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I'm kicking myself for doing this but I was working on lining up the gaps on my hood and closed it before checking that the pins and latches lined up correctly. Now when i pull the hood release the driver's side latch pops and opens freely. However the passenger side still pops but you cannot lift it up, almost as if it is still fully latched. I jacked the car up and was able to reach my arm all the way up to the latch and fully swing it over however my wife could still not get the hood to lift even with me having the latch fully pressed........I am wondering if the side of the hood pop up spring assembly is at a weird angle and catching on the latching mechanism on the hood. I've searched through a number of hood related threads but can't find this exact problem.
You will never be able to use a long screw driver or other oddly bent piece of metal to hit the metal arm holding the hood closed. My cable was not pulling the release arm far enough to release the latch. After wasting an hour with a long metal rod, I removed the Rocker panel and splash shield on my 1973 convertible. I was able to reach the latch with my hand. You should be able to release each side independently of the other. Once you get the hood open, do not, I repeat do not put the parts back on as I did, thinking, I fixed the problem. So I had to remove the rocker and splash shield for a second time. After many failed attempts, I wrapped electrical tape around the latch point that hits the release arm. The latch was not bent and I couldn’t figure what pulling the hood release cable didn’t move the release arm far enough. Just call me Bubba!
Just spent a couple of hours working on this to no success. I am still fully able to pop the drivers side open per the below picture and lift the hood a bit. Passenger side still 'pop's but is unable to be lifted. I've tried ever combination of jacking up various side parts of the car to see if that would give the frame enough of a twist do dislodge it, to being under the car and manually holding the passenger side latch open while some pushes/pulls/moves it side to side etc. I am at a total loss on the next steps. I wonder if its possible to get a ratcheting wrench up there and loosed the bolts that hold the hood pop up spring assembly to the body.
Both sides 'popped' Drivers side is fully disengaged while the passenger one is still in a weird half latched state or something
I have never read where a wrench could be used on a closed hood. My guess is the cable from the drivers side has broken or has to much slack. Have you removed the rocker panel and splash guard to feel with your hand for anything that could be holding/obstructing the latch? As I previously mentioned, I used my hand to release the latch ten times before I figured what was causing my hood to fail to open. Look at some pictures of the latching mechanism so you will know what/where to move with your fingers.
Without getting your hand up there, it’s only a guess as to what’s causing the problem. A Inspection camera with a 12 inch adjustable neck may be the next thing to try. You really need to see what’s holding the passenger side hood down. I have read where guys have unscrewed the hinges on the front of the hood, BUT that should only be be done as a last resort.
What happened to me when I reinstalled the hood was the pin got stuck inside the latch on the hood because they were way out of alignment. Eventually, I had my daughter pull and hold the hood release, and I had my wife push the hood right to left and up and down on the driverside while I vigorously shook the passenger side. Eventually I hit the right combination to release the pin. I shook it violently before it released. Good luck.
Edit When I finally got it loose, I put masking tape over the hood latch and paint on the pin and made sure I centered the pin before I closed the hood again.
Try this. Have someone hold the drivers side down and then pop the hood. Maybe the passenger side is being caught on the latch because of hood flex. Hopefully doing it this way the passenger side will pop up then have your helper releases the drivers side.
Finally VICTORY!!!!
Had a busy week and wasn't able to get back to the car until last night. What ended up working was starting out with the hood fully closed/latched, then being under the car and manually releasing the passenger hood release with a small pry bar pressed against the hood pop up spring assembly while my wife lifted the hood. Needless to say when I readjusted and realigned everything I quadruple checked before closing, but now the body lines are perfect and it opens properly! Lesson learned and never making that mistake again. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.
Finally VICTORY!!!!
Had a busy week and wasn't able to get back to the car until last night. What ended up working was starting out with the hood fully closed/latched, then being under the car and manually releasing the passenger hood release with a small pry bar pressed against the hood pop up spring assembly while my wife lifted the hood. Needless to say when I readjusted and realigned everything I quadruple checked before closing, but now the body lines are perfect and it opens properly! Lesson learned and never making that mistake again. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.
So what was it that was causing the latch to hang up?
So what was it that was causing the latch to hang up?
I couldn't exactly see from under the car but it felt like the latching mechanism on the hood was somehow bound up on the lip of the pop up spring assembly based on what I could feel. Applying some leverage against it while moving the hood set it free. There's now a scratch on the side of it so I'm assuming that's what happened. I have no idea how I could have misaligned it that bad to cause this issue but glad its corrected now.
I couldn't exactly see from under the car but it felt like the latching mechanism on the hood was somehow bound up on the lip of the pop up spring assembly based on what I could feel. Applying some leverage against it while moving the hood set it free. There's now a scratch on the side of it so I'm assuming that's what happened. I have no idea how I could have misaligned it that bad to cause this issue but glad its corrected now.
Thanks. I'll file that away in the memory banks for future reference. You know what they say: Learn from the mistakes of others - you won't live long enough to make them all yourself. (Although some days its seems like I'm trying. )
A friend had the same problem on a '74. He also was adjusting the hood and the latch stuck the same way. We finally came up with a plan.
Under the front, there is access to the hinge bolts up front. (Long extension) A few turns to loosen the bolts on the hinge, and the latch let go. The hood kind of self aligned to the latch.
Last edited by Barry's70LT1; Mar 16, 2021 at 11:04 PM.
I fought with this last year on my 74 after taking my car to a shop for an "inspection" only to get it back like this... I couldnt open it for months , tried the custom tool which I did manage to get to work on one side, on the other I jacked up the car and was able to reach up from underneath. I was ready to grind down my hood hinge bolts I was so frustrated. I did loosen the hinge bolts I could get too as well.. I tried jacking up one side hoping there was some flex in the frame but that didnt do anything.
Last edited by augiedoggy; Mar 17, 2021 at 08:23 AM.
I couldn't exactly see from under the car but it felt like the latching mechanism on the hood was somehow bound up on the lip of the pop up spring assembly based on what I could feel. Applying some leverage against it while moving the hood set it free. There's now a scratch on the side of it so I'm assuming that's what happened. I have no idea how I could have misaligned it that bad to cause this issue but glad its corrected now.
sounds like the exact issue I had.
Last edited by augiedoggy; Mar 17, 2021 at 08:24 AM.
Hood Latch Partially Stuck?
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