Home › Forum › Ask A Member › 1956 Johnson RD 18 Upper Cowl Pin Removal › Re: 1956 Johnson RD 18 Upper Cowl Pin Removal
The pin is knurled on one end but being made of aluminum, sometimes it wants to expand on the other end while driving it out with an appropriate size pin punch, firmly locking it in place at both ends, especially if it is tight from corrosion. To solve that, I cut them out with a small zip blade so the hood can be separated and the locked in pieces drilled out or driven after heating with the torch. If I remember correctly, the pin is just 3/16 round aluminum available at any good welding shop so a replacement is easy to make.
Your bodywork on the hood will hide any damage caused while removing it and the new pin gets epoxied in place if it’s a loose fit. I find it’s way easier to do the bodywork and paint the insides of the two hood halves while they are apart and then reassembling them before masking the joint and painting the outside surface, especially if the inside is being painted Cream color. You wouldn’t want any Holiday Bronze overspray on the Cream! ☺