Power Bulge steel hood spring removal

[7T2FISH]

I am truly stuck! I need to switch to my AAR hinged hood , but I want to use my orginal hinges. I have tried the wedge using washers. That didn't work even with 30 body washers per side (too many more makes it a ER trip or broken windshieldwaiting to happen) . It did move the hinge a little but not enough to clear the tabs. Is there another way short of buying fiberglass hood springs and hinges?

 

[68bee]

Put a rag or thin piece of rubber on the spring at the top where it meets the hinge and clamp on a set of vice-grips to the spring. Pull forward on the vice-grips enough for the spring to clear the hinge and slowly let it go back toward the cowl.
If your using a fiberglass hood you have to use the lighter springs for the hood

 

[7T2FISH]

Ok I will try that. I am changing the original steel to the OEM AAR hood. The fiberglass springs are easy to get. But the removal of these stock springs...wow

 

[68bee]

Don't use the AAR hood with the springs you have on the steel hood you will crack the hood

 

[Rich G.]

Try closing the hood as far as you can a still get your hand in and stick as many paint sticks in between the coils and then open the hood.

 

[John Rimel]

Same as the clutch return spring, use the washer method.

 

[hofilbert]

It is rather simple actually. Not fast, but simple. My springs were NOS black when I bought my car, and I wanted them to match the body color like a factory paint would. The easiest way to do that is to remove the springs. So I made a simple fixture from stuff at Lowe's or Home Depot. I took some photos of my fixture but I have 4 cameras and cannot find which camera the pics are on.

I took about a 2-2 1/2 foot 1/2" minimum threaded bar stock w/(4) nuts and (4)HD fender washers, (2) 3/8" eyebolts w/nuts and fender washers. The hardware needs to be pretty stout, so don't use anything like 1/4-20. But, sandwich one eyebolt between 2 HD washers and 2 nuts. Work it down to about 1/3 of bar stock. Do the same on the other end. Slip the eyebolts into the end of the spring loop where it hooks. Add a fender washer on top with nut. Secure the nut and washer. The spring will add tension to the washer and nut. I started slowly working the eyebolts out. They will lean inward as you go, but keep straightening and working eyebolts down the bar. I did wad a towel onto my firewall just as a precaution, but I didn't need it. Anyway, it took about 10-20 mins of cranking nuts and tightening the nuts, but it opened the spring up to let me finally just pry off the spring from the hood hinges with a screwdriver. I painted them while still on the bar-stock in the open position, let them dry and reversed the procedure. Easy, easy...but time consuming. What isn't when working on a car?

I'll look for pics out on my shop camera, as I painted them in my shop. I'll post pics when I find them.

 

[hofilbert]

I only found this one pic after painting the spring. You can barely see the size of threaded bar stock I used (far right). The spring actually bowed the bar stock a bit too, so don't use light gauge threaded rod or eyebolts. I also had thick HD washers to help hold it all.

 

[7T2FISH]

I am switching to the fiberglass hood springs from Year One to be used in with the hood hinges. The AAR hood is an OEM hinged hood that has been sanded and re-glassed. Long story short, I sent out 3 hoods to paint and body with no motor the original hood fits (power bulge). Thus the other two AAR hoods for motor clearance, a lift-off fiberglass (reinforced and glassed) and the hinged. I am past all the lifting on and off plus I want to lock the hood doing some cross-country driving in July.

 

[7T2FISH]

Try closing the hood as far as you can a still get your hand in and stick as many paint sticks in between the coils and then open the hood.

The wood collapsed.

 

[7T2FISH]

It is rather simple actually. Not fast, but simple. My springs were NOS black when I bought my car, and I wanted them to match the body color like a factory paint would. The easiest way to do that is to remove the springs. So I made a simple fixture from stuff at Lowe's or Home Depot. I took some photos of my fixture but I have 4 cameras and cannot find which camera the pics are on.

I took about a 2-2 1/2 foot 1/2" minimum threaded bar stock w/(4) nuts and (4)HD fender washers, (2) 3/8" eyebolts w/nuts and fender washers. The hardware needs to be pretty stout, so don't use anything like 1/4-20. But, sandwich one eyebolt between 2 HD washers and 2 nuts. Work it down to about 1/3 of bar stock. Do the same on the other end. Slip the eyebolts into the end of the spring loop where it hooks. Add a fender washer on top with nut. Secure the nut and washer. The spring will add tension to the washer and nut. I started slowly working the eyebolts out. They will lean inward as you go, but keep straightening and working eyebolts down the bar. I did wad a towel onto my firewall just as a precaution, but I didn't need it. Anyway, it took about 10-20 mins of cranking nuts and tightening the nuts, but it opened the spring up to let me finally just pry off the spring from the hood hinges with a screwdriver. I painted them while still on the bar-stock in the open position, let them dry and reversed the procedure. Easy, easy...but time consuming. What isn't when working on a car?

I'll look for pics out on my shop camera, as I painted them in my shop. I'll post pics when I find them.
View attachment 69584

Thanks I will weld something like that and let you know how it turned out. Knowing me I will put it all back to stock someday and need the fixture again.

 

[Rich G.]

Not length wise! I cut about 4” pieces and stuck them in between each coil.