hood fit question

[Jkalplus1]

While driving above, say, 50mph, I note the right hand corner of the hood (the hood corner closest to the passenger's seat in a LHD car) seems to be vibrating, that is, moving up and down noticeably, I would say perhaps close to a half inch -1cm total travel.  It has a rubber bumper, I am pretty sure all the hardware that needs to be there is indeed there.  Hood fit is good too and flush with the fender, height-wise.

Just wondering if it is a pagoda idiosyncracy, since the hood catch is on the opposite side, there is nothing "pulling" the hood down on the other side.  I assume it is the case. 

Anyone experience this, or know how to prevent if it is not right?

J

[49er]

The center latch is what secures the hood so I tend to think it is not fully engaging. The latch on the side is only secondary.

John

[bogeyman]

The catch on the left side is just that, a secondary catch if the primary latch releases. It doesn't engage when the lid is closed.
I wonder if your bumper on that side is actually contacting the hood?
Is the hood raising above the fender or dropping below it?

[hauser]

Is it bouncing or flexing?

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=5997.0

[Jkalplus1]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, the hood is bouncing, but only the corner I mentioned in my first post.  A rubber mark on the paint tells me the bumper touches the hood.  The center latch latches very well.
Hummh.
J

[bogeyman]

I'd use a chalk marker on the adjustable rubber contacts on each side then close the hood slowly and carefully and see if it is in contact on each side when closed.
All of your looseness should be at the rear unless you have a problem with your hinges.

[Jkalplus1]

Yup.  All rubber bumpers are in contact when the hood is closed.  it bounces up and down, because it flexes and there is nothing to pull that corner down like on the driver side with the latch (remember we are talking about the LHD passenger-side corner nearest the firewall).  Could it be that the roads are just bad here?

Anyone else with a well-fitting hood observe this?  I will keep looking for solutions, but it just seems like an idiosyncracy to me.  The only way I could see this stopping would be to have something "pulling" the corned downwards from underneath, or that the hood be heavier.  This happens above 50kph or so.

I am thinking of perhaps moving the rubber bumper upwards so that there is slight upward pressure on the hood when it closes, as opposed to the hood just lightly resting on the bumper.  But by doing this, it might fix my problem, but it will raise the hood and panel fitment won't be as good anymore...hmmmh...

[49er]

When you pull the hood release lever, does the hood pop up or just release? How easy is it too close the hood? Normally you must "drop" the hood and not just press it closed (always checking first that no tools are left on the firewall/Valve cover). And as  bogeymann said, the secondary latch on the left side has no downward pull on the hood once closed.

John

[Jkalplus1]

49er, thanks for helping me out.  Yes, the hood pops up when the latch is released.  And also, it was shown to me by an old "Benz Guy" how to properly close the hood on the Pagodas:  with a slight push down the center to accompany the motion with the hand as the hood goes down to ensure the latch latches well.  So, to be clear, if I just allow the hood to go down on its own, it will not latch.  It has to be pushed down as the hood goes down, which I believe is correct.  All this, combined with the fact the fit is good and all bumpers in contact when the hood is closed, lead me to believe I need to adjust up the bumper to put slight upwards pressure that the hood will try to resist , effectively (hopefully) cancelling the bouncing motion, or I just accept it and move on.

[hkollan]

I must disagree with your Old "Benz guy" about how to properly close the hood on a pagoda.
A slight drop of the hood will normally be sufficient to close it properly, without the need to additionally push it downwards.
The repeated down pushing will usually over the years result in dents in the relatively soft aluminum hood, same goes for the trunk lid.

Hans

[49er]

 i agree Hans. When I took delivery of my car, the service manager at Hollywood Mercedes showed me the "proper" way to close the hood. Check for tools on the fire wall/valve cover, close the hood to about a 30 degree angle then just drop it shut. Works every time:-)

John

[glcg123]

I agree with the last 2 posts. The only way to close a hood on an SL or any car for that matter is to leave it about a foot or two from closing and then drop it. If it does not latch properly then something is out of alignment. I looked in horror at a dealer who used the push down by hand method and made a large depression in the hood of someone's car.

My car had a slight hood vibration. I just adjusted the bumpers and the problem was solved. Something is out of alignment for you to have this problem.

George

1965 230SL

[Jkalplus1]

OK, I let the hood drop from 15 inches and it latches on its own.  No damage.  I will fiddle with the bumpers a bit and see, thanks for all who helped.

[richlaw1]

just noticed your post and I have the exact same problem on my '69.  did you ever solve the problem?

[thelews]

Drop the hood to close, unless you want dents in the soft aluminum over time. 

Adjust the bumpers upward to stop the vibration, that's what they're for.  I have a little vibration at 90 mph. on a windy day.

[jameshoward]

While driving above, say, 50mph, I note the right hand corner of the hood (the hood corner closest to the passenger's seat in a LHD car) seems to be vibrating, that is, moving up and down noticeably, I would say perhaps close to a half inch -1cm total travel.  It has a rubber bumper, I am pretty sure all the hardware that needs to be there is indeed there.  Hood fit is good too and flush with the fender, height-wise.

Just wondering if it is a pagoda idiosyncracy, since the hood catch is on the opposite side, there is nothing "pulling" the hood down on the other side.  I assume it is the case. 

Anyone experience this, or know how to prevent if it is not right?

J

Have you checked that the 4 screws on the central locking plate on the firewall are all present and tight (the main catch in the middle of the firewall)? The symptoms you describe seem to be akin to a loose central catch. Check the screws and if necessary re-tighten with some thread lock. Your bonnet should not lift like this.

[Jkalplus1]

Thanks, I'll look again.  It seems playing with the height of the bumpers on either side has minimized the problem a bit, but it could be psychological...

[richlaw1]

i replaced the bumper (rubber deteriorated over the last 43 years) and it did the trick.  I ordered it from the Classic Center

[Jkalplus1]

Thanks.  All rubber is new on my car, so it is something else that hardened rubber here...right now I am fiddling with the height of the bumpers.