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Hi,
how long should a new hood latch cable last? Just bought a NOS cable last year and it is already failing. The core is sliding out and it keeps getting looser. At the tightest pin position on the paddle I can't get the right latch to pop. I am concerned if I have a fire I can't get the hood open quickly enough (have to move windshield wiper and pop 2nd latch manually). Is something wrong with my routing or do these cables just fail easily? Can I go full bubba with some pliers and shove the cable core back into the sleeve?
From: Loud, Raw and Dangerous 1968 327 4S in Southern California
Yours is quite different than on my 1968, older cars have this on the hood. Are you saying that the cable has stretched to the point you can not adjust it anymore?
That's odd. Well the plastic covering doesn't do anything structural. It is the metal spiral core housing and the steel braided cable that take all the torque.
Are you saying your interior metal housing is moving outward? And sliding around inside the plastic?
If that is the case then your clamp needs to hold it a little bit tighter. That housing should never move. Tighten the clamp or maybe crush it "very slightly" smaller somehow to improve it's grip.
Another thing to check, maybe first. Un-attach the cable at both ends and lube the cable, make sure it slides easily with finger pressure. These braided style cables frequently "die" when the inner cable strands start to break from being kinked, etc. A broken strand internally will make it stick & catch very badly. Had a stuck throttle on my LT-1 once at 4000 rpm due to a frayed cable internally. That was mildly entertaining to say the least!
i just replaced mine 49 dollars at leos corvette in pensacola you can carefully lift up the left side of the hood and get a piece of wire in there and flip the latch there is a video on you tube on how to di it
1969= original 51 years 82CE= original 38 years.
So what is stressing out the cable? Misunderstanding of how this works, perhaps?
BOTH of my cars have been adjusted, so ONE FINGER can open the hood.
There is no lube on the latches, the cable end spacings look incorrect...
Are the latches adjusted correctly????
Do you see my pictures? The inner metal core has slid out of the plastic housing entirely. My cotter pin is in the tightest setting possible and the cable is too loose to open second latch. I dont think it is operator error as it was working until the cable core slid out of the housing.
I've seen your pictures. Yes the cable housing has slid out of the vinyl cover. Unclamp it. Move it back and clamp right onto the steel inner housing. Remove the clamp from the car so you can hit it with a punch in the center of the clamping area so it will firmly hold the inner housing. Reassemble and readjust. Then check all latches for proper adjustment. As per how long they last. Everything is adjusted perfectly on my car. Cable is original and still fine.
I just ordered one from supporting vendor (says USA made) today as my old original one (1979) as one wire frayed (multi strand apparently) and popped out of case near center but still works..
can you return to vendor even a year later? you say NOS..i couldn't find an NOS cable..
keep posted.. I will report when I get mine..hate to replace and cause problems vs still working but might break more ...
Mine came from Eckler's about four years ago. It was one of the first parts I replaced when the car was new to me as the plastic shield tube had split in many places and the passenger side latch was very tricky.
Well that cable poking out is NOT one of the strands but a wire on the outside of inner plastic.
oh well i got my zip corvette cable seems VERY oem like..swapped out same holes works same..hoping it lasts..
Hood Latch Cable Lifespan
