It has been typical 3rd gen for awhile, needing the "Fonzie" method to pop the hood open. But now that won't hardly work.

Anyone have tips on how to get the hood to open like new again? I already lubed the lock and cable. Is it an adjustment at the loop shaped latch or something?

 

When u pull the hood button, does it just click and then u have to go and do it with your hands??

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Looking For:

87 IROC-Z 350 TPI
84 TRANS AM 305 H.O.

[This message has been edited by IROCZTWENTYGR8 (edited October 27, 2000).]

 

I had that problem a couple times. I sprayed it with wD40 last time. Then I pulled the latch once or twice and did the fonzy trick.It seemed as if it worked itself in. Maybe that can help. Drew


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89 Formula
Edelbrock Headers+
Catback system,Torque Converter,Rebuilt Trans,B&M Megashifter, K+N air filter, Accel Distr. Module, MSD coil,New Fuel injectors with adj. regulator, ECM with performance prom,and a Crate ZZ3 350

 

He said he already did that.

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Looking For:

87 IROC-Z 350 TPI
84 TRANS AM 305 H.O.

 

Yep, gotta pull the latch inside the car, and it clicks but the hood doesn't pop up. For a few years now I guess, I have been rapping the hood on the nose and then it would pop up. Not hardly, anymore. I did lube everything.

I'm now thinking the spring may be weak, and I need to order a new one.

 

Its the alignment...
I'm suffering the SAME thing right now.

 

Yes, the spring. If u want to see if thats it, stretch the spring as much as u can, but before closing it, make sure it is lined up where it is supposed be. Then close it and go pull the hood button, and if it opens, thats what it is!!

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Looking For:

87 IROC-Z 350 TPI
84 TRANS AM 305 H.O.

[This message has been edited by IROCZTWENTYGR8 (edited October 27, 2000).]

 

Tom, these other ideas sound like good ones to me, but my red GTA was doing that this very week..... and the "WD40-ing" the hood cable and latch assembly took care of the problem for me.

Hope you get it sorted out.....

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Frankie Rider, 2
The GTA Source Page
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1988 GTA Red 5.7L Hatchback
1988 GTA Black 5.7L Notchback
1988 GTA Gunmetal Metallic 5.0L Hatchback
1981 Trans Am WS6 5.0L..... soon to be replaced by Chevy SB400
1980 Turbo 4.9L Trans Am WS6

 

My car did the same thing when I bought it. You had to pop it then wiggle it and it would pop up. About a month ago it got to where it wouldn't even open with this method. I got it opened by poping the release then driving it (it only took to the bottom of our driveway). It popped to the first position then I hit the latch under the hood. While I had it open I:

1) Used degreaser and several shop towels and cleaned a bunch of gunk from the latch assembly. You've probably already done this though.

2) Used spray silicone lubricant and thoroughly coated the entire assembly. Then I worked the assembly back and forth to get it all the way in.

Slam the hood again and hopefully it'll pop up on its own now.

 

Thanks for the tips, everyone!

I'm gonna stretch the spring, and clean and lube the whole works again, and see if the latch needs any adjusting.

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FORMULA 350 TK
Southern California 3rd Generation F-Body Organization©

 

Post your results!!

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Looking For:

87 IROC-Z 350 TPI
84 TRANS AM 305 H.O.

[This message has been edited by IROCZTWENTYGR8 (edited October 29, 2000).]

 

Tom another thing I found that helps mine was raising the rubber hood bumpers up alittle. That puts a little more pressure on the hood making it want to pop up easier.

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1985 ASCD Ram Air Trans Am
http://www.execpc.com/~karpsta/home.html
to find out more
-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

Tom, I think that's the key. Most people just spray the **** out of it with whatever lube. The lube just collects more dirt and dust and makes it just as bad in no time. The key is to clean it very well, then lube it. I usually attack it with carb cleaner until it works well and is visably clean, then lightly lube it. My firebird, along with virtually everybody elses, did it. It seems not to be as common on the Camaros.

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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

There's a few things...

Yeah there's adjustments for both the latch that's by the radiator, and for the "S" shaped catch on the hood. Those might be outta whack. There's not much of adjustment, but there's some. In fact from memory, take the actual latch, loosen the 15mm bolts, and twist it counter clockwise. This would re-aim the latching mechanism more towards the sky instead of the driver's side fender.

There's also the hinge adjustments. If your hood is installed "crooked" on the car (bolts loosened up), it could catch in the latch.

There's also the gas struts. If one has a lot of kick, and the other is completely useless, the hood twists a bit.

There's also the possibility of a bad cable. I'm not sure where your battery is, but on my car, the cable curved by the battery- I noticed one day that battery acid nearly ate through the cable! I replaced it with a junkyard item- altho the hood was still popping.

Let us know...

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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

Here's the deal... After pulling the handle inside the car, push it back, quickly and firmly.

I haven't had a problem popping the hood since that.

I too stretched out the hood spring a bit.

I can't remember exactly what remedied the problem, but I know whenever I pop the hood I make an effort to push the handle back. (Funny how I do this twice a week, at every fill up, but can barely recall enough to put into words.)

If that pops the hood, you may also want to check the spring behind the kick panel. Don't know if this assembly will lend itself to stretching, but it may be worth greasing.



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Ryan MacEwen Pruyn
MacEwen Motorsports

1987 GTA 350 6spd, White OEM instruments, 17" Borbet Type A's, 275/40ZR17's, 255/45ZR17's, Koni Sport Adjustables, Eichbach Sport Springs, Poly U, everywhere, Guldstrand Engineering Panhard rod, LCA's

 

I had to do the same thing as Ryan. Push it back firmly and it would usually pop the hood.

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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

I notice on mine sometimes when I park on a small bump or uneven pavement the hood will pop right away but it usually sticks. Plus I can see there is a lot of slop in the cable near the latch. I put some washers in there to take up the extra space. That helped for a while.

James

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If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy

 

I agree with the keeping clean and lubed suggestions. I have also seen members posting that replacing the latch bar on the hood helped the situation. Good luck, Lon.

 

Latest update: the last time I was under the hood, I tried pulling on the spring to stretch it slightly. OK, today I needed to get underhood, and when I pulled the release, the hood did not pop. I then went outside and just pulled up on the front of the hood, instead of the 'Fonzie' treatment, and it popped up in my hands fairly easy. So, it's getting better at least. I did not have time yet to do any other adjustments.

Stay tuned for further developments....

 

I've fixed this for so many people...

What I do is take the whole latch assembly out (two screws, and the cable is just threaded through with a ball on the end).

Hit it with the SafetyKleen. When I don't have access to a parts washer though, brake cleaner works great. Get all the grease and sand and everything out.

Then pack it with a thick grease like bearing grease.

Reinstall.

That gets it every time, and it's been great for two years and counting on both cars.

I believe it's because it's in the airstream and all kinds of debris and stuff gets stuck to the grease and worked into the mechanism. If I'm just out and I show off the car to some stranger, that's usually the first thing they notice "Holy crap your hood pops up!" lol

[This message has been edited by Jza (edited November 02, 2000).]