Can't Open Front Lid

[FL-Frank]

I experienced an interesting issue this am. After pulling the front hood release cable, the front lid pops up....but ever so slightly. So slight that I can't get my fingers in to completely release the latch.

How can I resolve this issue?

[Chuck Miller]

Frank,

I'd first get someone to help by pulling the release while you push down on the hood - Then let up and see if you can get your fingers under while the release is still being pulled on. If and when this works, with hood open you can see where adjustments need to be made.

Hope this helps...... and please get back to us

[JohnT]

Frank,

I have an early (1968) car but I believe the hood latch is the same as your '72. If the problem is with the latch not fully releasing, there is an interesting "fail safe" designed into the system. The latch is is latched in the middle position. One can loosen the latch by pulling on the cable or by slackening it. Your pull-handle should be threaded onto the cable so twisting it will give you the slack to loosen the latch enough to open your hood.

To readjust this system, note there is a small hole to the right of the latch receiver. Have someone pull on the hood release until this hole and a hole in the moving latch line up and insert a small drift or nail or ?? to hold the latch piece in this (locked) position. Now you can thread the pull handle back onto the cable until there is no slack and the latch is adjusted.

Perhaps this is the adjustment you need to get started on the project. I hope this helps.

johnt

[EARLY911ZOO]

...good one John, I never knew about the little hole..thanks!

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[FL-Frank]

I turned the knob counterclockwise to slacken the cable...too far, and the knob came off. I had a freind push the lid down completely thinking I'd be able to grab hold of the cable end, but no such luck.

Now, the lid is not closed and latched completely and I still can't get my fingers in to fully release the latch. And, the cable end is now about an 1/8" up inside of the housing where I can't get hold of it.

Now what?

[JohnT]

is to fail safe. That is that in the full slack position the hood is unlatched and in the completely tight (pulled) position the hoiod is unlatched. Only in the middle position should it be holding the hood closed. Is is possible to push the hood down firmly but gently to take all the tension off of the latch so that it can come open? Or can you "push" your cable inside the sheath with another piece of cable? Perhaps lubing it with graphite or penetrating oil will help.

While I recently spent several hours with my latch I have to be the first to admit I'm not a body guy and adjusting these things (as with panel & door fitting) is a "black art" to me.

johnt

[adam912]

I was in this pickle last year after spending a Saturday taking apart the latch mechanism on my '66, getting everything cleaned and lubed, and reassembling/adjusting.
I did that last "small tweak", and there I was with the hood stuck. I did not know about the knob-unscrew trick, but I do know that my fingers got very sore trying to work under the front edge of the hood.

What's that last desperate measure? Take the bumper off. It's not that hard, and it will give you finger/screwdriver access to the latch.

cheers
Adam912.Out.
'66 912, 2.2L of Type 4 lightweight goodness, S suspension. Woo Hoo!

[FL-Frank]

I shot some silicone spray up into the cable housing, and then poked at the cable end with a slim screwdriver thinking maybe the cable is hung up and not fully relaxing. No success. Still about an 1/8" inside the end of the housing. Next, I tried pushing the cable further into the housing with the screwdriver. It goes in only about 1/4" before stopping.

I'd rather not have to tackle removing the bumper to get access to the latch, however, it would appear this may be my only option at this point.

I wonder what caused this problem with the latch and cable in the first place??? A few months ago I asked my shop to adjust the latch since the lid would occasionally come unlatched when going over bumps/humps in the road. They did whatever they did, and I had no more unexpected unlatching issues while driving. Coincidence or cause?

[Gumby]

It sounds like they made it even tighter so now it's stuck they should have backed it off just a bit so it will have latched more completly Ron

[I wonder what caused this problem with the latch and cable in the first place??? A few months ago I asked my shop to adjust the latch since the lid would occasionally come unlatched when going over bumps/humps in the road. They did whatever they did, and I had no more unexpected unlatching issues while driving. Coincidence or cause?[/QUOTE]

[edmayo]

It may be that the hood pin is not centered in the latch, sometimes you can get the hood open by pushing in different directions to see which direction will get the pin centered enough to come up out of the socket. When adjusting the hood latch you must get the pin centered in the socket. I do that by using a small vice grip to hold the pull cable open at the release knob. Then by using a flashlight and small dental mirror I can bring the hood down to the latch and with the mirror check to see if the pin will be centered in the socket. To adjust the cable (release the vice grip) push the latch bar back until you can get the 5mm punch in the lineup hole, now loosen the set screw retaining the cable and with a pliers pull the cable taut (towards the pass. side) tighten the retaining screw and pull out the punch. Loosen the jam nut for the latch post adjustment (on the hood part) and unscrew the pin most of the way down, tighten the jam nut. Now when you close the hood it latch but have free play because the pin is too long, keep shortening the pin with small adjustments until when the hood latches it is against the bump stops on the hood.