PaulUptime

Replaced the front hood hinges on my '65 last week using nice, strong new chrome ones (from Corvette Central.) The original hinges were pretty badly worn, while driving I could see the leading edge of the hood wobble in the wind.

With the new hinges done, figured I'd use the opportunity to improve hood position too. After elongating the hinge holes (to hood) I set the hood down, lined it up and reached up from under the front to lock down the position. So far so good! But now I'm facing a new challenge with a bit of see-saw action where now if I push one side down to latch, the other side pops up. Even if I can get both sides to latch, with a little motion while underway they'll soon both pop back up.

The hood release cable and latches are well lubed and are adjusted with enough slack for each latch to open fully, so I don't think that's a problem. I think what I need to adjust are the conical latch pins in the hood. The drivers side turns free but the passenger side cone won't turn at all. I've let penetrating oil soak for four days but it won't budge using a large flat driver (just enough effort to mar but not break the notch at the end of the cone.) Lock-jaw pliers don't work much better. I think next I'll try grabbing the collar against the hood and see if I can remove the whole pin assembly there.

I have both the rubber bump stops adjusted to hold the hood right in line with the fenders, so I think it's just the pins that need adjusting. Tips? Suggestions? Much appreciated!

NightshiftHD

Two things come to mind ...

1. confirm your hood release cable is being fully retracted by the spring after your pull the hood release handle to open the hood. Mine will stick part way retracted which doesn't allow the locking plate to full retract. When you pop the hood latch to open it, push on the handle to see if it will retract more. If it does, you need to lube the cable and/or replace the pull-back spring.

2. as you mention, your hood pin(s) are not unscrewed enough to allow the locking plates in each latch to fully engage the pin when closed. You first need to loosen the jamb nut on each pin which is tightened up against the bottom of the hood frame. You'll need adjustable channel lock pliers for this. Then you should be able to unscrew each pin to set the length needed. Its trial and error till you get each side correct. Once set, tighten the jamb nut back up against the hood to prevent the pins from moving.

Hope this helps. Bill

NightshiftHD

Here's a picture to show the jamb nut ... Bill

PaulUptime

Thanks very much, Bill. Didn't know what it was called but the Jamb Nut seemed exactly what I needed to attack next.
Bravo to a fellow Ontarian!

Factoid

MikeM

I can't imagine what rubber bump stops you are describing. Whatever they are, you shouldn't use anything to set your hood margins except the adjustment on the hinges at the front.

Fit the hood with the hinges sans any influence from rubber blocks or the latches. Take the latches off, fit the hood and then align your latches to the hood pins so the hood doesn't jump sideways when you tatch it. Latches are to hold the hood down only.

leif.anderson93

Mike,
I bet he's describing the rubber bump stop on the female half of the hood latch.

2tired

When starting from scratch, I do the sequence MikeM described. Then I start with the driver's side latch and striker adjustments. When those are dead on, I put the passenger side striker on and align that side. If you've ever had to help someone who had a stuck hood because they did both sides at once, you'll understand my method.

Frankie the Fink

That's what I think.... I do it the way MikeM says and then just raise the rubber bumpers by trial and error to touch the hood when closed (test this by pushing down on the hood at each corner when latched. This keeps vibrations at speed down and may even prevent the hood from unlatching while underway...

Essentially the hood is captured between the rubber bumper and the female latch's knife blade...with the large male hood pin spring keeping everything under tension.

PaulUptime

Thanks Double-T. Exactly what I was thinking. Don't need to be stuck with a locked down hood!

I did finally get the passenger striker pin off. Even with the jamb nut loosened and Release-All liberally sprayed onto the threads, I could not get the pin to rotate from the tip. It was seized and the slot was being damaged by my efforts. Afraid to crack or mar the striker cone, I pulled the collar and spring back to put vice-grips on the inside part of the shaft and slowly worked it back and forth. That got it done.

Been pretty hectic around here so going out now to finish the job - appreciate all the comments.

And yes the rubber bump stops, well there are just two of them, are on the female receiving latches. Goal is to raise them a bit as the hood edges looked a bit lower than the fender edges, and to keep the hood from jiggling around at speed. I started all this after noticing white fiberglass powder from the hood edges rubbing near the driver's side front. The front hood pins were really worn. Just doing my best with new hinges to get the hood tight and straight as can be.

MikeM

The adjustable height male hood pins are what sets hood height in the back. Not the rubber bump stops. Those are simply over slam bumpers.

PaulUptime

Thanks Mike. That seems pretty obvious. The bumper stops should be adjusted to allow the striker pins to fully latch and then limit up-down movement once latched.

Oaker57

So how do you adjust the female latches, I have found loosening the three bolts jut lets it loose, but when re- tightening them, the receiver moves back to the same place.
My driver side latches and holds just fine, but the passenger side lets the hood pop up after the first 1 or 2 bumps or pot holes I hit. I have adjusted the male piece every which way, and it just seems that it must be the receiver is out of alignment.

NightshiftHD

Nope, there's not much adjustment as you've found out in the female latches. If one of your latches is letting go, it wasn't fully latched in the first place. But before you unscrew the male pin a couple turns to make it longer, make sure your cables are not binding (ie: holding the female latch levers from fully retracting). You need to check both cables. Bill

Frankie the Fink

If not already mentioned make darn sure the cockpit "HOOD" handle is completely pushed forward when closing the hood....sometimes the operation is stiff so the female blades don't get a full "bite" on the male latch...

Oaker57

I have made sure all the cables are adjusted, and the female blades are indeed all the way closed as per the lever that's attached to the return spring, which is as far as it can go. Is it possible for the blades to just wear out?? It looks a little thin where it makes contact with the Male piece...This gets tedious, as I adjust, go for a test ride, adjust, go for another ride and so on....It closes fine, in fact I can just let it drop from about a foot away and both sides close and sit properly positioned.....So I'm stumped.as far as adjustments go...short of buying and trying a new female latch I don't know what else to try.....

Factoid

Oaker57

I'm not talking about letting it drop from a full open position....Just no more than a foot away from the latches, it's never been a problem...I often now have to close the passenger side in the method you described by pressing with my palm, but that's after it pops open on its own....You may however have touched on something here, you mentioned weak springs.....that has me wondering, (Light popping on in head)....even though the spring is holding the receiver in the proper position at first, maybe it's no longer strong enough to actually hold it closed when under any kind of stress or tension....

MikeM

I don't see anything wrong or abnormal about the hood latching from a one foot drop.

I would ask that after your hood latches on the offending corner, can you press the hood down further with your hand or is it tight against the rubber over slam bumper? If you can shove the hood down a little further after latching and the hood still pops open while driving you..................

1) have a latch that is sticking partially open due to cable adjustment or dirt,

2) the male pin is worn away on the "catch" surface.

3) the male/female mating parts of the assembly are severely mis-matched in alignment. Does you hood jump sideways in the opening when it latches?

Oaker57

Thank you for your input here....

Yes I can push down a little, so there is some freedom to move.
1) Cable and mechanism is adjusted and lubed as per spec...
2) Have tried another Male pin, albeit was a used one...
3)Hood closes straight down, no side to side movement...
So when I get home from work tonight I will have to check my newly thought of theory that the spring on the receiver is just not strong enough to hold the latch closed under stress.....Unless you guys have anymore ideas...