tuxedo

Any suggestions or tips on adjusting the hood latch/pin mechanism to keep my hood down. The passenger side rear hood area keeps popping open while driving. I have adjusted the hood pin spring both with more tension and lighter tension, checked the latch and spring tension which seems as strong as the driver's side latch which seems to work fine. The latches are only 5-6 yrs old. The only thing I notice is that front passenger side of the hood is is an 0125 lower than the front qtr panel hood area. While the driver side hood and panel area line up horizontally. Could this difference put the hood in enough of a bind from front to back to cause that assosciated latch to fail ever so slightly. ( The hood was taken off the car recently and was not put back by me. But it lines up with the scribe marks etc.). If so can I put some shims under the front hood hinge to raise the hood the required .125. I am hoping somebody has had this problem and can give me some advice.

stngry63

After making sure that everything is adjusted properly, check for play in the front hinges. Mine were worn before I replaced them and allowed the hood to float horizontally and unlatch at the firewall.

waynec

My memory may be failing me, but I think the hood pin can be adjusted in and out from the hood panel a bit by loosening a lock nut at the base of the threaded shaft (which is part of the spring retainer) and turning the shaft. It would seem yours needs to be adjusted out slightly so that it fully engages the latch mechanism, but first adjust the cushion bolt atop the latch assembly so the hood rests on it and the hood surface is even with the hood surround... you can best make this adjustment with the (left) male latch pin removed from the hood.

And, check the left latch cable attachment adjustment to see that the latch is allowed to close as far as possible (ie, be sure the cable that connects the two latches is not keeping the left latch from fully closing).


[Modified by waynec, 3:20 PM 10/7/2002]

WADE1965

Make sure that your hood release handle is pushed in all the way before you close the hood. Sometimes the spring dosn't pull it all the way back in and it causes the hood to pop up.

magicv8

If the hinges are loose, get new ones or drill out the pins and replace them with bolts with nylok nuts. See the Details link of my homepage (below) for more info on this.

The installed height of the hood bayonets is 1.42 inches to the lower spring retainer.

Align the catch assembly by loosening the three fasteners that hold each one to the body.

Make sure that the cable between the latches alows them both to return "home"

Grease/oil them as necessary. Pictures are on F228 and F229 of the Assembly Manual. The Chassis service manual is vague about these latches.

6T5RUSH

tuxedo,

For what it's worth, just maybe... just maybe you are experiencing the same issue I had and that is the rubber insulation on that side somehow got loose enough to give increase resistance to latching. I realigned that rubber and she latches and stays down. Sometimes it's the little things. Worth a look at.

Good luck.

Jim

Ih2lose

Excellent advise.I am just fine tuning my hood adjustment.I am assuming that I set the height first with my rubber snubbers on my hood latch's first and then go for the realise? or do I do the relise first and then bring the snubbers up to to get the height and avoid rattles ?

I have been spending alot of time on body lines and fit and finish lately Also the details more and feel I am rasing the quaility of my car.I know this is what I admire when I am looking at an old car.

magicv8

I would set the bayonet height, back off the rubber stops and set the latches so that the proper hood height is allowing easy open and positive latching. Put the snubbers barely against the hood after that.


[Modified by magicv8, 9:09 PM 10/8/2002]