[gtorich]

Out of curiosity what drill bits are you guys using for this deal...........tried about 6-7 different sizes of bits today.........all said for metal...........seems like nothing is cutting through the hinges i have on the car............finally gave up and just taped the hinges like i did the last time i took off the hood............

Rich

[25stevem]

No Unibit on hand?
These are hard enough to get it done, but the good ones have become quite expensive!

A lot of folks also seem to spin a bit too darn fast to drill thru metal, I have seen this many many times.

[gtorich]

Originally Posted by 25stevem

No Unibit on hand?
These are hard enough to get it done, but the good ones have become quite expensive!

A lot of folks also seem to spin a bit too darn fast to drill thru metal, I have seen this many many times.

I hear ya on that Steve...........i thought they were too expensive, but i didnt seem to have a problem buying 6-7 $5.00 bits........lol, i even wasted money on one of those spring loader hole punch deals...........but i did go very slow with the drill, didnt seem to help one way or the other...........thought it was interesting in other threads on just drill a couple holes in those hinges, no big deal..........easier said than done.

Maybe im just using cheap drill bits.............thats why i was wondering what people that did this , what were you using.

Rich

[NeighborsComplaint]

Not sure what the originals were made of ... they were tough to drill. I just did 1/8" holes. I replaced the hinges when after my hood blew off due to a sticking latch and replaced with HD repros. Tough, but not nearly as hard to drill through. Slow speed and a sharp bit with cutting oil is the ticket.

[25stevem]

On hard metal I find it best to start a small pilot hole first, ( 1/8" ) like with a good black carbide bit, not a gold colored Titainium cover bit of which most of them are pure crap.

Once you pilot hole is started you can use a series of bigger cheaper bits to get to your final size.

[Skip Fix]

I'm having a similar issue with a screw that held on the vent window on my Impala project on the door. It was seized and the head broke off so i could get the vent off but so far every drill bit I've tried doesn't touch it. Plus hard to get a straight shot with small short bits and the drill chuck!

[hurryinhoosier62]

I’ve alway used #28 cobalt bits to drill alignment holes for the hood hinges. Center punch where you want to drill and drill the hole.

[tjs72lemans]

As a machinist, I always start my holes with a centerdrill. A number 4 is about an 1/8" diameter point. Once you get in deep enough to where the larger countersink area starts drilling, stop. Then proceed with your high speed steel drill bit. Yes, go slow on rpm or you will burn the bit up. But on a hood, I just used mask tape as a guide to get it back to close to where I need it. Then fine tune.

[gtorich]

Thanks guys.............hopefully i never have to take this hood off ever again.......lol

Rich

[grivera]

I had zero issues drilling the 1/8" holes in my original hinges using Dewalt black oxide bit...like butta'