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Fitting the bonnet

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roscoe

roscoe

Jedi Knight
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Hello Folks,
The paint is done. https://www.westvalleyalpacas.com/Healey/Paint.html
There I was having a great time putting all the chrome bits on when I got to the point where I wanted the hood on. I thought the doors were a major pain. Does anyone have any tips for fitting the hood? If there were some way to get in there with the hood in place and then tighten the bolts, that would do it. Alas, I don't really want to pull the radiator out. Any tips from those that have done this? You can bet I'll be drilling and pinning the hinge location once I find it. Thanks for any advice (even if that advice is to "just buck-up and keep trying").

Jon
BN-2
 
The best advice I can offer is to use two, better three people. Then it is just trial and error.
 
Hi Jon,
Very nice looking project.
Fitting the BN2 bonnet can be a time consuming project. first, if the car has the final finish, solidly tape all shroud opening edges & bonnet edges to prevent paint chipping.

The front bonnet flange to hinge arms which are fastened on each side with two bolts control front to rear fit, side to side fit, & front height - all simultaneously.

The rubber bumpers also control panel height & may need to be adjusted for thickness.

The bonnet itself may need to be slightly bent/warped to lie perfectly flat with the shroud opening.

The front of the bonnet must be located far enough rearward that it's edge will clear the opening as it is raised. If it catches, paint chipping will most certainly result.

If by chance, the bonnet is slightly too large to fit the opening, careful trimming with a flat file may be required.

I don't believe drilling & pinning the final location, or scribing marks around the bonnet/ hinge locations will be precise enough for a removal, & refit. A mislocation at the front is magnified 100 times at the rear.

If you leave the front bolts slightly loose for a slip fit it will go out of adjustment before you can get the thing opened & the bolts tightened.

Ideally, the bonnet could be centered & adjusted in the shroud opening & final bolt tightening done from the under side, but I have never found a way to do this on my car. See PS.

I say this because I have spent countless hours getting a perfect centered & flush fit. If someone knows an easier way on the BN1 - BN2, please let me know also.
D
PS - on some of the cars, the bonnet will swing far enough forward to remove the radiator without removing the bonnet. For some reason my car will not.
D
 
While my paint is in such rough shape that chips don't scare me all that much, I have had to refit mine and I suggest removing the insides of the latch and attaching a strap. Is it possible to fit the bonnet with the radiator out, tightening everything down, then pull the pins in the hinges to get the radiator back in with the hinge pin accessible with the grille out?

Just a thought, my service manual doesn't have much to say about this.

-j
 
A possible good idea. The front hinge pins are somewhat acessible with the grille out or from the wheel wells. Removing the pins would require grinding off the riveted ends & hopefully driving them out. They could be replaced with smooth shank bolts or clevis pins. Definitely would be easier to modify with the radiator out. See my below reply to Anthony.

Why don't you give it a try. I'm planning to replace the bonnet this winter & would give it a try if it works for you.

BTW, installing the rear latch should be the last step. If it is not perfectly aligned & adjusted, pulling the release handle does not unlatch the bonnet. Finding a way to release the back latch from under the car isn't possible but with luck, the three stationary latch mounting screws can be removed from inside the firewall so that bonnet & latch can be removed together.
D
 
dave, as usuall youve given much good advice here but i must tell you that drilling locating holes in the hinges before removal makes it a snap to re-install providing the fit was correct to begin with. also works when removing doors. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif
 
Locating holes/pins on the more widely spaced rear hinged bonnets may work, the later bonnets are easier to properly fit. Even slight misalignment will move into place when the front latches are engaged.

The BN1, BN2, bonnets have very closely spaced front hinges, & a very close fit between bonnet edges & shroud opening. Like 1/16" gap all of the way around. The slightest error in front hinge position will result in a bad fit at the back.

I've tried locating holes/pins, as you suggest, -- The result was not all that good. Doors are easy to align compared to a BN1, BN2 bonnet.

My original BN2 has solid riveted front hinge pins, not the removable clevis shown as item 112 on the Moss drawing here:
https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=28949&SortOrder=104

I'm quite sure that I will install the clevis pins when I replace the bonnet.

D
 
Thank you all for your input. I looked at the fwd. pivot pins of my hinges right off the bat. Mine are solid as well. I initially decided to let them be, as even if they were removeable, with the radiator in place I still would have a heck of a time adjusting the hinges properly.
I ended up pulling the radiator. I had the hinges set where I want them in about a half an hour after that. I may replace the forward pivot pins with removeable ones just to give me a little more versatility down the road. Dave, I don't yet know if my radiator will fit back in with the hood attached. I may have to pull the fan. I'll find out tomorrow. Thanks for mentioning that little tid-bit. I hate it when you take something apart in a different configuration than when you put it together and run into that sort of problem. Another good reason for having removeable pivot pins.

Jon
 
Ther isn't much room to pull the fan or put it back on with the radiator in place. Can't move the radiator forward much either. I can visualize the removable pivot pins making things much easier. Hope it goes well.
D
 
An update for those who are interested. Got the hood hinges adjusted and the hood gaps acceptable. Took some yanking and tweaking, but I'm happy. I was able to put the radiator in with the hood on, as long as my wife was there to hold the hood open as far as possible. It really wasn't that big a deal....until (for further adventures see my next thread titled "recoring a radiator"). Thanks.

Jon
 
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