I'm having the problem and wondering about additional solutions people have come up with for unseizing the hinge. I' worried that spraying so much PB Blaster and moving the hinge back and forth is going to weaken the hinge connection to the body as I can see the hinge flex.

 

Common problem on those side doors, especially on vans from up north. And if hammering and WD-40 doesn't help, the radical solution is to buy a new hinge from GM and weld in.

Advice to everybody else is to lube their hinges while they are still working well.

 

What is that miracle mixture? Part tranny fluid and part acetone or something?

 

Half ATF (I've used Dexron and Type F), half acetone.

 

if you replace it...get a new hinge that has a grease fitting.
I like gm ac delco penetrating fluid

 

FYI - After 4 days of spraying PB Blaster from all angles and rocking the door gently, the door became unstuck and miraculously now moves freely. I have now sprayed a bunch of Castle Endura spray as someone recommended and so far so good. I was very relieved.

 

Good for you.

My hinge broke before it got unstuck.

 

Bummer. What did you end up doing to repair it?

 

I went to the salvage yard and got a hinge from another van, used rattle-can paint to match, swapped it out.

 

Glad it came free. I freed one up with by spraying WD-40, followed by White lithium grease. I then parked the truck in the hot sun with the door facing south. I guess I could have used my wife’s hair blower too!

SD