Hood Springs....

[LostnFound]

Hello all, just a heads up when replacing hood springs. The one's from Goodmark don't measure up and didn't keep my hood up. I ordered a second set from Year One and they are part 81N. They are noticeably heavier duty and hold my hood up perfectly. 

 

https://www.yearone.com/Product/SearchTarget/8401

[Dtret]

Good information. Thanks 

[jft69z]

GM still makes hood springs that are a specific part for our application. They go for about $18 a piece and can be picked up at any GM dealer. The part number is: 3848272.

 

 

 

[Stamminator]

Well, that explains a lot . . . My new Goodmark springs worked for about a month and then petered out.  Thanks for the info! Now do you have any tips on installation?  My use of a floor jack to extend the spring and then fill the spaces with washers until installed was kinda exciting to say the least!

[LostnFound]

3 hours ago, jft69z said:

GM still makes hood springs that are a specific part for our application. They go for about $18 a piece and can be picked up at any GM dealer. The part number is: 3848272.

 

 

 

Yes....those are the ones available through Year One as well. 

 

[LostnFound]

4 minutes ago, Stamminator said:

Well, that explains a lot . . . My new Goodmark springs worked for about a month and then petered out.  Thanks for the info! Now do you have any tips on installation?  My use of a floor jack to extend the spring and then fill the spaces with washers until installed was kinda exciting to say the least!

Two of us did mine. We hooked a heavy chain on the end of the spring. One guy (me) guided the spring and my buddy was at the end of the chain pulling with all he had. The spring hooks should be pointing up at the front by the way. 

[MC1of80]

Did them on the car. Use a bigger screwdriver on one end and slide it on. Like doing the springs on a drum brake only alot more tension. 

[jft69z]

40 minutes ago, LostnFound said:

Yes....those are the ones available through Year One as well. 

Yeah, it appears that way. It's just cheaper and quicker to get them locally, at least in my case.

If I can find a GM part number, I'll usually try that first, since the places that just re-sell the GM parts usually mark up the price. It's real crazy if you try to look for a GM accelerator cable. GM wants $35, some of those other places want close to double, as most people will assume the parts are obsolete, hence the higher asking  price.

Full disclosure though, I do get a good discount at my GM dealer with my shop account.

44 minutes ago, Stamminator said:

Now do you have any tips on installation?  

I use a port-a-power to hook on the spring to expand it. This will work both on & off the car. I used to use a J-hook I made up from 1/4" stainless rod, but this seems much easier and safer to me.

[Dtret]

8 minutes ago, jft69z said:

Yeah, it appears that way. It's just cheaper and quicker to get them locally, at least in my case.

I use a port-a-power to hook on the spring to expand it. This will work both on & off the car. I used to use a J-hook I made up from 1/4" stainless rod, but this seems much easier and safer to me.

That’s cheating. Besides most of us don’t have all the good tools to do this kind of work. See I’d hook one end to the trailer ball on the truck and the other with a cum-along to the gator and stretch her till it got to the happy place. Duct tape and paper towels work great for bandages. Lol. I’m thinking I’m joking but ....

[jft69z]

2 minutes ago, Dtret said:

That’s cheating. Besides most of us don’t have all the good tools to do this kind of work. 

Hey, he asked..... 

I tend to use shop towels and electrical tape, lol

[Dtret]

Just now, jft69z said:

Hey, he asked..... 

I tend to use shop towels and electrical tape, lol

I know. I seen the pictures. Lol. 

[Dtret]

All joking aside. Good tools or not, be careful nothing about the job looks safe. 

[jft69z]

Just now, Dtret said:

All joking aside. Good tools or not, be careful nothing about the job looks safe. 

Absolutely! Not one of the little jobs I look forward to. 

[willie]

I agree Joe electrical tape is not as bulky as duct tape.  lol

[cny first gen 71]

My springs are good but the hinges are worn, I'm gonna send them to hood hinge repair have then rebuilt just make sure they use original springs. Last I looked it's about $175.00 we'll see when I get ready to send them. I know they have a backlog too so I'll make sure I have enough time. But may be a good time to put new ones on and keep the old ones as spares.

[bob 71]

i put on a pair of new in the bag gm 3848272 springs still have to use prop rod to keep hood open ? 

[jft69z]

1 hour ago, bob 71 said:

i put on a pair of new in the bag gm 3848272 springs still have to use prop rod to keep hood open ? 

That's odd. I put them on my car last year because the originals wouldn't hold it up any more. The new ones work great and even allow me to open it about half way if I want.

[MC1of80]

New springs with worn hinge assy will not hold the hood up. Just replaced the springs on my brother's 71 SS  for that reason and still does it. Investigated further and found the hinges themselves shot. 

[cbolt]

www.hoodhingerepair.com

 

I sent mine here and they did a wonderful job for less than a new set of hinges would cost

[cny first gen 71]

7 hours ago, cbolt said:

www.hoodhingerepair.com

 

I sent mine here and they did a wonderful job for less than a new set of hinges would cost

Yup that's the place I was thinking about. 

[MC-71]

I have always used springs off a 70 Monte. They are larger. They hold up my hood and I have mirror finish stainless steel under my hood.

[Dtret]

Just an addition to this post. One of my hood hinges was bent to crap and had to be replaced. I ordered a set from ss396. Worked good, not great. They just didn’t feel right. A week later I went in the house and heard the hood slam shut. It wouldn’t stay up by itself no more. Order the springs Joe pointed out and installed today. Works great. But the real reason for this is the change of the spring part. Hinge still on car. Prop rod holding up hood.  I took an old v-belt put on the hook and popped the spring right off. Put the new spring hook in the vise bent it and put 11 thick fender washers on one side, bent it the other direction and put 11 more on opposite side. I held the hood all the way up as far as it would go and put the spring in proper place. Lowered the hood and pulled out the 22 washers. Repeat for other side. Worked great. No blood either. 

[cny first gen 71]

I contacted hood hinge repair they say they have the correct springs for our cars because I specifically said they are different from chevelle.  They said that they are in fact different. He said they are an additional $50.00 on top of the $200.00 to rebuild the hinges.

[Dtret]

13 hours ago, cny first gen 71 said:

I contacted hood hinge repair they say they have the correct springs for our cars because I specifically said they are different from chevelle.  They said that they are in fact different. He said they are an additional $50.00 on top of the $200.00 to rebuild the hinges.

I paid 15.50 each from the gm dealership. 27 in stock at gm warehouse. 

[cny first gen 71]

19 minutes ago, Dtret said:

I paid 15.50 each from the gm dealership. 27 in stock at gm warehouse. 

Yea was thinking that was a little steep but that's installed when they do the rebuild, probably be worth 20 bucks to have them installed.