Hood Hinges?????

Dave81 · Post by **Dave81** » Tue Oct 13, 15 9:57 pm

What am i missing here.

Had the day off to do a couple of things to the car prior to the cold weather coming in. Morning went well but what i thought would be the easy job for the afternoon turned into a mare.

Removed hood no problem (the joy of hex bolts). Just left with the two hinges up in the air. Going by the manual its vague on how they are fixed. They are welded studs to the body, hinge and it shows a spring washer.......what it fails to show is what holds the spring washer/hinges on.

At first it looked like a 1/2" nut. After an hour i got Bananarama! at the whole Bananarama! thing and ripped the drivers door off so i could gain better access.

Im stumped, but from what i can see its not a hex head nut........?

Anybody got any ideas (is it the same accross the model range in 72)?

See pic below. Lower mount is diagonal down right of the spring by the indentation. Top mount is above near the top of the pic (just to the upper left of the drivers door hinge mounting bolt.

I started the day with a complete car. Its now minus front valance, 50% interior, hood and drivers door............

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Tue Oct 13, 15 10:10 pm

What exactly are you trying to do?

Those hood springs are an absolute btrd to tension - I have never managed to get one back up to factory specs. I would leave well alone if you do not have to touch them.

Dave81 · Post by **Dave81** » Tue Oct 13, 15 10:13 pm

Pete wrote:What exactly are you trying to do?

Those hood springs are an absolute btrd to tension - I have never managed to get one back up to factory specs. I would leave well alone if you do not have to touch them.

Im trying to remove them so i can put the glass hood on Pete.
Dont want to hack them apart should i ever decide to go back to stock at a later date.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Tue Oct 13, 15 10:43 pm

Ah!

If you "ping" them off the stops then they will drop below the required height but they will rattle like a bugger when you drive along.

Blue will be able to advise you best when he is around again.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Wed Oct 14, 15 6:20 am

The Spring clips are just a very tight fit on the studs, you have to destroy them and then the hinges will come off. I normally remove the wing to get access.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed Oct 14, 15 8:45 am

I took the Fender off the Black '69 Dart when the return spring came loose.

About a 4 hour job but worth is to stop the annoying rattle.

I could not put the spring on to the full tension and I ended up cutting it down.

The good bit was that the hood no longer took my chin off when I popped the hood.

Dave81 · Post by **Dave81** » Wed Oct 14, 15 12:50 pm

Blue wrote:The Spring clips are just a very tight fit on the studs, you have to destroy them and then the hinges will come off. I normally remove the wing to get access.

Thanks Pete/Blue.

Yes, after looking online last nigh I thought it may be the castellated spring clip that may be holding them on.......This would also explain the 1 inch of lateral play in the arms themselves.

So to be clear.....just destroy the o ring spring clips and the arms should just slide off?

Also as the arms are in the 'hood up' position.....is their any tension in the coil spring..........As in if I prise them off the weld nuts will the thing snap and take off fingers/dent panels?

Really don't want to have to remove the wing unless 100% necessary!

Thanks for your help chaps!

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed Oct 14, 15 1:08 pm

There is LOADs of tension in them, even in the open position.

I see no option but to remove the Fenders, unless you are a gynaecologist, I do not think you can do it through the narrow door opening.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Wed Oct 14, 15 3:37 pm

They are sprung in the open position so removing as a unit, nothing should go twang. Sometimes with a long pry bar between the hinge and the body you can force off/break the spring washers if you go in from the top where the hinge sticks out of the wing, but you'll be working blind on the top one. Unless they are a bit rusty you'll be amazed how bloody tenacious those clips can be.

Dave81 · Post by **Dave81** » Wed Oct 14, 15 6:13 pm

Cheers Chaps......

lough3969 · Post by **lough3969** » Wed Oct 14, 15 7:37 pm

I will be interested to see if this can be done without the need to remove the wings... I am hoping I will be doing the same thing in the not too distant future...

Dave81 · Post by **Dave81** » Wed Oct 14, 15 8:23 pm

lough3969 wrote:I will be interested to see if this can be done without the need to remove the wings... I am hoping I will be doing the same thing in the not too distant future...

Knackered my back workin on the car but I'll update this thread when I've worked it out.........should be next few weeks if things go to plan!