Hood release is stiff / not releasing. Ideas for getting the hood open? I an 87 cav Convertable 2.8l....
If the handle is not fully pulling the the cable might be broken at some point.The cheat is have a 2nd person pull the handle while you use a long flat head screw driver push down the lever through the grill to release it.This can be done it is like a J hook and pushing down a touch on the hood relieves the tension on the hood latch.You may have to use a flash light to see the mechanism but,I have had to do this at junkyards and did it by myself.A touch tired tonight after yardwork all afternoon but I am not twindling.
I'm not sure if this will work on a 1st gen or not. If you can take the grille out, you can reach behind the latch and feel were the cable attaches to the lever. Just pull the lever over towards the drivers side and it will unlatch. You also may be able to reach it from underneath the car. Either method works very well on a 2nd gen, phase I, so maybe it will work on a 1st gen too. It just boils down to, if you can find access to the lever or not.
Good luck.
Thanks butch, I know what your talking about. No the latch on the first gen uses that hole in the middle of the frame over the rad. Haven't had much luck getting it open. I I what your talking about Ron as I can easily open the hoods on my 2x '82's to help figure out ways. But the 87 also has the evaporator (I think. Rad for A/C). On It as well.
The hood on First Gens ends right over the hood latch area
and lets water down onto the latch assembly and it rusts.
I keep my whole latch assembly heavily greased now.
The only way I could get mine open was to go under the car with a long handled ball peen
Hammer and flashlight.
Then I tapped the arm the cable pulls until it released.
Ray, yup that's pretty much what I ended up doing after ripping the release cable right out of it. The latch itself was seized. I pulled it up onto a set of ramps. My 2.5' punch and hammer and got it open from below. Thanks for the help guys. Got the car moved and found she's got not 1, not 2, but 3 fuel leaks. Been sitting too long. Soon it'll get better
