Hood Latch Clips and Springs

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Hood Latch Clips and Springs
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 07:14 pm:

I was going to start a new thread looking for help installing these darned things (engine is already in) but decided to do a keyword search first.

Based on the search I did it is obvious to me I am not going to teach you any new words!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bud Holzschuh - Panama City, FL on Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 08:33 pm:

I have never tried it, but the best idea I've heard so far is to make a tool from a piece of tubing with a slit down one side.

You place the washer and spring on top of the tubing (the tubing rests on the lower frame rail), and push down on the hood latch until you see the cotter pin hole in the slit. Then install the cotter pin through the slit in the tubing and pull up on the latch to remove the tubing.

That's what I'll try the next time I have to remove or install the latches. I've always found it to be a time consuming awkward job.

This is NOT my idea and I wish I knew who to credit.

BTW it would be great if someone who has made one of these would post a pic!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Sunday, October 06, 2013 - 08:49 pm:

Bud:

The best thing to do is to slot the tubing all the way across the top end so that the cotter pin will go all the way through and out the other side of the tubing or else the washer will only have a very short end of the cotter pin holding it when you push the cotter pin into the end of the hood clip. You would like to have the cotter go all the way through that clip and beyond. Since the inside height of the frame rails are at different heights at each of the spring locations you will need 2 tubes of slightly different length. I also counter-bored the top end of the tubing about 1/16
deep so the bottom flat washer will drop down into that counterbore and not slide to the side and fall off. I made mine out of a piece of 5/8" OD x 3/8" ID brass tubing left over from making some windshield stay rods for my 1911 Touring car. I made them to fit with the compressed spring on top of them but you need to compress that spring a bit to get the tubing tool back out so I just played with it by shortening the tube until it worked. I am really sorry I don't have them here since someone borrowed them and didn't return them. I can't remember who that was.


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