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You are correct, it is the cover piece on a locking hood latch. #16B968 That weird shaped hole is for the cable to lock in place with a plastic piece moulded on the cable body. When installed it keeps you from having easy access to the cable end loop and the piece it attaches to, by boxing in the cable and release.
When a locking hood release cable breaks (usually at the loop crimp point) you have to remove the 78/79 one piece grill insert, and VERY patiently remove the one flat tip screw holding it on.Then pop out (push back) the cable from the hole and then slide the bracket to the right to gain access the release tab that the loop attaches to. PITA with the grill shell and all the rest in the way.
Hard to find, I have not even seen any parts reproduced that are associated with a locking hood latch. And if you find one for sale (E-bay) it is normally a complete locking hood latch assembly. You might see if a professional motorcycle or even bicycle repair/service shop can make one. Keep in mind a van one is probably shorter than a truck one.
You are correct, it is the cover piece on a locking hood latch. #16B968 That weird shaped hole is for the cable to lock in place with a plastic piece moulded on the cable body. When installed it keeps you from having easy access to the cable end loop and the piece it attaches to, by boxing in the cable and release.
When a locking hood release cable breaks (usually at the loop crimp point) you have to remove the 78/79 one piece grill insert, and VERY patiently remove the one flat tip screw holding it on.Then pop out (push back) the cable from the hole and then slide the bracket to the right to gain access the release tab that the loop attaches to. PITA with the grill shell and all the rest in the way.
I have it on now. That lock has never worked well even when new. Had to pull with all you had to get it to release. My dad had it disabled and had some baling wire hooked to it. I might have to go back to that but will try to make it work correctly.
I have never been a fan or had a need to have a locking hood. I have sold a few to other FTE members that needed them. I am not a fan of the hood not easily opening when I have a welded contacts on the starter solenoid or worse case a eng compartment fire. I just has one on ol Silver and it would of NOT been pretty if I had to mess around and unlock a hood. You can get a regular style NONE locking hood latch from a 73-79 to swap in. I have 2 or 3 on the parts shelf, because people bend the handle because the hood is not adjusted correctly.
Note to self...weld a small diameter piece of round bar stock in the groove (same length of the handle) on the regular hood release handle, to prevent bending or just adjust the hood to properly open. I have ol silver adjusted just right to pop open when I pull the handle and the blue truck needs a hood tap/bump.
FYI...The locking hood latch used on 1973/79 F100/350's & 1978/79 Bronco's is the same... The locking hood cable is the same as 1975/80 Ford Granada/Mercury Monarch.
Hood adjust 101 from some fellow FTE members.
"To get the back of the hood down to line up with the cowl, loosen the 2 very back bolts on the hinge flange where it bolts to the inner fender and then have someone push the hood up standing in front of the truck while you tighten them back down. Not a lot, might take a couple of movements to get it where you want it. Close the hood slow, DON'T SLAM IT, watch the back while it close's.
Next, to get the gap the same all the way across you loosen the hood bolts on only the side you want to move, if your closing the gap, tap the back of the hinge arm with your ratchet handle and the hood will move on its own, if you want to widen the gap, loosen the bolts and pull up on the back of the hood and tap the hinge arm on the front side and the hood will slide forward, always close the hood slow after any adjustments to make sure its not gonna hit any where. To tighten the front of the hood, there are 2 bolts on the hood latch that are slotted, you can see the slots if you look, loosen them and tap the latch down, if you go to much the hood won't latch, bring it back up.
OR....Hood: Often the hood sits up above the cowl. To fix this, adjust the hinge where it mounts to the inner fender. Up at the front, and down at the rear. Reverse procedure to raise the rear of the hood. The hinges should be lubed with a good lubricant to operate properly or your alignment won't work no matter how long you play with it. (you should be able to almost throw the hood open with the flick of a finger).
Set everything in the middle, hood hinge to inner fender bolts and the hood bracket bolts. I like to remove the latch at first so I can easily swing the hood open and closed. If the rear of the hood is sticking up when it is closed you actually adjust the hood to open MORE. Either by lifting the front of the bracket or lowering the rear of the bracket. Sometimes both in combination. The center bolt acts as a pivot. Once that is done, and it can take a while to get everything nice and the gaps decent you then set the latch height. If the hood is maxed out forward and is still interfering with the cowl you'll then need to loosen the inner fender to firewall horn bolts, inner fender bolt and radiator core support and move everything forward.
This is the driver side hinge, if you're hood is high compared to the cowl loosen the middle bolt and the rear bolt, then open the hood and it will push (rotate) the hinge down and towards the cowl..Look for the clean marks that the bolt head will leave behind for reference."
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