hood release cable

[hotshotzny]

how hard is it to replace the hood release cables on an 84.. im sure its not the hardest thing on earth but things like that always have a way of becoming quite a project it seems

 

[CorvetteArchives]

Let me know when you finish But it seems pretty str8 forward.
I've been meaning to do this myself but am too cheap to fork over the $50 for new ones. Its ironic since when I bought the car (1992) I wasted $ by buying the emergency hood opening tool...and never had to use it.
What I found was that my cables stretched beyond the point of adjustment (turning the plastic things on the end). Instead I "temporarily" wound up some picture wire to the cable end so it would work properly until the cable broke. I did that I think in 93!
PS. Notice your son got a vette too! I keep kicking myself for never buying the c4 kids car in the mid 90's. Those things are now ridiculously expensive at Carlisle.

 

[onedef92]

Pull the lower dash panel to get access to the lever better. Tough to do, but I laid on the floorboard, looking up, then slid the cable end back into the lever. (It runs upwards through the firewall).

I then tie-wrapped both cables (L & R hood release) together to prevent one of them from shifting around and coming back out. A nice weekend project. Took me about three hours to complete.

 

[tonylong]

how hard is it to replace the hood release cables on an 84.. im sure its not the hardest thing on earth but things like that always have a way of becoming quite a project it seems

Biggest problem is placing the $%$#$ grommet into the firewall thru which the cable goes. If not inserted right the cable just moves around but doesn't pull the releases. It took three of us jerking around to get it, two on the engine side, one down in the footwell. The other issues were pretty straightforward, make sure you pay attetion to routing the cables to both sides, there's not much room and there's other stuff there already. In the end it was a 6-beer job. Maybe someone has a simple way to mount that $%$#$ grommet. I'd like to know it just for general knowledge.

 

[hotshotzny]

see i knew it looked to freakin easy! im glad i ddint just jump into it like i always do! just goes to show the only stupid question is one that goes unasked!

and my biggest concern is now related to another post i put up about a pesky little mouse and his nest catching fire under my hood.. my luck i missed his neighbor or he will come back.. it will catch fire again and i wont be able to get the hood open! i want to ask my insurance company just what kinda coverage i have in case of fire but wont it look funny if it goes up in flames the next day!

 

[hotshotzny]

Let me know when you finish But it seems pretty str8 forward.
I've been meaning to do this myself but am too cheap to fork over the $50 for new ones. Its ironic since when I bought the car (1992) I wasted $ by buying the emergency hood opening tool...and never had to use it.
What I found was that my cables stretched beyond the point of adjustment (turning the plastic things on the end). Instead I "temporarily" wound up some picture wire to the cable end so it would work properly until the cable broke. I did that I think in 93!
PS. Notice your son got a vette too! I keep kicking myself for never buying the c4 kids car in the mid 90's. Those things are now ridiculously expensive at Carlisle.

i forgot what my father paid for that thing but he has definetly gotten his moneys worth out of it! he wore the gears out of it once already and we replaced them... big day for him.. he got to help with the tools and all.. we even put it up on the lift for him

 

[CorvetteArchives]

Biggest problem is placing the $%$#$ grommet into the firewall thru which the cable goes. If not inserted right the cable just moves around but doesn't pull the releases. It took three of us jerking around to get it, two on the engine side, one down in the footwell. The other issues were pretty straightforward, make sure you pay attetion to routing the cables to both sides, there's not much room and there's other stuff there already. In the end it was a 6-beer job. Maybe someone has a simple way to mount that $%$#$ grommet. I'd like to know it just for general knowledge.

Ugg! I just looked at the pic of the cable at Eckler's...I see what you mean...that looks VERY annoying! Hope that beer was Yuengling! I just bought a case....I'll order it today and let you know when it gets here....and its yours for the install

BTW, on a side note for future restoration/Judging my original adjusters are white/clear and not black...which kinda bothered me..too visible. At least now I have another excuse to order the new one!

PS where does this Hood Cable Lock Clip go?Corvette Hood Cable Lock Clip, 1984-1996

 

[tonylong]

PS where does this Hood Cable Lock Clip go?Corvette Hood Cable Lock Clip, 1984-1996

I don't remember that. I can't get to my vette right now it's in another garage and my ankle's broke. I hope someone else can chime in here.

 

[onedef92]

It took me and C4 guru Gordon Killebrew three hours to do it two years ago during a Corvette Cruise-In at Bowling Green. If I hadn't been under his skilled tutelage, there's no telling how long it would have taken me solo.

 

[CorvetteArchives]

It took me and C4 guru Gordon Killebrew three hours to do it two years ago during a Corvette Cruise-In at Bowling Green. If I hadn't been under his skilled tutelage, there's no telling how long it would have taken me solo.

That sounds like you guys were using the GM Service "rape book". Hope he didnt charge you by the hour like GM

Reminds me of the headlight switch replacement on our Pontiac Sunfire. GM service manual says to remove wheel which means disconnecting air bag, etc. a 2 hour job the first time I followed the manual.
Or you can just unsnap the plastic color on the column...insert a allen wrench with a torx head and do it in 15-30 minutes! I realised this after the wheel was off the first time. I came up with the better method the 2nd time and got faster the 3rd time around...switch was VERY poorly engineered...It WAS recalled and switch was free the first time. After that the suppossedly better engineered replacement wasnt covered! I think Autozone stocks them by the DOZEN now!

 

[onedef92]

That sounds like you guys were using the GM Service "rape book". Hope he didnt charge you by the hour like GM

Reminds me of the headlight switch replacement on our Pontiac Sunfire. GM service manual says to remove wheel which means disconnecting air bag, etc. a 2 hour job the first time I followed the manual.
Or you can just unsnap the plastic color on the column...insert a allen wrench with a torx head and do it in 15-30 minutes! I realised this after the wheel was off the first time. I came up with the better method the 2nd time and got faster the 3rd time around...switch was VERY poorly engineered...It WAS recalled and switch was free the first time. After that the suppossedly better engineered replacement wasnt covered! I think Autozone stocks them by the DOZEN now!

Nah. Gordon did it from memory free of charge. It was during a C4 repair seminar. I'm sure he's forgotten more about C4 repairs than you, I, and 99.9 percent of all the peeps on this Forum will ever know.

Like others above me have said, it's just that much of a PITA job. Just like replacing the heater core or the Bose CDM/Tuner Module under the passenger side dash.

 

[CorvetteArchives]

Nah. Gordon did it from memory free of charge. It was during a C4 repair seminar. I'm sure he's forgotten more about C4 repairs than you, I, and 99.9 percent of all the peeps on this Forum will ever know.

Like others above me have said, it's just that much of a PITA job. Just like replacing the heater core or the Bose CDM/Tuner Module under the passenger side dash.

Thats was very nice of him. I'll bet he thought it was gonna be easy too at first. :W You'rs may be the last he did do! :L
I'll bet there is some GM line worker somewhere who could do it in 2 minutes and would be laughing their butt off if they saw all the vette owners and Gordon struggling!

 

[CorvetteArchives]

Which way did you put it in? From the firewall side or thread the whole cable through from the interior?

The replacement shown at Eckler's seems to be different than mine that is more cone shaped. Corvette Hood Release Cable, 1984-1996 I'm hoping the hole through firewall is the same size.
If anyone replaces theirs can they measure the hole? I's hate to be trying to fit a "square peg in a round hole"!
Thanks!