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Help - hood stuck on my 100-4

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bighealeysource

bighealeysource

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Beautiful day here in South Carolina so thought I would do a few minor things on the Healey, a 1956 100M. Maybe I can get that hood adjusted a bit with better gap lines on front and back. Well,adjusted it up front, made slight adjustment on the latch and now the XX##@@% thing is stuck ! The latch release is working fine but believe that last close of the hood now has it so the pin is stuck. Been trying to get it unlatched by myself so will call a buddy to the play with the latch while I try to pop it open but any suggestions in the mean time ???? Can't believe I did this and hoping I am not the only out there on the forum who has had the same stupid problem.
Thanks,
Mike
 
Try having some one push down on the bonnet while you pull the handle on the inside of the car. Just a thought. I have a BJ8 with the latch in front so I could just put my arm up in front of the radiator to release it.
 
The only solution for this problem is to deeply discount the price that you remotely even think about for selling your car, and then sell it to me.
 
First try sideways pressure to the bonnet while pulling the release rod.
If that doesn't allow it to open, you'll need to remove the gearbox cover carpet, then the gearbox cover and the vertical bulkhead panel. Then work with a mirror on a 45 degree angle placed behind the engine on the top of the bell housing to allow you to look up at the under side of the sliding latch assembly, you'll be able to see which way the pin is off centre of the latch hole. A long handled flat blade screwdriver in the right spot and giving a twist, the pin will pop free.
I use this method every time we position and adjust the latch for our restorations. Don't replace the bulkhead and gearbox cover components until you're happy with the bonnet latch adjustments.
 
To heck with opening as long as the gap lines are perfect now!...Wait until the next scheduled oil change, then have someone else do it for you! :savewave:
rich
...or do what Rich C said.
 
I think I like Rich Berman's suggestion more than Rich Chrysler's but if I need to change my oil next year, thanks to Rich C know how to get into the bloody thing! Oh well, was looking to replace the bushing on the gearshift lever which meant I would have to take everything off anyway. Hope an extra pair of hands lets me get the hood up as was not looking to replace that bushing any time soon.
As Healey Rick said above, this is what I get for "fixing something that ain't broke".
Thanks all,
Mike
 
When you actually get to it, you can remove the arm rest, the two seats, remove the gearbox cover carpet, remove the gearbox cover and bulkhead panel all in about 15 minutes, maybe 1/2 hour to replace it all again. Quit whining and get 'er done!
 
I had a problem with the safety latch that got stuck. I removed the grill and had a pretty good vision of the problem. I actually managed to pull the darn latch from the front of the car.

It could be quicker..

Merry Christmas!


Tadek
 
Hey Big....

Howdja get it open?

Tim
 
Hey y'all,
Santa has had me otherwise occupied so have not tried anything yet but did also speak to David Nock who suggested I could get to the latch from underneath with a long screw driver and twist the pin out as Rich C has suggested. So might try that first as a lot easier to jack it up, put in the jack stands, and see what I can do from underneath. If that doesn't get 'er done, I'll do it the hard way and hopefully take care of it. I'll do a follow up once I actually get it fixed.
Thanks again,
Mike
 
HealeyRick said:
When I was a kid the story was that Rolls-Royce engines were so perfectly built that the factory welded the hood shut.
Click to expand...

Actually there may be a small grain of truth in that story... According to a magazine article I read, RR felt their vehicles were so well built they saw no need to produce a workshop manual circa 1930s.

Andy.
 
Hey all,
Tried accessing the latch assembly from underneath and no go with that idea. So took everything out today and got underneath with my mirror and light and like Rich C said I could pretty much see the latch but my heater hose was of course right in the way of seeing the pin. Able to get a big screw driver up there, that in itself is a challenge since you're working with a mirror ! But, could not manage to hit the pin with it. So, put everything down, uncoiled my body from it's unnatural position in the car, and stood back to think of new swear words to use. Decided to take a look from the top side again and being very careful, wedged the hood up on one side about an inch or so, pulled the latch release, and miracles of miracles, it popped open !!!!!! So, don't know if it was my poking the screw driver around or just the Healey gods smiling on me, but my hood is open again. Now, will be extremely careful with my adjustments, the latch assembly and hopefully put this problem behind me.
Happy New Year y'all,
Mike
 
Your levering the bonnet to one side was the trick needed to move the striker offset to where it would clear the latch hole and come free. Hope the bonnet wasn't too distorted in the process. Use the mirror trick when setting things up. Note before you completely close the latch which way the pin seems to be going. It needs to be aiming straight down the hole when viewed with the release handle pulled.
 
If i were you I would have driven the car on a bumpy or gravel road while pulling the hood release cable and keeping it in full open position and when the tires hit the correct bump the hood would have poped open without any problem. The only issue would be to be careful about loose gravel hitting your award winning paint job if you are on a gravel road. The suggestions made by readers will only be necessary if the car is not drivable. You can loosen stuck wire wheels the same way by driving the car after loosening the knock off but it is suggested that you drive around in a circle to loosen a stuck wire wheel.
 
I remember this post and just wanted to add to it for I had the same thing just happen to me where I, after detailing the bonnet latch and reinstalling it, it must of been too offset for I couldn't get my bonnet to open using the latch release.

I was contemplating the idea of looking for a bumpy road first as suggested above, but decided to jack up the front end first and have a peek underneath.

David Nock's (I see Rich C may of mentioned this first so credit to him) idea mentioned above is absolutely correct and the easiest when suggesting to use a broad enough screwdriver and pry away the pin from underneath.

With me and maybe just to add a little more to the solution, what I did first was to use a coat hanger, secure by twisting one end to the latch release pull inside the car and twist the other end to, say the passenger door handle, but making sure the latch pull is fully pulled or having no slack. If there is a little slack, then you can gingerly open the passenger door enough to make the pull taut and then keep the door ajar via means of a rolled up towel, etc.

Then looking underneath the engine area and looking up at the underside of the latch release mechanism, you can see both the bottom of the latch pin and how it's seated within the latch mechanism. Taking a wide enough screwdriver, I pried away the shortest distance between the pin and the latch [seat].

Absolutely no need to remove anything. And by observing how everything is positioned, you can make a visual note and readjust the latch pin, accordingly.

It was a piece of cake.

Paul
 
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