The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Hood Spring Refurbish

I am cleaning and planning to paint my '50 3600 hood mounting brackets including the ones with the springs.

Cleaning around the springs still leaves surfaces that can not be accessed betwen the spring and the arm as well as between the surfaces of the springs.

Anyone found a reasonable way to clean and prep for paint the springs and related backet areas?

I put mine in the sandblaster and blasted them down to bare metal. Then used air and kept moving the pivot joints to get all the sand out.

The springs on the hood brackets can be removed. I did that and put the hinges and support arms (without the springs) in the zinc plating bath. Then put the springs back on them.

How did you remove the springs? It seems like they are captured by the limited movement of the arms.

I think I clamped the arm in a vice, then grabbed the hook on the spring with a pair of pliers and unhooked it from the peg. Once that's loose and the tension is off the spring, it can slip out of the notch on the center anchor. IIRC, they're only wound up about 1/4 turn. Replacement is basically the opposite. You need to remember which way they go on (or take a "before" photo like I did.)

[on edit] One thing I forgot to mention earlier: I used evaporust on them prior to zinc plating.

klhansen, thank you for the follow-up on spring removal - springs seem pretty strong but glad to hear it can be done. Rmoving them wiil not only improve cleaning of the springs but also the arms with improved access to surfaces otherwise hiding.

MOTOXFAMILY, I have a blast cabinet but it needs some TLC, maybe this will be the need for the cabinet that gets that TLC some priority.

The spring removal/replacement is fun….just kidding. Blasting really works great to prep them.

Norcal, thanks for the humor - dealing with potential energy from restrained springs always gives me reason to pause.

I don't remove the springs, but I don't electroplate anything either.
I sandblast everything as thoroughly as possible, prime with Rustoleum Rusty Metal primer and paint the flat straps with Rustoleum Metallic Silver paint. It ends up matching the original appearance when compared to what had been preserved by the original sealing putty where the hood hinge meets the side cowl of the cab. I do not know what the original straps were plated with, but I do know that my painted straps look just like the original plating.
I carefully mask the straps, then paint the springs Rustoleum Gloss Black.
I did not get nicked for my hinges or my hood springs in three closely judged shows where this truck took first place in its category up against some very tough competition.

I was able to remove the springs. They can be rotated to unhook the tail by grabbing the outside and rotating. They are not as strong as I anticipated. Removing them allowed access to the strap areas covered by the springs as well as totating the arms to access more surfaces than available with the springs holding them.

I am not going for an original look so I painted the arms and springs with Rustoleum rusty metal primer and black paint. I still need to put them beack together but I think they will be fine.

I did blast and silver paint. Then, I wasn't paying attention and laid them near/in some moisture. So now they are silver and orange. Expected because you can't get the blasting in all the nooks and crannies, nor the paint. I'll get to reblasting them one of these days.

Back together and while the paint needs a little attention they are pretty good and much better than if I had not removed the springs.