hood removal tips/tricks?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,126
Likes: 19
From: Streamwood illinois
hood removal tips/tricks?
I would like to make realignment as easy as possible. Should I just remove the hinge bolts from the frame and take it off in one assembly? What would you recomment I mark the hinge bolt down location with that is removable after hood is replaced but visible enought o help w/ alignment?
Is there some easier way to do this like removing the hinge pivot points rather then unbolting anything?
Thanks
Dave
Is there some easier way to do this like removing the hinge pivot points rather then unbolting anything?
Thanks
Dave
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
I think the easiest way is either to mark around where the hinges attach to the hood - outline that area w/ masking tape (put the masking tape right up against the hinge), then remove the hinge from the hood -
then to re-install, put the hood back on the hinges, align w/ the tape and tighten the bolts - you should be close
Drifting
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,648
Likes: 0
From: Thornton Colorado
not sure if I remember right but kinda recall the pro's (coddington or Foose) drilling a very small home thru the hinge into a hidden area then remove it and us the holes to realign later. Might want to search first though incase I'm remembering something else..I am old after all 
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 23,682
Likes: 9
From: Flagstaff Az.
Off the top of my head, and my car's been in winter storage for a couple months, but each hinge has 2 pins at the "hinge-pivot point" - and those pins are NON-removeable, kind of like permanent rivets - so I don't think this advice works, unless I'm not understanding something
I think the easiest way is either to mark around where the hinges attach to the hood - outline that area w/ masking tape (put the masking tape right up against the hinge), then remove the hinge from the hood -
then to re-install, put the hood back on the hinges, align w/ the tape and tighten the bolts - you should be close
I think the easiest way is either to mark around where the hinges attach to the hood - outline that area w/ masking tape (put the masking tape right up against the hinge), then remove the hinge from the hood -
then to re-install, put the hood back on the hinges, align w/ the tape and tighten the bolts - you should be close
by far the cleanest, easiest way to do it.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Trace/mark where the hinge meets the hood.
Remove the upper strut attachments from the hinges.
Remove the 4 bolts securing the hood to the hinges. (You will have to lower the hood about halfway to access the front bolts).
It might seem easier to just mark and remove the hinges from the frame, but it's not, and here's why:
The only adjustability factor at the hood/hinge point is that of height. There is very little fore/aft adjustment, and zero side-to-side adjustment at that point. So, even if you totally lose your alignment markings, you are still only dealing with one dimension when realigning, and it also happens to be the easiest dimension to dial in.
The hinge to frame point contains the bulk of the front-rear and side-side adjustability, and is also a lot harder to mark for. If you lose that reference, or are swapping the hinges themselves, do yourself a favor and remove the latch hoops from the hood when reinstalling, so you can dial in the alignment without having to keep latching/unlatching the hood each time you close the hood to check.
Get the alignment dialed in first, then bolt the hoops back on, and then double-check latch operation (again, that piece of advice applies only if you are removing the hinges from the frame).
Remove the upper strut attachments from the hinges.
Remove the 4 bolts securing the hood to the hinges. (You will have to lower the hood about halfway to access the front bolts).
It might seem easier to just mark and remove the hinges from the frame, but it's not, and here's why:
The only adjustability factor at the hood/hinge point is that of height. There is very little fore/aft adjustment, and zero side-to-side adjustment at that point. So, even if you totally lose your alignment markings, you are still only dealing with one dimension when realigning, and it also happens to be the easiest dimension to dial in.
The hinge to frame point contains the bulk of the front-rear and side-side adjustability, and is also a lot harder to mark for. If you lose that reference, or are swapping the hinges themselves, do yourself a favor and remove the latch hoops from the hood when reinstalling, so you can dial in the alignment without having to keep latching/unlatching the hood each time you close the hood to check.
Get the alignment dialed in first, then bolt the hoops back on, and then double-check latch operation (again, that piece of advice applies only if you are removing the hinges from the frame).
