Thread: Hood adjustment
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Old 12-29-2014, 07:25 PM   #6
larrys40
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: St Charles , Missouri
Posts: 1,998
Default Re: Hood adjustment

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In looking at your photos you have multiple issues going on that each need to be corrected to get it better. It's best to analyze it thoroughly... realizing what actions will get the results you want.... with a little trial and error.

1. It looks from your images that you have a wide gap at the cowl at the bottom of the hood, and also a narrow gap at the bottom of the radiator shell/hood. This is because the radiator is too high... Hopefully there are some shims underneath the radiator. I would suggest removing at least one on each side of the radiator... see what that does. You can take the bolts out holding the radiator down temporarily so you can play with the gaps without having to go through the pains of putting them in and out till you're close.

2. From your center hinge photos the back of the hood has a gap between the hood and pin mount, and also at the front of the hood and the mount on the shell. This indicates the shell or radiator needs to go back slightly. Sometimes you have to enlarge the holes in the radiator mounts to get the clearance, and also make sure your shell bolts are loose and the shell pushed to the back as much as possible before tightening the shell hold down bolts and nuts.

3. the radiator brace rods can be used to slightly put a shift/torque on the alignment of the hood to cowl and shell to get a straight gap... but are not the primary adjustment for that... the above items are.

I don't want to get into the body alignment of it but it can be a factor too. Although I think with the radiator shimming/adding removing from each side that you can get pretty close. You may have to add a fiber washer/shim between the shell and the front of the hood rod to push the hood back if need be. I don't like to do this unless absolutely necessary... as sometimes they show.

Take your time, keep track of what you do... removing shims underneath the radiator will open the gap at the bottom of the shell and close the gap at the bottom of the hood at the cowl.... Final words, think about what you are doing... with methodology, and be patient. Sometimes aligning a hood is an hour or two if you're extremely lucky.. sometimes you can spend 20 hours... I have done many and patience is mandatory.
Best of luck!
Larry Shepard
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