The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop HELP!! Calling Carl52 the hood expert!

So I'm reinstalling the front clip and got to the point of adjusting the hood latch. I installed the latch loosely and closed the hood. Now it won't open. I'm guessing the bolts were TOO lose as when I pull the lever, the whole thing seems to move and the latch won't unlatch.

I've tried searching, but have come up blank, just Carl's mention that the service manual says if the screws are too tight, it won't be possible to open the hood.

I tried a PM to Carl, but his PM box is full, so I'm throwing myself on the mercy of the whole Stovebolt collective.

Carl (or anyone else) got any ideas?

Kevin, Is this what you're looking for?

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthread...ont-clip-alignment-procedure#Post1498812

My hood was not centered to the latch and that happened to me and panic set in .I was able to push the hood to one side to release it. If you can look from the grill spaces maybe you can see were it is catching and with a extra set of hands to hold the latch open as far as it can go and someone to push the hood in the right direction to have it let go .Mine is a little different being a gmc .

No, I followed that and when I got to the part about installing the latch loosely and closing the hood on it.

Kevinski, thanks for the suggestion. I may have to call for some physical help. I think the hood may be just a smidgen too far forward. I might be able to push the latch pin back with a stick, but will need to have a second set of hands to do that.

Also can you get a small screw driver in between to loosen the hood pin

I doubt I can loosen the hood pin, as I can barely get my hand thru the grille bar spaces. Besides that, there's a jam nut on it.

I have never had this happen to me yet, but see if you can have someone push downward on the hood while you jiggle the release handle every which way with vigor.
Find a large assistant as you will be trying to compress the rubber bumpers under the hood nose so that there will be wiggle room for the latch to move and maybe release.
If that doesn't work, remove the bolts, rubber pad and shims from under the radiator support.

Thanks for the suggestion Carl, but I doubt that jiggling the release handle will be successful, no matter how vigorously.

What would be gained by removing he radiator support bolts from under the radiator support? The nuts aren't on them yet.

OK, Got it open. PHWEW!

Had a friend come over and he pulled on the latch while I used a 1x2 board thru the grille to push the latch pin rearward. Turns out it was a self inflicted wound, as I had the safety catch hanging up a little, so I shortened up the firewall to inner fender rods one turn of the nut. DON'T DO THAT! It made the latch pin catch on the sheet metal below the latch plate itself, which needed a bit of dremel work to relieve it. It stuck again, and we were able to use the same method to get it open again. THEN I adjusted the rods back to spec and all was well.


Thanks all for the support.

The truck is running, but with a few items yet to check, including valve lash setting, final timing, and checking the battery charge (doesn't seem to be charging - shows slight discharge on the ammeter. Probably either generator, which I rebuilt or the voltage regulator.

Scary moment I bet. Glad it all worked out for you! Won’t be long now!

Yeah, the pucker factor was pretty high, envisioning which fully restored part to sacrifice.
The relief factor was pretty high as well when we were able to pop the hood open.

Took a test drive yesterday evening (about 5 miles) and discovered that the generator isn't charging the battery, so adding a few things to the list.

Lightly pass a piece of 1500 grit sandpaper a few times over the contact points on the VR. See if it starts charging after that.

Contact points probably got corroded while sitting around doing nothing for so long.