MCfan Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I recently solved one of the two hood problems I discovered on my "new girl". I will share it here in case anyone else has a similar problem. I will ask the group about possible solutions for the second problem (hood won't always stay up) in another post. Here's the problem I recently solved: When I pulled the hood release lever, the latch would release, but latch spring would not pop the hood up far enough for me to get my fingers in to lift the hood further. Initially, I removed, refurbished and lubricated the hood latch assembly. I also tried several different length adjustments but nothing worked. Finally, rather than buy a new stock spring (assuming that might help), I got the idea to install a "helper spring" inside the stock spring to increase the hood lifting force of the latch assembly. It's the same principle as dual valve springs, of course. (And, it turned out to be cheap and easy!) I determined the uncompressed length should be about 2 1/2" and the ID had to fit easily over the latch shaft to avoid binding under load. I tried several heavier springs from my spare springs collection first but they did not allow the hood to close far enough to latch without excessive downward pressure. Finally, I tried the light spring show in this photo and it worked like a charm. Now, when the release lever is pulled, the hood pops up with a half inch of clearance into which I can insert my fingers to further lift the hood. Sorry I don't know the specs on the spring so I attached a picture. Anything of similar size should work. As you can see, it doesn't take much of an additional sping so don't over do it. One key is to select a fairly loosely wound spring because the latch needs lot of travel to work correctly. A tightly wound spring may "bottom out" before the latch closes. To install the helper spring, I used a slip-jaw plier to turn the upper spring retainer counterclockwise, unlocking the shaft allowing the spring/shaft assembly to be unscrewed from the hood using a large flat-blad screwdriver in the slot on the conical end of the latch shaft. Be sure to measure the amount of shaft protruding from the retainer before you unscrew the shaft from its threaded base so you can put it back with the same length adjustment (assuming it latches well otherwise). Once disassembled, simply slide the helper spring over the shaft, reassemble to the same length measurement and reinstall it in the hood. Technically, this fix is probably considered a modification to the car so the purists will want to buy a new stock spring or find another solution to keep their cars original (although I doubt few judges would even notice). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stangeba Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I have that same problem! I tried lubricating my hood hinges with silicone spray (because I thought they were binding in the fully closed position) now my hood won't safely "always" stay up so I have a safety prop rod! Nice write up and picture, it helps me allot! Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jim Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Has anyone found a good source for a hood latch spring? The Hood Hinge Repair guys replace the bushings with there own machined bushings and claim they work better than new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyDavey Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I just layed out $45 and put on a whole new assembly...works great, 3 bolts and the hood pops right up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallaby Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 ...works great, 3 bolts and the hood pops right up.... Yea, along with your fenders and front wheels... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jim Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Who did you get it from? Are the Chevelle and Monte the same spring tension? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyDavey Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 True Connections, they're in the Parts and Service link above....this was for the Monte not the Chevelle.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCfan Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thanks for the source info on the new hood pin assembly, Dave. Good to know they are available if/when the need arises. I looked it up in the True Connections catalog and it appears to be on page 58 as part number HL-7021 1970-1972 Hood Pin for $42.95 plus tax and/or shippping. I don't see any distiction between Chevelle/El Camino/Monte Carlo for this part, so it's also good to know it works well on your Monte. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyDavey Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I wasn't trying to down play what you did Dennis, just letting people know they are available. At the time I got that there were some bad ones out there that didn't work. I went to TC because they are in my backyard (well not literally). I told the owner (Dick) what I needed, he handed me that, I put it on and it worked..... if I woulda tried what you did I would have ended up needing 20 stitches.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCfan Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 Whoa, Davey, no harm, no foul. I was glad to learn of a source for a replacement part that actually works well! My inclination is always to try to fix something first and replace it if I have to. Unfortunately, some of my "fixes" either don't work so well or don't last very long so I end up going the replacement route anyway. This fix was easy and cheap (I had the spring laying around) so I decided to share it, but it certainly is not an "original" part so it's good to know they are also available for those who want/need them. Sounds like you were able to walk into the supplier, tell a knowledgable person what you needed and get one put in your hand that should work. You could probably even take it back easily if it didn't. One of my pet peeves is that many parts suppliers offer thousands of parts online but provide very little information and often no pictures to help a buyer select the correct part for his vehicle. If you guess, it could cost extra time and money, so you end up having to call to talk to someone anyway. This club provides a valuable service to its members by everyone sharing what works and doesn't work, as well as, where to get the best stuff. I really appreciate that so thanks again for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyDavey Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 yeah it really helps when you can have a relationship with a vendor and trust them. The owner of True Connections is a "been there done that" guy who has been doing this for decades and made a nice business out of it. Dick's place is right across from Joel Hoffman's shop, the guy I posted about who is on Car Warriors so between all the parts Dick has and the cars in Joel's shop it's a dangerous place for me to be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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