I know this has been discussed here before but I can't find the thread.

I was adjusting my hood on my 54 after I put on the new hinges. I slammed the hood shut which I normally don't do, and now I can't open it.

I know it has something to do with the dowel. But what is the secret to get it to release?

 

Get a screwdriver and push the dowel back a little. It should pop open.

edit: Hmmm... it looks like I'm talking like I have done that a few times.

 

My truck is a 49 may not be the same

 

You speak from experience then?

I am mowing today. I just stopped home to grab some lunch. I'll try that tonight.

 

Abe,

I recently had the same thing happen on my '50 F1. With help of FTE the solution was fairly simple. I use a piece of oak 1 X 2 to move the latch dowel pin.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ck-closed.html

It is a matter of getting the dowel pin to align properly by carefully prying it so that it will release again. If you look at the mechanism from the front, through the grill you should be able to see how it is mis-aligned, and which direction it needs to move.

I needed to tighten the dowel pin so it wouldn't ride up over the latch hole.

 

This afternoon I finally got my hood unstuck.

When I slammed the hood, which I never have done before on this truck, the dowel got stuck below the latchplate. I got a buddy, who is a pretty big guy, help me today. We tried pushing down on the hood, pushing it to the right, pushing the dowel with a round piece of oak (it was an old handle to a hedge trimmer). All this to no avail.

The hood was up in the back. My buddy asked how is the hinge attached to the truck. Luckily I could show him my 55. This was also useful to show him how the dowel and latch interface. I said there are two nuts in cab and two under the hood. So we removed the hinge nuts while the hood was on. Maybe it might have been better to remove the bolts on the hinge arms.... don't know.

Once we pulled the the hinge bolts out on the right side I heard a familiar noise. It was the distinctive noise our truck makes when we first release the hood latch. We then lifted the hood off and took the hinges off and finally got the hood back on. One small problem, the top hole on the left side is missing the captured but and I have to hold a nut behind the hole as I line up the hinge arms then put the bolt on. I dropped the nut and can't get it out and now have to go tongue hardware store to get another fine thread but.

 

Use a magnet to retrieve the nut abe..

 

I tried that. It's stuck in the hinge pockets and I can't get to it. The hardware store is like 4 blocks away and the nut costs like 53¢.

 

Abe - two things come to mind, I know that Mid Fifty sell a repair kit to fix the missing captured nut, I purchased a kit but have yet to install it and I read somewhere that having the correct capture nuts in the hood is crucial to aligning the hood. If I recall, the hood bolts are never really tightened down completely, once the magic spot is found the bolts get safety wired.

 

Thanks, I looked quickly this morning for the captured nut repair in the catalog but didn't find it.

I did get the nut on the hood bolt. I used a piece of wide masking tape to hold it in place until I could get my finger behind it and get the threads started. Then I put a box wrench on it and tightened it up. But to my dismay since the bolt was the whole way in I couldn't get the wrench out. So I had to back it up until there was room to get the wrench out and them use the open end. Even then when it was tightened I had a hard time getting it out.

Went to the hardware store this morning to get some wire that looked thick but pliable to tie the two bolt heads together. They had none so I will use thick clothes hanger wire until I find the right kind or order some from Mid-Fifty. I noticed my 55 has this wire missing too.

BTW, the nut only cost 13 cents.

 

I had the same thing happen on my 49. I solved the problem by loosening the hinge bolts where the hinges mount through the cowl. I then closed the hood and the front hood catch latched smoothly. The back of the hood also laid down where it is supposed to be. Then I tightend the bolts back up and the hood operates great. It seems there is a little bit of play where those bolts are through the holes, just enough to make the hood work the way it should. The slightest misalignment will cause the latch to catch and not release.




Ok, sorry I am. If I would have scrolled down further I wouldn't have rehashed the issue.

 

Abe go to your local F B O and see if they will give a couple pieces of safety wire.

 

What is an FBO?

 

I'm waiting too...??

 

Could be a "Fixed Base Operator", usually at airports for airplane parts. Only thing that I can think of...