Broken hood release cable
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,003
Likes: 38
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Broken hood release cable
Had a friend in town today and we went to "happy hour" and dinner in my 66 convertible - 80 degrees and had a great time - came home and went to open the hood and would not release - pressed down again on both sides and tried the hood release again - cable broke!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I know I read a thread a few months ago how to open the hood with a broom handle from underneath, but searched the old threads and could not find the information.
Anyone have a remedy to open the hood with a broken cable????
HELP!
Ron
I know I read a thread a few months ago how to open the hood with a broom handle from underneath, but searched the old threads and could not find the information.Anyone have a remedy to open the hood with a broken cable????
HELP!
Ron
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 146
Likes: 5
From: Florida
Same thing happened to me my first car show.
It was a charity event for Habitat for Humanity.
I had just rebuilt the engine, and got it back on the road.
The engine compartment was immaculate, but the outside of the car looked rough (still does). I pulled into my spot in a grass field, and went to pop the hood to show off all my hard work, and nothing. The handle came off in my hand. Some guy came by and asked me if the engine was still in the car.
Anyway, I called my wife, went home and got a jack, a flashlight, and a long screwdriver, and got the hood open.
There wasn't any trick, and I didn't need a broom handle.
Just pry open the hood latching mechanism on both sides.
You can get to it from underneath the car, if your arms are long and thin enough. Even in a grass field.
It was a charity event for Habitat for Humanity.
I had just rebuilt the engine, and got it back on the road.
The engine compartment was immaculate, but the outside of the car looked rough (still does). I pulled into my spot in a grass field, and went to pop the hood to show off all my hard work, and nothing. The handle came off in my hand. Some guy came by and asked me if the engine was still in the car.
Anyway, I called my wife, went home and got a jack, a flashlight, and a long screwdriver, and got the hood open.
There wasn't any trick, and I didn't need a broom handle.
Just pry open the hood latching mechanism on both sides.
You can get to it from underneath the car, if your arms are long and thin enough. Even in a grass field.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: Monroe Twp NJ
Happened to me a few months back. I was OK from the release handle to the left side hood release - when I pulled the hood release the driver's side would open but not the passenger side. My broken cable was the one that ran from the left to the right latch, so I had to get under the car, remove the splash shield on the passenger side, reach up push the release lever forward (toward radiator) to open the latch.
If neither latch releases on yours - it was probably the cable from the handle to the left side latch that broke. You'll need to remove the driver's side splash shield and push the lever on the bottom of the latch rearward (toward the firewall). That should release both sides.
I couldn't quite reach the releases by hand - a short pry bar did the trick.
Thom
If neither latch releases on yours - it was probably the cable from the handle to the left side latch that broke. You'll need to remove the driver's side splash shield and push the lever on the bottom of the latch rearward (toward the firewall). That should release both sides.
I couldn't quite reach the releases by hand - a short pry bar did the trick.
Thom
Last edited by ThomC; Apr 20, 2005 at 10:49 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 3
From: Burlington WI
