so would probably work. Wouldn't want door falling and suddenly being stopped by the strap though. Maybe make a frame out of scrap lumber to kind of distribute the weight. Don't know how much they weigh but I was able to carry them around without too much difficulty.

check out my blog...i think you may find some pics of my door removal process, i can't remember for sure. i had to grind off that rivet and believe it or not one of the doors i lifted off myself by hand. i had to use the bolts in the doors, my phillips screws on mine are REALLY in there tight!

still don't know how i am going to get them out safely. ;o)

later dude,

Hank

I used a tool into which you can put several different bits. There is a heavy Phillips bit which will fit those screws nicely. You have to set the tool for right or left force. When you hit it with a hammer it turns the bit which also then naturally turns the screw. I put the pass door on by myself and aligned it. Wouldn't want to do it again
And I always use never-sieze to put those kinds of bolts and screws back in.

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yeah my dad recommended that tool to me, but i had already taken the doors off by that time...;0(

When you put the door back on, what did you use to replace the rivet?

i am probably not going to go back with the rivet myself, just to make it easier to remove if i ever have to again. probably just a small bolt, washer, locking nut...maybe...don't know....haven't thought about it yet. ;0)

If you carefully remove just the folded over portion on bottom with a file or die grinder, the rivet can be removed. It will still be long enough and can be reused because there is the double fold thickness on jamb side and gravity keeps it in nicely--in my case almost a press fit. If worse came, could be held by a dab of epoxy. A screw and thin nut could be used. File the head of screw flat to look like a rivet and no one would know unless they got down and saw the nut.