EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Dan Szwarc »

I'm saying from underneath the car is likely all that is possible.
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by John Cashman »

The way I used to attack this problem was to fish a fairly stiff piece of flat metal(old slim Jim)directly forward of the drivers side wiper and pull the release latch back. Sort of comes with experience and a 'feel' for it...not recommended for cars with a good paint job. Sometimes prying can force it up also but this attack best used on parts cars! Whenever I open a hood on a customers car I glance at the short cable on the latch and if it's frayed I don't close the hood... I repair it before it breaks. It's always the short cable on the latch that breaks, never( or rarely) the long one inside the car. Good luck!
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Jake5150 »

The car is in very good shape. I will be restoring this car. So no the paint is not good. However the owner needs to get the hood open to get the serial number. He can't locate the title. I am heading out there this week to attempt to open the hood. I will let you all know what happens.
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Steve K »

This post is only remotely (no pun intended) related to the hood release cable issue, but does anyone know why they put the secondary hood release lever on the passenger side vs. the driver's side on the slabsides? What a pain to open the hood and have to walk around to the other side to lift the hood. There has to be a good reason? Or isn't there?
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Bill Prince »

I have thought about that myself and thought that there was some ideas stated here in the past -however:

There could be several reasons including the fact that if the safety latch was placed on the driver's side, there would be the possibility that you would hit your head on the protruding latch when checking the power steering fluid level.

Also, most of the fluid levels that are usually checked are on the passenger side, including: Oil, Trans, Radiator, and battery. Even the fuse box.

I think these were the reasons.

However there is maybe a residual reason: If you pull over on the side of the road, you will have to immediately walk off of the active road to the shoulder side of the road to unlatch the hood - taking you out of the way of passing traffic.

Of course, just opening the hood at a car show is a hassle - but the cars were never at car shows when new.
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Steve K »

Bill Prince wrote:I have thought about that myself and thought that there was some ideas stated here in the past -however:

There could be several reasons including the fact that if the safety latch was placed on the driver's side, there would be the possibility that you would hit your head on the protruding latch when checking the power steering fluid level.

Also, most of the fluid levels that are usually checked are on the passenger side, including: Oil, Trans, Radiator, and battery. Even the fuse box.

I think these were the reasons.

However there is maybe a residual reason: If you pull over on the side of the road, you will have to immediately walk off of the active road to the shoulder side of the road to unlatch the hood - taking you out of the way of passing traffic.

Of course, just opening the hood at a car show is a hassle - but the cars were never at car shows when new.
Sometimes logic is a PIA! Thanks, those actually make sense.
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by papawayne »

I always thought that a Lincoln owner would never have occasion to open his (or her) own hood...that was for the full service gas station attendant or the mechanic...all the owner had to do was release the hood, and everybody else did the rest...Wayne
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Dan Szwarc »

And the gas filler is on the traffic side of the car. So much for safety on the road when you run out of gas.
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by RMAENV »

But Dan,

If you are a Lincoln Owner you wouldn't be in any danger if you ran out of gas. You just call AAA or a tow truck and the truck operator put the gas in your tank !!! :lol: :D :smt006
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Jake5150 »

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
We popped the hood today. I am pretty darn excited about it to. We went in on the drivers of the hood side with a piece of flat galvanized steel. That was 2" X 18". The hood popped up a couple inches, just enough to see the latch. Then pushed the latch back with a long screw driver. After the hood was opened the seller was as surprised as I was to see that everything on the motor was in tact.

Thanks again
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Steve K »

I'm going to install a secondary hood release in my 64. I will take pics when I am done. But it seems straight forward to just drill a small hole just above the hole where the factory cable attaches. Run a small eye bolt through that and attach a thin nylon rope that is carried back and over a small pulley attached to the firewall and then let it drop down until it hangs freely under the car. With the pully in place, pulling down on the cord will pull back on the release lever and unlatch the hood. Then either weight the end of the rope and let it hang where it won't get tangled in anything or run it through a couple of eye bolts in the wheel well and tie it off there. At that point you should be able to just reach up above the tire, find the end and pull. Seems like a good thing to do PRIOR to a failure of the factory release. I suppose you could do the same thing by bringing the rope through the firewall and attaching it up under the dash, but I never have much luck finding a way through the firewall where I want one :roll:
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Wixomhead »

Cable let go at the handle from inside the car once on my 66.

1. Jack front of car up, get wire coat hanger and with flashlight fish around for short, exposed cable located on firewall at rear/center of hood, where the latch is.

2. I remember using epoxy to fix the new cable (bicycle brake cable) into the pull handle. Worked for several years since.
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by Steve K »

Yeah. Mine is in good working shape now as it came from the factory. I'm just the kind of guy that needs to stay ahead of stuff like this because eventually mine will break. I suspect we open our hoods a lot more often on these cars than people ever did back when they were on the road as daily drivers. When the time comes, I don't want to go fishing, drill holes, or anything else. I want to have the satisfaction of having thought ahead and reach up and pull the secondary release.

My luck if/when it happens, it won't be when the car is snug in it's garage. It would be it would happen simultaneously with a dead battery on the way back from a meet on a Sunday evening 30 miles from home and I would go to jump start it, the hood wouldn't open, and I'd be pissed and OOL.
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by CaptainDave »

Chad, did you ever get around to doing that? It sounds like a great idea.
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Re: EMERGENCY HOOD RELEASE PROCEDURE

Post by jghuntlaw »

I have the same issue on my 1966 Lincoln. I pulled the hood lever and nothing. I have ordered a new part and need to sell the car. On top of that I can not do this myself so need to instruct a garage mechanic to fix.

I am now working thru all of the great responses on the thread. What is the least painful method?

Jim
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