The annoying hood pop.

So...been having trouble with my hood popping open. It started only when at higher interstate speeds, popping and hooking on secondary catch. Looking at that catch, there was metal missing where it hooks, not cool.

The back story here is that the part that holds up the hood latch is not anchored where it should be, on the now missing rusted splash pan, not that it mattered, that part was also rusted away. I wasnt sure if the grill was holding the hood down or the hood was holding the grill on...

So I made a brace to hold everything in place, worked for awhile.

I tried adjusting the hood pin, up, down, still doing it. Getting worse.

So out comes the bungy cord, the solid rubber type, worked for awhile, getting worse.

Out comes the second bungy cord, now one on each side, still popping, now its everytime I go over a bump, like the driveway at my house.

The diagnosis here is worn latch, weak hinge springs or both.

I figured it was time to throw money and parts at this thing, including maybe racing hood pins. I didn't want to drill holes in the hood, not sure how they would look etc.

Then thinking outside of the box, I thought, why not just remove the spring on the center pin, which with everything else wearing out was probably the only thing working....causing hood to pop.

This was the cheapest and easiest solution. Still put a bungy cord just in case, then I hit the road. Problem solved.

Now I do have to carry a screwdriver, and gently pry up to get my fingers in there to lift the hood, but at least it opens when I want it to....we shall see..[P

Thanks for listening.

No offense, but it sounds like you're trying to drill a mine shaft will a bowling ball.

Why don't you replace the latch? [S

.

A few years back I was right next to a guy who's hood came loose and popped all the way back over the windshield so he couldn't see ahead on a crowded freeway. Scared the *#&^$%^ out of me so I mashed the gas to put some distance between us. He stuck his head out the window and kept driving like nothing was wrong!

Zipper

Can you get the latch and latch seat out of there so you can weld up the worn area and grind it down? Weld bead is harder than iron so it should wear longer after it is built up. You're right to worry about your hood popping open.
Good luck fixing that.

Dr Crankenstein said:

No offense, but it sounds like you're trying to drill a mine shaft will a bowling ball.

Why don't you replace the latch? [S

.

Click to expand...

MercuryMac said:

Can you get the latch and latch seat out of there so you can weld up the worn area and grind it down? Weld bead is harder than iron so it should wear longer after it is built up. You're right to worry about your hood popping open.
Good luck fixing that.

Click to expand...

Hi guys, and thanx. I read up on the welding trick, and/or latch replacement. It could also be weak springs, which also seems to be the case, as they do seem wimpy. (Air pressure at speeds may lift the hood at the cowl just enough to pop the latch). These springs are a bitch to work on, not a unit like the tri 5's and up, hinges also appear worn and tired.

I had the hood off the car for awhile and drove it around like that, completing the rat look, but I preferred the hood.

So for now this was a quick fix, as I am a weekend road warrior for the most part and of limited income, house repairs come first. Now that this car is running fine I'm not under the hood every 5 minutes like I was in the recent past. As time goes by I will collect my pennies or learn how to weld

von-zipper said:

A few years back I was right next to a guy who's hood came loose and popped all the way back over the windshield so he couldn't see ahead on a crowded freeway. Scared the *#&^$%^ out of me so I mashed the gas to put some distance between us. He stuck his head out the window and kept driving like nothing was wrong!

Zipper

Click to expand...

That last sentence sounds a lot like me. When the crap hits the fan, sometimes you have to take the crap and do what you can.

When I was first road testing this car after numerous repairs I was about to get on the interstate when I felt my foot getting hot. I look down, and the (plastic) oil pressure line to the gauge had broken and my shoes were filling up with oil.

While steering with one hand to get back to my nearby house I reached down to try to pinch off the line but it crumbled into dust. I made it back with a half a quart of oil in my socks.

Copper line with thread tape on both ends!

Only used that plastic line one time....

same thing basically... line broke and dumped about a quart of oil on the floor before I could get it hauled down and onto the shoulder... use copper for oil lines after that incident....

Got a good laugh about filling up your shoes though....

Those plastic oil lines are hard on the upholstery.