I got new hood hinges for my 54. I put them on and the hood stayed up real well but when closed the hinges did not bring the back down. But i couldn't even push the back down!

So I followed Ax Racer's tips from 2010. I took the springs off the new hinges and lubed the pivot behind the spring plus all the pivot points and worked the hinge arms open and back and forth many times. The hinge arms move much easier now then they did before.

My question is this. How tight do you wind the spring. On the left hinge I made the spring the way it was when I got it.
Left Before:

Left after:

But now it is so tight that when I push the shorter arm down I can not push down the top or longer arm. I think this is why I could not push down the back of the hood.

On the right hinge I did not wind the spring as tight. I can push the top arm down much easier both after and before I move the lower arm. I think this would be vital to bring the back of the hood down.
Right hinge after:

Both hinges: left wound tight, right not real tight


One obvious way to find out is to put the hinges on and try it. It was so hot today for central PA in late September and I've had the hinges on and off so many times I did not feel like doing it today, hoping somebody that put springs on their hinges could help me.

Is it possible that the reproduction hinge maker did not know how to put the hinge springs on?

 

More pictures....

I think the correct way of installing the springs is the way I have the spring on the right hinge, not too tight. Here are pictures of my old springs on my 54 and the hinges on my 55 with a great working hood!
Right 54 hinge

Right 55 hinge

And the left hinge springs on the 54 and 55 are the same as the right ones pictured.
See the difference between these and the new left one above. In Ax Racer's tutorial he says one can almost take off and put on the hinge by hand. I had a heck of a time getting the springs off of the new hinges using a vice grips and a screw driver.... So maybe they were improperly put on.

 

I agree with Abe. I think the manual states that they are not to be wound. I think it takes about 1/4 turn of tightening to hook the spring back on to hinge arms. MF sells a tool to do this. I have one, but was able to unhook the spring with the hinge in a vice using a big screwdriver and a big pair of pliers. Dont forget to safety wire your hood bolts together. If you don't and if one of the top ones twist out, you are in for a pain!

 

I see by that picture on your tool box you are thinking of coming to the darkside abe...

 

That's funny, John! That is a magnet was given to me by a buddy of mine that has a muffler shop and he and his dad are into 56 Ford Trucks. The tool box is a Craftsman socket and rachet set that belonged to my Dad.

 

I like the looks of the magnet then abe...think you should build one too..

 

Here is a pic of my toolbox, Vintage 1948 I think, and another magnet. And it's a 54!

 

Inside of toolbox.

 

I like those magnets abe. My first tool box was a Craftsman and looked almost identical to yours, carrying handle was a bit different and was bought in the mid 60's

 

Awesome! I have a toolbox just like that that was my Dad's too. The aluminum Craftsman logo is long gone from corrosion though. I use it to store my tubing tools.

 

I'd like to get it painted sometime. Does anyone know what color it was originally?

 

Mine was, and still is, a medium red, but I remember some being a metallic grey. I'll have a pic by tomorrow.

 

The one I had was red, is there no traces of color on yours abe..?

 

The inside looks like it was a gray color on the inside. I'll check it out more closely when I get home tonight.

 

Here's what a grey one looks like (not mine).