Hood arm Installation ??

[n/a]

It has been almost a year since I completed (85%)the restoration of my 71 280sl, but I still have not been able to get the hood to stay up. The problem is with the tensioned arm that holds the hood up.
1. The restorer never knew how to put it on correctly, and later refused to make it right, due to fear of scratching paint, he has closed shop.
2. The Mercedes shop I use charged me to correct it, but just moved the hinges around to correct the gap, and is scared to tackle the job.
3. The local Mercedes dealer refuses to do it, as well as the Mercedes body shop in town.

I roughly know how it is done, but am not sure if I wound the arm up clockwise or counter-clockwise, and since I have already scratched the front of the hood, whehn the hood opened too far, I also am afraid to proceed.

Any ideas??
Could the arm be old, and not have enough "spring" to it?
It stays up for a moment or two, and then slips out of the plastic holder (new).

[enochbell]

Your painter probably installed the bar backwards, it is easier to install that way (my painter did the same thing) but the hood won't stay up.  No worries, it is not that tough to correct.

As long as you are going to tackle this, you might want to get a new torsion bar: for $35 or so you can make sure you never have to tackle again.  Don't know if anyone else has had to do this, but mine had weakened to the point of not holding the hood up.

To R&R first secure the bar in it's fully-tensioned position by using a fashioned "s" hook.  Put one end of the hook in the hole in the side of the hood that orients directly above the end of the free end of the torsion bar.  Hook the free end of the bar in the hook so that it lays nearly flat against the underside of the hood.

Protect all edges of the hood, fenders and nose.  I use heavy painter's tape, it does not provide much impact protection but it will not harm the paint.

Remove the two bolts from the hinge on one side of the hood.  Remove the hood by sliding it out from the other side of it's attachment but leave the hinge on: this will make it much easier to realign the hood when you reassemble.

Lay the hood upside down on a soft surface (carpet) that has been covered with a cotton barrier (cotton or flannel sheet).  Put another cotton towel in between the torsion bar and the underside of the hood for more protection.  Carefully release the end of the bar from the "s" hook, remove all of the screws from the plastic bar guides.

The bar end will now point towards front of hood. (Actually, if it was installed backwards then it might point rearwards, but you would have already realized that!)  Now the tough part: to get the angled part out of the slot in the right side of the hood you must put tension on the middle part of the bar (that is why you put the towel there).  With enough tension you can then slide/pull/lift the right side of the bar from it's hole.  

The rest is intuitive, just be very patient.  Make sure that when you reinstall the bar you begin with the free end pointing to the front, (don't forget to thread the plastic mounting brackets on in the right order) then reinsert the hooked end in the right side of the hood by again bending the bar in the middle (with the towel to protect the hood) and coaxing the hook into the hood.

Best of luck,

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[TheEngineer]

I have had my bar out. You just have to remove the plastic pieces which are bolted into the hood. It's not that big a deal. My bar also does not have so much tension on it, it just barely holds up the hood. I sometimes use a stick as a second means to make sure the hood does not come down by, like, a gust of wind. I have tried to increase the tension by winding up the bar but the temper must have diminished because while, the winding up works, after a while it goes back to it's soft ways. (It reminds me of myself)

[hands_aus]

when you stand on the side of the mudgaurd the lever has to push downward in a clockwise direction.
So it needs to be wound anti-clockwise so that it can un-wind in a clockwise direction.

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[n/a]

This has to be the cheapest M/B part yet : $28.00, and in stock.
In 3 weeks I will attempt installation and get back to you. I just hope I do not scratch the heck out of the hood.
Thanks

[n/a]

I had a similar problem, mine was easily solved by swapping some of the plastic bits around....some studying of other cars helped me to realize how easily resolved this would be.

-Lewis

'66 230 sl 113042-10-016238
'67 Saab Sonett II #43 of 258
'69 Porsche 911S
'00 Saab 9-3 viggen conv
'02 Saab 9-5 aero

[n/a]

Tommorrow I will finallt try to right this problem after 1 1/2 years of trying. Thank you enochbell for the detailed info on dis-assembly but my question is:

Do you have to put torsion on the bar, I mean by inserting the bar inside the hood, and then twisting it around clockwise or counter-clockwise, like a spring, before installing the hood back?
Detailed instrucctions would be appreciated.
Thanks

[waltklatt]

The hood tension rod is a hard one to do and requires some muscle to twist it and slip the end into the far side slot in the hood(above the air cleaner canister). First thing is to remove the battery from the well. then have someone hold the hood to the stretch limit of the canves strap..  Remove all the plastic shims and holders, but let the two on the battery side hang there.  Then unhook the latch from the detent catch near the battery and let it down to relieve some of the tension.  Then go to the other side and remove the end from the slot on that side of the hood.  Twist the end around to the clockwise direction(the rod end should face the rear) and then twist downwards and towards the front and then try to slip/twist it back into the slot.  I used a rubber mallet to gently hammer it back into the slot fully.  Then reinstall the plastic holders and put the rod back into the detent and then see if it will hold up.  If it won't then you need to buy a new rod as your old one is too weak.
Hope this helps.
Walter-not to afraid to tackle the rod issue on a painted car.
1967 230SL-diesel, freshly painted and looks great
1963 230SL-stripping on hold for now.

[enochbell]

I just put a new rod in my 230sl, for $35 it is can be the cheapest...or the most expensive...replacement you ever do.  Walt's comments and cautions are spot-on, but I would suggest you consider removing the hood for this.  One slip and you have bought yourself a hood repaint.  And a new spring has quite a bit of torsion when it is properly installed.  I found it easier (but not easy!) to wrangle the thing back in with the hood lying upside down on a protected surface (my living room carpet).  What a difference, the hood now works like new, I now know that my old rod really was shot.

Best of luck,

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[n/a]

tHANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP, i FINALLY GOT THE NEW ROD INSTALLED, AND EVERYTHING WORKS PERFECT NOW.
oNE WORD OF ADVICE, THE END of the torsion bar that fits into the hood, should be pointed to the back of the hood, not the front.

One very strange thing was that my old torsion bar was 180 degrees different than the new one ? If the end that sticks out was pointed up, the end that goes into the hood  was pointed the other direction, but on the new rod, the end that goes into the hood, was pointed in the same direction as the other end. Could my rod have been stressed 180 degrees out of whack?

[sterl]

I have a problem with my hood and spring. There is a dent pointing upwards in the hood on the right side near the outer edge caused by the spring being forced upwards against the hood. I can't tap the dent down because the spring is pressing against it. Has anyone had this problem? It looks like the spring has been replaced fairly recently. Has it been installed correctly i.e. should the spring be forced upwards against the underside of the hood surface? If correct, any ideas why it's happened and how I can fix it and prevent recurrence?

Thanks,
Mark

Billericay, Essex, UK
Late 67 LHD 250SL

[waltklatt]

There is a dent pointing upwards in the hood on the right side near the outer edge caused by the spring being forced upwards against the hood.

Mark,
The end of the torsion rod inside the hood frame is to be pointing to the front, not to the rear.  This is exactly what will happen-dents on the topside.  The metal is soft and can dent easily.  The engineers designed the torsion rod to be bearing down inside the frame to twist the hood up in the open position.
I might do a short pictorial story on the proper torsion bar installation on my 220SL.
I have no fear in doing that now.
Walter Klatt
1967 220SL-diesel
1963 230SL-gas

[sterl]

Aha! Thanks Walter, I'll give it a go.

Mark

Billericay, Essex, UK
Late 67 LHD 250SL