[Ghetto Jet]

This is why hoods should not open from the back. The cable seems to working fine but the latch wont release the hood and I've tried just about everything. I've been told that they get out of adjustment sometimes and this happens. I can't seem to get at it from the bottom. I'm hoping that there is some trick here that I haven't thought of, besides removing the whole dash to get at it. The one catching is the drivers side. The passenger side was sawzalled off years ago after this same thing happened to it.

 

[MARTINSR]

Ok, a couple of tricks. First off, get someone to pull on the handle while you are up at the hood working on it. Believe it or not, push DOWN on the hood will sometimes to it. Get yourself a plastic tool of some sort (your wife may have one in the kitchen if you don't in the garage. :mwink: And push sideways on the hood by sticking the tool between it and the fender. All of this while someone is pulling out and releasing and pulling out and releasing the cable handle.

When you do get it open (and believe me having it rear opening has NOTHING, NO-THING to do with this problem you are having. If it is improperly adjusted I don't car what car you have, a jambed hood is a jambed hood.

Once you get it open you need to adjust them properly. I was taught a great trick and that is to get a ball of dumb dumb (3M "Strip caulk") and put it on the latch lowering the hood down until it hits and see if the striker is hitting the latch properly. Move the latch or striker where it needs to go using this method BEFORE shutting the hood.

Brian

 

[Ghetto Jet]

Brian, you're the man! Now I just have to find a wife to obtain something plastic from haha. This is a friends car, and I won't see it again for a week or so, but I'll let you know how it goes. I realize any hood latch can get stuck but I bet I'd have a much better shot getting at the to latch on a regular hood on most cars.

 

[MARTINSR]

Honestly, a stuck hood latch is a stuck hood latch. If it happen on any late model car you are going to need to break something to get it open if it is REALLY stuck.

Brian

 

[Ghetto Jet]

After many attempts we could not get it open. The latch on the passenger side has already been removed years ago due to a problem like this. The plastic tools couldn't take the abuse so I made hooks out of 4 gauge wire and snaked them in and then pulled from the other side of the hood. Every direction it could be pushed or pulled it was with no luck.

I guess next step is to remove the wipers and cowl and then cut the nub off.

 

[MARTINSR]

Looking at this photo it sure looks like you could go from the bottom, maybe remove an exhaust pipe? But it sure looks like you could go up from the bottom and trip the latch.

Brian

 

[Ghetto Jet]

That does look possible. The problem is it's on grass and of course the battery went dead after sitting while this goes on. There is no stable place on his property to jack up this car. I think I'm going to offer to let my friend use my AAA to tow it somewhere to get it fixed but that's going to be it. Thanks for all the help MARTINSR.