wallifishrmn

Had a friend remove the hood so we could pull the engine and then he put it back on. Was fine before but now the front edge of the 1971 hood is exposed. It is aligned fine everywhere else. Doesn't appear there are any shins so I don't understand how it was fine before and now the front is elevated?Any suggestion on how to solve this problem?? Thanks in advance for all your help and input.

DUB

Makes no sense...especially if you are 1000% positive that the hood was perfect prior to its removal.

Did you remove the radiator support when you removed the engine??? It kinda isn't relative in some aspects...but kinda need to know.

IF ...when the hood is shut...the body line and gap on the side of the hood where the hood hinges are located. Is it flush there???

IF it is flush there...but you start to follow the gap around to the front center of the hood...I assume that is where you are having the problem.

Posting a really good photos of what you see so we can see what you see helps. So if you ahve to get down on one knee and take a photo showing how high up the front edge of the hood is in relation to the top hood surround panel...that is what is needed.

I feel that your top hood surround is sagging in the middle where GM did not put a support rod like that did in later years to stop this problem. Which is why this is odd that it all of a sudden happened. It makes no sense.

Your top hood surround is secured to the front of your inner skirts via 2 gussets...so...the odds that your top hood surround delaminated at that area by your hood hinges and moved on both sides is also highly unlikely.

DUB

wallifishrmn

Yes, the radiator was removed and supports to reinstall the engine. Here are some pictures.

DUB

I need my questions I asked answered.

I can not tell how flush you hood is in you photos to the top hood surround... right beside where your hood hinges are located....when the hood is shut.

I can see what you are referring to at the front.

Did you remove the radiator support??????????????

I read that you wrote that you removed the radiator and supports. Clarify what supports you removed. Because there is only ONE radiator support but you wrote supports in plural.

DUB

wallifishrmn

The radiator support was removed--typo with the s.

The hood is almost flush on the drivers side by the front hood support bracket by significantly elevated on the passenger side by the support.

DUB

I am still lost due to what you wrote..I understand about the diver side...but what so you mean by what I bolded out in your about quote???

I do not know what you mean by :passenger side by the support.

What support on the passenger side are you referring to or what are you calling a support???

I am only concerned about is how flush the hood to the top hood surround is where the hood is closed. and I mean right beside your hood hinges....that's it.

DUB

wallifishrmn

The hood and body are flush in the area of the support assembly.

The hood is slightly elevated from the body on the drivers side in the area of the hinge assembly.

The hood is greatly elevated from the body on the passengers side in the area of the hinge assembly.

DUB

Due to your hood being higher at the hood hinge area...and not knowing if there are shims UNDER your hood hinges where it attaches to the inner skirt. Then as I say...It is what it is.

Knowing that the top hood surround is bonded to your inner skirts....and how the top hood surround was bonded to the inner skirts. (in regards to the height)...that distance is what can often cause the hood hinges to have shims under them...or not have any shims at all.

SO...if the inner skirts are still bonded...then the only thing that I know you can do is to modify the hood hinge to lower the pivot point...and that will get the hood to be flush with the top hood surround right beside where the hinges are located.

By doing this it will obviously lower the hood and thus reduce the height that the front where your concern is stemming from.

Then...there is a rod that goes from teh front of your radiator support...in the center of it at the bottom...and this rod goes to the metal reinforcement bracket that is riveted to the backside of your hood surround at the very front. THIS ROD in conjunction with how the radiator support was put back in can possible be loosened at the bracket at the front and LIFT UP on the hood surround and tighten it. This may help some BUT you have to remember that IF your lower portion of your radiator support is weaken due to rust...then you cannot expect this ROD to do very much if it is flexing rusty steel.

I have many times in the past fabricated up my own rod and installed it to raise up the hood surround at the hood gap area. If you find that you need to do this....let me know.

DUB

wallifishrmn

There are no shins under the hood hinges.

There is no rust on the radiator (was recored 5 years ago) and no rust on the radiator support--I replaced it 5 years ago. I will examine how the radiator support was reinstalled and the radiator when I get home in mid-January. Thank you for all your help and I will repost when I check these items out.

Again Thank You

tak82

It's clearly high on the passenger side. Loosen the passenger side hinge bolts up, not the bolts that hold the hinge to the hood but the bolts that hold the hinge to the body/engine compartment, and see if you can get it to move down any. The smallest movement sometimes creates big results so be careful. Start with that and let us all know !

DUB

I either think you forgot how the hinge is attached to the inner skirt.or are thinking of seem other era Corvette.

IF there are no shims UNDER the hinge (as he stated there are none)...then it can not be lowered as you mentioned.....due to it is as low as it is going to go. So loosening up bolts does absolutely nothing at all.

YES...it is possible to put a washer under the hinge at the rear bolt that holds the hinge to the inner skirt.one of the bolts that hold the hinge to the inner skirt. This can tilt the pivot point on the hinge DOWN.

But...what it can also do is possibly cause the hinge to be removed and have the holes for the bolts routed out and slotted more due to this angle change. I generally DO NOT do this....but some people will do it.

IF I had to get this down..I would remove the hinge after ALL other option have been exhausted and cut/weld/modify the hinge and lower the pivot point.

DUB

wallifishrmn

I have removed the radiator and shroud. What should I do or look for to see if this is having any effect on the hood position? Thanks

DUB

Removing the radiator and shroud has absolutely nothing to do with this problem. It does not change nor can it change anything at all in regards to this hood problem.

I mentioned what I though was wrong or could be wrong back in POST #2.....Paragraphs #6 and 7.

And I touched on this pretty well in POST#8.

Either modifying the hood hinges or making a custom rod to push up on the top hood surround in the center to raise it is about all I know works....because I ahve had to do this...and that is also KNOWING that the other variables are correct...which I have mentioned in past posts in this thread..

DUB