...also known as the engine bonnet.
I thought I'd post this little tutorial, so others can avoid the disaster I labored with until rescued by Ernie!
REMOVING THE HOOD:
0) Open/raise the hood, and place it in the service position. Protect the front and side fenders with sheets or service blankets.
1) Take pictures or draw pictures, of the hood, with the hood open, from the perspective and view from the windshield.
2) Draw marks with a Sharpie (permanent) marker, or use something like paint or even "white-out" to indicate the *EXACT* position of the hinges to the hood. Do NOT use chalk - it wipes away too easily.
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3) Remove the bolt holding the cotton/nylon hood strap to the torsion spring guide block.
4) Loosen all four 10mm bolts, but do not remove them.
5) Have an assistant hold the hood up, from the passenger side (US models). Grab the torsion spring, and pull it up towards the hood. Using an S-hook, secure the torsion spring (under severe pressure) to the small hole in the hood. Ernie Burchall tipped me off to use the hook from a rubber bungie cord. This worked perfectly. Here's a picture of the hood, off the car, with the bungie cord's S-hook holding the torsion spring.
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6) With assistant still holding the hood on the other side, carefully remove the 2 bolts holding the hood to the hinge on the driver side (side with the torsion spring), while holding the hood up.
7) Pull the hood slightly toward the driver side, to separate the hood and hinge from the passenger side. The hood is now free.
Immediately, remove the hinge, left behind on the driver side, from the car, and bolt it back onto the hood. This prevents losing the threaded plates inside the hood body.
9) Carefully place the hood somewhere safe where it will not be scratched.
INSTALLING THE HOOD:
0) Protect the front and side fenders with sheets or service blankets.
1) Remove the hinge from the driver side (torsion spring side) of the hood, but keep one bolt and the hinge handy.
2) With the help of an assitant, bring the hood to the car, and attach the passenger side hinge (still attached to the hood) to the hinge bracket. Push it in all the way.
3) Install the driver side hinge on the hinge bracket. Line the hood up with one of the holes, and thread a bolt into the hole in the hinge and into the hood. Thread the other bolt also.
4) Line the hood up with the hinge on the driver side, with the marks you drew or painted prior to hood removal. Snug up the bolts but don't tighten.
5) Align the hood and hinge to the marks on the passenger side, snug up the bolts as well.
6) Carefully test closing and opening the hood, and check for proper gaps on each side, and up front. Do not slap the hood shut, you still have the S-hook holding the torsion spring. Adjust position of the hood by loosening the bolts and repositioning the hood to hinges.
7) Unhook the torsion spring from the hood and gently return it to the giude block on the fender. Be sure to remove your S-hook (or bungie cord).
Reconnect the cotton/nylon hood strap to the guide block with the original bolt.
9) Tighten the 4 hood to hinge bolts.
It's gotta be the most common error: not knowing to secure that torsion spring prior to hood removal. If you're like me, the spring will whip around and crush your fingers, as you pull the hood away from the car. Then you'll end up with the spring twisted 360degrees the wrong way - and you'll be totally bewildered how that darn thing ever worked, when trying to reinstall the hood. I hope this post help prevent someone else from making my mistake!
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William Blair Wagner: blairwag@earthlink.net
Education is not always knowing the answer,
...but rather knowing where to look for it!
1971 280SL US Automatic
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