Hood won't pop all the way?

C

Cdntiger

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Hi,
My hood pops open when I pull the lever, but not high enough to clear the secondary latch?
I tried adjusting the threaded end on the rod to get more pull, but I still have to be pulling the handle all the way out while I lift the hood from the outside?

Thanks for any input.

Paul
 
Cdntiger said:
My hood pops open when I pull the lever, but not high enough to clear the secondary latch?
Click to expand...

Is there a secondary latch? I've always walked around to the passenger side and pulled the handle while giving the hood a bit of a jiggle.
 
like the Fonz...

My hood opening routine goes like this- sitting in the car, right hand pulls the hood latch while the left hand reaches out the window and thumps the left rear corner of the hood with my fist...this allows the hood to pop up from primary latch. Now, go outside of car to passenger side of hood, reach in passenger window with left hand and pull latch again while simultaneously grabbing the right rear corner of hood and pulling up. Insert hood rod holder into hood. Works every time!

O.k., I know this routine sounds ridiculous, but, I've heard about guys 'tweaking' their hood adjustments and then they can't get the hood open at all...this has worked for me for 25 years, so that's my story and I'm sticking (hood) to it!
 
If the hood release has been working and is not cooperating now, it may just need to be oiled. There is no good way to get to it with the hood latched but maybe with the hood released as far as it will go now a length of rubber or vinyl tubing could be snaked in there and shoot some oil down to the release latch. More muscle may be the answer also. Get 2 more people, one on each side of the hood to pull up on the hood as near the center latch as they can while the third person pulls the release. Once you get it open, oil the latch and put some grease on the end of the pin on the hood. Good Luck!
 
Thanks for the replies guys, but maybe I should have worded my question a little differently...
On a Tiger with a correctly operating hood latch mechanism; should you be able to pull the hood lever once from inside the car and then release, then get out of the car and lift the hood without touching the lever again?
On mine I have to reach back in once I'm on the outside and pull and hold the lever a second time as I lift the hood past the secondary catch.

Cheers,

Paul
 
Hood latch

My experience with has been identical to yours, pull the hood latch, it pops out of the primary latch and hangs on the secondary catch, you have to pull it again while lifting the hood to get it open. I usually do it in one motion from the passenger's side, hold the handle out while lifting the hood. It's a lot easier with the top off! Might be tricky for a short guy...
I can not answer whether this is the way they're "supposed" to work.
Bob K.
B9471705
 
On my Tiger it can be done with one pull, but I have to make sure to give it a "full pull" and hold it for a second to allow the secondary catch to clear. If I let go too fast, the secondary catch will grab while it is still bouncing. This is a MK1 with a rod pull.

On the SV Alpine I just bought, which has a cable, it opens much easier. I think that this is just because the latch is well greased. This one has a cable.

In the Owner's Handbook, it says "Pull the release handle situated below the instrument panel and raise the bonnet lid"
 
I just tried mine again. I found if I press down firmly on the back corner of the hood while pulling the handle from standing outside opens it in one "full pull" per Jeff F.

So which side of the car is the hood stay on in a LH drive? Same side as RH?

Trying to open the hood from inside the car seems to be a duplication of efforts because you have to get out anyway to use the hood stay.
 
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Cdntiger said:
Thanks for the replies guys, but maybe I should have worded my question a little differently...
On a Tiger with a correctly operating hood latch mechanism; should you be able to pull the hood lever once from inside the car and then release, then get out of the car and lift the hood without touching the lever again?
On mine I have to reach back in once I'm on the outside and pull and hold the lever a second time as I lift the hood past the secondary catch.

Cheers,

Paul
Click to expand...

My Tiger had the same symptom as yours. I replaced the spring and that gave it enough oomph to pop open on its own.
 
Wow, some interesting answers, even a couple of vids, thanks again guys! :cool:

big_mike_85614 said:
My Tiger had the same symptom as yours. I replaced the spring and that gave it enough oomph to pop open on its own.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I suspected on mine Mike, surprisingly heavy hood and a 48 year old spring...
I had checked Sunbeam specialties and no luck, where did you find the spring for yours?

I also wonder why a rear facing hood would need a secondary catch anyway? :confused:

Cheers,

Paul
 
I'm sorry, you are correct. I only watched the Tiger one as I didn't want to confuse myself watching the Alpine one.....haha
 
Cdntiger said:
Wow, some interesting answers, even a couple of vids, thanks again guys! :cool:



This is exactly what I suspected on mine Mike, surprisingly heavy hood and a 48 year old spring...
I had checked Sunbeam specialties and no luck, where did you find the spring for yours?

I also wonder why a rear facing hood would need a secondary catch anyway? :confused:

Cheers,

Paul
Click to expand...

Ace Hardware has a spring section. Got one the same diameter. Cut it to the same length as the old with a Dremel metal cutoff disk. Worked like a charm!
 
Hood won't pop open

Why the second latch anyway, where is the hood going to go? I removed mine and it works perfectly.
 
Hood rise

<<<Why the second latch anyway, where is the hood going to go?>>>

I can answer that question.... about 1986 I was taking a new date for a ride in the Tiger in Nashville, TN, I really wanted to impress her, and so ran it full throttle through the gears up the freeway onramp. About the time I got on the freeway at about 85 mph, the hood latch broke, and the wind currents lifted the hood up high enough to make it difficult to see. I had the top down, and thinking the latch had just popped open, I asked the girl to hold the wheel for a second, stood up and tried to shut the hood. But, the latch was broken, post stuck in the catch, and I'd removed the secondary to make it easier to open... So, I just had to slow down and pull over.
About the time I pulled over, a Highway Patrol officer screeched to a halt behind me, he'd seen the whole thing, but thought I was standing up to show off, wouldn't believe the hood latch was broken, and besides I had CALIFORNIA license plates, which made me doubly suspect, and gave me a ticket for 3 infractions - reckless driving, speeding, and no seatbelts. I went to court on it, fortunately he hadn't had time to get a clock on the radar, but insisted I was speeding in his rendition of the story for the court. The judge asked me how fast I was going, and I replied honestly "I didn't really notice" at which point someone in the gallery yelled "he couldn't see the speedometer because he was standing up!", which brought great laughter from the spectators. I did produce a repair bill for the hood latch, and the judge was pretty lenient on me, only cited me on the "no seatbelts" and threw out the other two charges, and let me attend traffic school to keep it off my record. The girl evidently was NOT impressed, she never went out with me again...
Bob K.
B9471705
 
There have been a few times I was thankful for the secondary latch...when you don't have a LAT hood, it's great for cooling!
 
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