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Discussion Topic:
Hood Help...
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TomO |
08-21-2026 @ 6:08 PM
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Senior
Posts: 7486
Joined: Oct 2009
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Be sure to lubricate the cable by dribbling oil along it, use lubriplate to lube the latch and you should be good to go until Spring when you should do it again. Good luck at the Geneva Concourse, that is a very nice show.
Tom
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carcrazy |
08-21-2026 @ 12:59 PM
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Senior
Posts: 2144
Joined: Oct 2009
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Congratulations! Glad to hear of your success in getting the hood to open. Enjoy your car show and driving your old car.
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Kpyto71 |
08-21-2026 @ 11:03 AM
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Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Jul 2025
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Hi carcrazy. Removing the pan worked. 5 bolts hold it on... two on either side, and one on the bottom middle. The bottom middle has a nut welded to this pan, so taking it off was easy, the 4 on the outside were bolts (head on the inside) with lock washers and nuts to the outside. Because of that I was able to remove the nuts and washers, push the bolts inside, and then drop the pan out. That gave me easy access to the latch from the underside. If the nuts were on the inside, it might have been more of a struggle, or I might have had to cut off the bolt heads. Where did I go wrong... when I put everything back together I had tightened the last cable holder (that's mounted on the underside of the hood latch mechanism plate) with the cable too far forward. Because of that, when I pulled back, the lever was actually hitting the sheathing on of the cable, and unable to fully open the latch. I loosened it up, and voila... everything was perfect... even did a little adjusting to make it better than it was. Hopefully someone else will find this helpful! Thanks for everyone's help! Now that this fun little detour has been resolved, we'll finish up detailing the car and get to the Geneva, IL Concourse d'Elegance this weekend. I think the show is a bit much for us, but they did accept our entry... It'll be our second show, so we're looking forward to it.
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carcrazy |
08-21-2026 @ 7:31 AM
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Senior
Posts: 2144
Joined: Oct 2009
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Try spraying some penetrating oil onto the bolt that refuses to budge. Once you remove the metal plate, get an old metal coat hanger and bend it into the proper shape to allow you to move and release the latch.
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Kpyto71 |
08-21-2026 @ 5:24 AM
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Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Jul 2025
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Hi Carcrazy... I tried what you said, but my hood will not move from side to side. Afte a bit of looking, I've found maybe a way in... there is a metal plat that sits under the radiator, and goes towards the front of the car. 5 bolts hold it in place - one on the bottom middle (with a rubber grommet), and two on each side. I was able to get all but one of the side bolts off. I think if remove that, I'll be able to get at it from underneath. I can only hope. Trying to get at the latch from the front is proving to be impossible.
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Kpyto71 |
08-20-2026 @ 11:34 AM
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Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Jul 2025
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Thanks carcrazy. I'll give it a shot. You are correct... the cable is connected... reconnected everything the way it was, but maybe I'm off a bit? Once I get the hood open, how to I ensure my adjustment is correct? Thanks again!
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carcrazy |
08-20-2026 @ 9:58 AM
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Senior
Posts: 2144
Joined: Oct 2009
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Assuming you have the cable connected to the release mechanism but it is not adjusted to allow the hood to be opened, you can try the following. While someone inside the car pulls on the hood release handle, have someone else outside the car push on the hood at its front from side to side to get the latch to release.
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Kpyto71 |
08-20-2026 @ 5:17 AM
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Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Jul 2025
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A while I ago I posted about the bracket for my hood release pull under the dash that broke. Thanks to someone in the club, I was able to purchase a replacement (turns out there are two hole sizes - a different story), but after removing the cable, putting in my new bracket, and all the bits back together, I have a more serious issue after I closed the hood... my hood won't open with the cable pull. I pull it as far as it will go and nothing... Does anyone have any ideas on how to open the hood on my '41 Mercury without the cable? With a screwdriver I can push the latch pack, but the hood is still firmly in place by the main latch. Any and all ideas would be welcome... Funny that after I get her to start and run awesomely, this is my reward. Thanks for any and all advice! C.
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