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Emerg. Hood Release

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T

Tinster

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Crypty's hood has been open for a year while
the Beast underwent major restoration efforts.
The second time I drove Crypty, DPO Pedro's hood
catch lever failed at 60 mph on the expressway.
Scared the daylights out of me.

So I re-installed the hood latch and ordered a
new release cable and an emergency release pull
as well. With Crypty now operational, I installed
the emergency hood release this morning. Here is
what it looks like for anyone who does not have one.
Really cheap insurance and easy to install.

Also a tip for you northern folks now that the
weather is warming up a bit. Don't forget to inspect,
adjust and tighten up your hood release spring. Wear
a glove on your left hand or you'll draw blood on your
pinkie finger trying to spread the spring to tighten
the nut. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

latch.jpg


tighten.jpg
 
My 6 has one and it is handy. If nothing else for the peace of mind it brings.

I do need to replace my latch assembly though. My popped open while I was going down the freeway. Luckily the bonnets open forward so the wind kept it down. If that ever happened on my truck, I would be dead.
 
Good Idea.

Maybe your should put something around those electrical wires coming thru the firewall. You do not want them rubbing against the metal edge.
 
all in good stead. The Beast has been operational
less than 2 weeks. Much still remains to "sort out".

No idea Crypty would become an on-the-frame entire
car restoration project. Still can't fathom the amount
of effort put into the Beast.

d
 
Lightened maybe but is it fabricated from
titanium for strength, that is the question!

I was thinking about removing the center of my
radiator in similar fashion... to save Crypty
the extra weight of water and steel.

d
 
Dale, if you were an old mechanic, like me and Dave, you'd have a thin open ended tappet wrench that fits through the spring with no loss of blood.
 
Tinster, please give me a part number, okay? Bought
one from Moss. Was basically nearly useless. Was only
a cable and handle.

Where do you reach to pull the handle on this one? Do
you have to get it up in the air on a hoist or is it
reachable otherwise?

Had quite the experience with my original pull handle for
the hood latch. Replaced it, of course, but had to drill through the bulkhead a couple places to reach the latch with long-handled screw drivers.

Made for a real entertaining game. I would recommend an
emergency latch for anybody who doesn't already have one.
You can send personal message, if you want.
2wrench
 
2wrench, Mark Macy at Macy's Garage has them for $12, ISTR. Very nicely made, and comes w/ instructions. You have to drill a 1/4 inch hole into the bulkhead for the downwire, all done w/ 4 wheels on the ground. macysgarage dot com.
 
After breaking three (3, count'em, 3) replacement cables in a row, one on the first pull, I fabricated the same design as above, which I lifted off the 6-pack site. I now use it routinely as my bonnet-opening device. Haven't touched the OE-style cable handle in years.

Too, and some will argue with this as it has been broached on the forum before, the "safety" latch that is on my bonnet latch broke off the second time I used it. Now, this is a replacement latch (Taiwan) that looks OE but not near as sturdy as the OE. I literally bumped it hard with the butt of my hand and it popped off. Real safety. As the bonnet opens reverse of course, I feel I am ok. As far as that latch would go to protect me from the bonnet entering the windshield area upon (lord-forbid) collision, just remember the butt-of-the-hand reference.
 
TR6BILL said:
After breaking three (3, count'em, 3) replacement cables in a row, one on the first pull,
Click to expand...

Been there done that! On a test pull with the hood (luckily)already open! My main pull handle is now a generic one from the 'emergency' rack at one of the local parts stores. Works better and is nearly indistinguishable from original.


TR6BILL said:
As far as that latch would go to protect me from the bonnet entering the windshield area upon (lord-forbid) collision, just remember the butt-of-the-hand reference.
Click to expand...

I can personally attest to the strength of the original latch for just that sort of incident. Held the bonnet down very well. Once it was released, after the accident, there was no way the bonnet would even close again. It was pretty impressive actually.
 
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