Yep. Did it tonight! It was so easy I couldn't believe it, but ...





... well, I guess you might be thinking that I'm talking about my engine heads.... I'm not. I couldn't resist that opening line for the thread topic, though.

Earlier this year, I raised the hood one day and started looking around in the angine bay when WHAMM!! The hood came down and cracked me right on my head. Yep... weak lift cylinders.

The new ones made such a huge difference!!

Here's the funny thing. The two lift cylinders are specifically oriented for one side only, and they are NOT the same price for each cylinder!! Believe me, I tried to spin one around, and it just will not spin. You HAVE to buy each side with different part numbers, which I'll post later. I STILLL cannot figure out why the two different cylinders are priced differently, either, and I checked three different dealers!

Putting the little buggers in was not too bad at all. With no instructions, it took me about 2 minutes to figure out how to remove the old and install the new. Start to finish, it took me about 10 minutes for both sides.

Each end of the lift cylinder has a curved compression spring that has to be lifted (pried) up with a narrow-tipped slotted screw driver to both remove the old and install the new. Here's how I did it:

1. Open hood.
2. Get the proper cylinder for the side you're going to be working on, and pry the spring clips loose on each end of the new cylinder.
3. Carefully lay the new cylinder close within reach.
4. With one hand holding the hood up (if it doesn't stay up on its own), pry the spring clips loose on each end of the existing lift cylinder.
5. Remove the existing lift cylinder.
6. Install the new lift cylinder.
7. Press the spring clips back down into position on each end of the cylinder.
8. Voila!! Side number one is then complete. Repeat the same process for the other side.

Tomorrow, in the daylight, I'll snap a few pics of these little clips and do some "show" to go with tonight's "tell". Like I said, too, the new cylinders really made a big difference, and I can open the hood and peek around without worrying about another bonk on the bean.

 

You hadme goin here Pete. Good deal on the fix. Sure beats playing "tag" with the hood of your truck!!

 

Got me too!!!

 

I figured that everyone needs a little gig every now and then. I sure am glad I got those new ones in, though. I was able to limp through the hotter summer months without much of an issue. With the temps getting lower now, though, the hood would only barely stay up if the temps were above 60°.

 

You forgot the most important, and always first step WHENEVER you conduct maintenance or tinkering on your truck- OPEN BEER

 

I thought we talking about something serious here. Not that a whack to the head is something minor. Glad you're OK. I check my hood support cylinders regularly to be sure that doesn't happen. I have worked on too many cars, over the years, that I can say "Been there, done that."

 

So are you going to attempt to disassemble the old cylinders to discover the difference? 2 different part numbers doesn't seem to make any sense.

If Benjamin read this, I wonder if he got nervous since he's been driving the truck lately.

 

No... we discovered this problem long before he had the truck for several months.

I'm actually not going to try to take them apart, but I am going to work really hard at seeing if I can find a way to make them work for either side, and then everyone can perhaps purchase the cheaper of the two cylinders and save about $4-$5, which isn't much... it's just the principle of the thing.

 

OW, glad you didn't knock yourself out! I liked my old ford's spiral springs that held the hood. You also had me going on the head thing.

 

When i was younger my moms rear hatch got me on her 1992 sable wagon! That thing was heavy!!! Glad your alright!

 

Sometimes I wonder if I need to wear a hard hat at work.

 

Good deal on the fix, Pete. You got me with the subject line. It made me a little nervous as I need to swap out my HPX line soon.

Dan, you don't want to wear a hard hat. I have to every day and I hate it.

 

Whew, got me also. Glad everthing went good with the shocks, they can be a bugger. Great heads up on the two part no#,s.Some of these will help with the contusion

 

Wow, sure glad you ok. Just thinking of how bad it could have been.

Heard a friend of a friend was trying to get his pin out of his reciever hitch. The tail gate dropped and the gate slammed the back of his head and you can amagine were his face hit.. Beat him up pretty good.

 

Damn that hurts!!!