Frame removal and repair - broken front hinge, 64 Dart

[paulclark]

I'm working on a 64 Dart convertible (see thread in Members' Restoration forum).
64 Dart Convertible rescue

In the process of getting the top unstuck, I managed to break the frame on one side, the area around the hinge pin for the front section. One side loosened up, the other cracked and broke loose. Guess I'll be removing the top frame and getting it welded.

What I SHOULD have done, and will do on any convertible tops I work on in the future, is remove that front section hinge pin first, by tapping it out sideways, before attempting to get that hinge free.

There's nothing like breaking something, making it worse rather than better, to make you feel like a bad mopar parent. But, lesson learned, and I'm owning up to it here just in case it saves someone else the grief of doing what I did.

So it looks like I'll be removing the top frame. I searched the convertible forum but didn't turn up much detail on removing the top, except the advice to drill a pair of guide holes on each side for realignment on reassembly.

How exactly are you getting at those frame mounting bolts? They seem buried in there, any tips?

Once it's out, I plan to take the broken cast aluminum (?) piece to my local welder and see what he can do for it. Looks like a pretty clear repair, to an area that's neither super weight bearing nor hyper accurate. Hoping that will be a straightforward weld and I can get it back together, back to the starting point again!

 

[Dana67Dart]

Please post some photos so we can all learn from your education!

 

[paulclark]

I will. I was too ashamed to photograph it when it happened. Definitely some photos of frame removal and repair are in order.

 

[paulclark]

 

[paulclark]

Above photo is before the break. What cracked was the ears around the hinge pin at top center.

What wasn't clear to me was that it was this hinge point that was stuck, and most vulnerable to breaking.

 

[BillGrissom]

Just ran across this post. In my 1964 Valiant conv, I broke the center ear off the middle hinge (w/ 2 mating ears, center of photo). I had taken the entire convertible frame apart to de-oxide and repaint. I was pressing the steel pivot pin out on a shop press when the ear snapped off. I removed all the other steel pins OK. I had to buy two sets of special roll-pin punches to remove and install those pins to slide the pivots out. Perhaps a good TIG AC welder could reattach, but cast aluminum can be hard to weld well. I tried Muggy Weld, but it's never worked for me. Instead, I drilled holes thru the broken parts at different angles and knocked roll pins in to secure both, with a short steel strap across the cracks and epoxy. Has lasted so far.

Once I got the aluminum parts clean of oxides and bare using phosphoric acid wrap and wire-brushing, I primed with NAPA Zn-Cr (claimed best for aluminum), then Rustoleum gloss white. Bought nylon washers and other hardware from McMaster-Carr to reassemble all the hinges. Couldn't find the photos on this PC, but looks like new.

BTW, the OE hydraulic pump costs >$300 new. I bought a used pump for a 1990's Mustang for $60 on ebay. It looks identical and mounts the same, but is wired differently. The OE motor has 2 coils which each flow to ground. The switch powers one for up and the other for down. Later motors have one coil where the polarity is switched to change direction. Mustang has 2 Bosch relays mounted right at the motor, so 2 small control wires with 1 large power feed. My Valiant has 2 large wires going to the motor. Instead of run a 3rd wire, I put 2 relays under the dash which output to the 2 wires to the motor. The switch now carries no appreciable current (good), just small control wires for the relays. Forgot exactly how I wired the relays, but recall they use both NO and NC terminals (87 & 87a), which cross to the other relay's NO and NC, and the output wires on the common (30), but don't quote. Perhaps look at a 1990's Mustang schematic.