On an '82. Reason for removal is to investigate and possibly replace the old a/c condenser with a newer parallel type. The removal doesn't scare me.. much. Figure two people, mark the hinge shoulder on the hood for re-alignment and undo the bolts and the light harness. Now... on the of chance it does not go back quite right and 'hooks' on the releases to the point the cable won't release the hooks.. how do I get in there to release the hooks?

I've seen the threads about the push-out rubber grommets that supposedly can be accessed with the door open. I can only find one on this car - passenger side - and I seriously doubt I would be able to work anything under the hood edge, through the grommet and flip the catch.

I haven't thoroughly investigated taking the side gills out to see what kind of room is there.. I'm thinking not much, plus the catches are on the top anyway. I'm likely well overthinking this, but I want to cover my bases for most eventualities. Anyone with an '82 (or 80-81.. can't imagine they are much different) have to chuck open the hood without the release?

Rick

 

CAREFULLY mark the hinges like you wrote.

Do this procedure on the best level ground you have.

TRY at all costs to put it back on as you took it off. Due to the distance from the hinges to the latches...a little bit off will transfer into a big difference due to the angles.

Once it is back on...if you have any concerns about the hood 'locking down'. Attach wires to the latch mechanisms and make it so these wires will go into the wiper cowl area...so when the hood is shut...you could manually pull on these two wires to unlatch the hood mechanisms.

BUT....the KEY part of mounting a hood is when you are slowly pressing on the hood to latch it...you 'feel' and even get down on one knee and LOOK at hood where the hook is wanting to go into the guide. You can also find that if you pull these wires...and use a bolt to mimic the hook on the hood...the latch will not latch to the bolt or whatever you are using because you are pulling on the latch and it will not catch ....so...if the wire is PULLED...the hook can not catch and latch...BUT...the hook can pinch on the guide.

Also...when you get the hood off....if you have excessive wear in you hood hinges ( pivot rivets)...and they can wobble a lot and have movement where the rivet is worn and allows the two parts to move forward and back a bit....this can become a problem because the front of the hood is NOT solid and ONLY able to pivot. Generally...in your design of hood latch at the cowl...this is important but as much as the hoods withe the striker bolts...which can pinch and bind more easily not release. Your design is better..but it does not mean to neglect this area of inspection.

DUB

 

It's not that difficult. Marking the hinges is the key. I use masking tape to do so and put tape on the edges of the hood.

 

And believe it or not I always take my hoods off and put them back on all by myself. To prevent fender scratching I lay two layers of bath towels onto the fenders and on the tops of the headlight actuators and use a wooden prop to hold it up at about the right angle. I have even pulled and re-installed my engines with the hood still on (I use a chain hoist).

 

Good idea on the release cables, Dub. Hadn't thought of that. Could probably just close the latches, too, and see where the striker hits with a mirror. Toobroke... yeah, I could probably do it by myself, but two sets of hands I feel safer with!

There has to be a way to release the hood on these late model cars if, in fact, the cable snaps or something. I just can't quite figure out what that might be yet, hence my question to see if anyone has figured it out! The solution would be a nice sticky in the 'how-to' section...

 

When I have removed a hood I use low stick (blue tape) to cover the edges of the hood and all around the fenders. This way, when removing or installing the hood if it touches the fender, the paint is not damaged. I do score around the hinges to help with installation alignment, but the tape comes in handy in case things don't go as planned. I also have two helpers when removing and installing the hood, one at each hinge and one to remove the bolts. I found that when the bolts are loosened if the hood is not held perfectly still, and shifts even a little, it will contact the fender edge (taping the edges helps prevent damage). I am not confident enough to try removing it by myself and did try with just one helper but wound up damaging the paint as the hood shifted and contacted a fender edge. That is why I started taping the edges and getting the extra helper.