i went to check the oil on the 88 and the hood don't release.
anyone have any ideas how to pop the hood without doing any damage to existing parts so i can fix or replace the latch?

 

Take the grille out and you can reach up in there with a screwdriver and pop the latch.

 

in cab release not working? pull apart kick panel and hope you can just pull the cable.

i had the outside latch jam on me once. used a piece of wire to pull the hook towards the driver side to release it. it was a bitch.

 

i should also add it has a snow plow frame on it and the only way to remove the grill would be to break it into two pieces. and i would rather not ruin the grill.
the inside release and cable are fine, the outside latch is not releasing.
i have not opened the hood in close to 8 months.

 

The only thing I can think of is to loosen the 2- 10mm bolts holding the latch to the radiator support, and slide it over or let it fall down. idk if you can get to it with the plow frame on, but that's the only thing I can think of at the moment.

 

Try to slide something like a screwdriver in there to push hook latch towards driver side. May need to push down on good a little while playing with hook to get it to release

 

Also could just be crudded up from winter. A little PB won't hurt anything

 

i sprayed it with pb as best as i could yesterday when it would not open. i sprayed it again a little while ago, and will see if that works.

i really don't want to break the grill out because i don't have a spare and good grills are getting hard to come by.

 

If you can fish enough extensions up there you could remove the bolt that holds the hood side of the latch on. Checking size now but I'd guess 10mm

 

Yes, 10mm. It'll take about 30" of extension and a universal. The bolt will be driven up into the hood from the bottom side. Just passed where cable goes into bottom mechanism

 

Does it pop up and not release or doesn't move at all. Bought a parts f150 an 89 that was going to be a farm truck . Hood wouldn't pop so I vice gripped the release in the cab to keep it open and beat on the hood with a sandbag and a dead blow hammer. It popped open but still wouldn't release so I took a Sawzall and ran it flat on the grille and cut the whole assembly off. If careful there isn't a whole lot of damage, not sure if it works when the hood won't won't pop that inch or two

 

the latch is locked up. the inside lever and cable are good. the hood does nothing because the latch is seized.

 

Cut holes in the hood to get to it and add scoops to cover the wholes? Just throwing ideas out

 

Might work to push down on the hood while someone pulls the release

 

the release is out and the cable is pulled behind the grill. the latch is seized in the locked position.