Help! Typical Stuck Hood Issue (72 Vette)..........

[coptertom]

Can't believe it happened.....the dreaded "Pull hood release; Driver side pops open & passenger side stuck"!

I've search the Action Center Forums; along with every web sight I could find......No Luck.

The best description I could find to help open the hood was Mid America's Tech help. Still no luck. I removed the rubber plugs located on the firewall by the windshield wipers. Was even able to some how stick a 6 -7 inch flat head screw driver in the hole, but was not able to find the hood lock latch.

Tried going up through the engine compartment from the bottom with a long pipe to unlatch the passenger side latch, you guessed it; No luck.

Since the driver side latch opened, I even tried pulling up the driver side of the hood and pulling on the cross over cable; Again no such luck.....the cable obviously broke off at the passenger side latch!

Here is where I need the HELP: Would anyone possibly have an actual picture of the passenger side hood latch mechanism for a 72? Maybe this will help me to visualize what lever I need to pry to open the latch, using a long screw driver through the hole.

All of the information found say's that the latch that needs to be pushed is located directly behind the hole in the wiper area......If it is I certainly can't find it. ad

 

[SVO]

The trip lever is located behind the access hole. Try probing shallow rather than deep. You may have better luck using a piece of 3/8" dowel rod rather than a screw driver blade.

 

[6880 Mike]

I do not have a pic, but here's the page from the 72 AIM.

 

[coptertom]

Still No Luck....

The trip lever is located behind the access hole. Try probing shallow rather than deep. You may have better luck using a piece of 3/8" dowel rod rather than a screw driver blade.

Tried using a 3/8" socket extension in lieu of a screw driver blade, still no luck. In front of the hole where the rubber plug was (inside of the windshield wiper area -below the wiper door) is a rod that makes the wipers work. The rod in dead center in front of the hole and I am only able to insert a screw driver blade or small socket extension into the hole on top of the wiper blade. I am thinking that I may have to remove the wiper rod to gain full access to the hole. Can't believe that the rod is in the way. I am not sure if I should try to remove the rod.........and take the chance of not being able to put it back together the the right way. Then I will not only have a stuck hood, but now a stuck hood and windshield wipers that don't work.............

Any other suggestions?

 

[c69vete]

hood latch

I just went out and looked at my 69. I think the 72 should be the same.

Seems you need to push the lever towards the driver side, not straight in. If you think about what the cable would be doing, being pulled from the driver side, it gets easier to follow. The hole the plug was in is on the driver side of the spring post on the firewall. Seems you can use this to leverage whatever you get in to the hole to push the latch toward the driver side of the car.
I also just measured and you will need to be at least 5 inches into the hole on the firewall to get a good shot.

 

[coptertom]

I just went out and looked at my 69. I think the 72 should be the same.

Seems you need to push the lever towards the driver side, not straight in. If you think about what the cable would be doing, being pulled from the driver side, it gets easier to follow. The hole the plug was in is on the driver side of the spring post on the firewall. Seems you can use this to leverage whatever you get in to the hole to push the latch toward the driver side of the car.
I also just measured and you will need to be at least 5 inches into the hole on the firewall to get a good shot.

Thanks for the picture............I will give it another try tomorrow after work. Will keep you all posted!

 

[coptertom]

Thanks for the picture............I will give it another try tomorrow after work. Will keep you all posted!

No Luck today..........Try again tomorrow! Patience is priceless..................I hope :L

 

[c69vete]

I went out and took a couple more pics for you. Try using a tool similar to the bent screwdriver in the pics. In the first one you can see how you can use the post as levrage. In the second you can see where you would need to push the lever toward the driver side to pop the latch. Hope this helps.

 

[coptertom]

Think I will go out and give it a shot. I have a tool similar to the one you show in the picture. I think that what is holding me up is the wiper rod that is directly in front of the hole. I removed the wiper door to give myself a bit more play room, but because of the wiper rod, I have to go into the hole at an angle. I don't even what to try and remove the rod, may not be able to get it back together. Thanks for your help and will keep all posted!

 

[coptertom]

Here is what I am dealing with. You can see the small hole (Right side of picture) where the rubber cap was removed to allow you to insert a screw driver or other tool, to move the latch lever to the left...........hopefully unlocking the latch. The black wiper rod just below the hole is actually directly in front of the hole (best angle I could get a picture with) making it hard if not impossible to get to the latch lever.

Any ideas on how to remove the rod to gain access to the latch lever? I don't think I will be able to get a tool on the latch lever with out having to remove the wiper rod...................................I just worry about dis-assembling the wiper rod and not being able to put it all back together.

 

[chuck]

Looks like the wiper arm is at a slight angle if you move your wipers to a different position maybe it will give you a little more room. I just ran wires from my latches down the fender wells so that if the cable breaks I can pull the wire on each side and release the latches.

 

[coptertom]

It keeps getting better................

Well after several days of trying to open the hood and a night in the emergency room after smashing my thumb trying to fish the hole looking for the latch lever.......Decided to take a couple of days to cool down ad. Figured I would try again next Monday!

One thing for certain: When I do get the hood opened and the cables repaired, I am certainly going to attach emergency release cables in case this ever happens again..........................You don't have to tell me twice! :L

 

[vetteman1]

On My 72, I just took the egg crate out of that fender and reached up and unlatched it with my hand. Took maybe 10 minutes. Good luck.

 

[coptertom]

The adventure keeps going............

Tried that already..................with my luck, the A/C is behind grate and I can't get to the latch. Going to take a couple days to catch my breath, calm down and give it another go on Monday!

 

[orange770_1]

If the cable that runs across the hood from the drivers side latch to the passenger side latch is not broke just misadjusted I have been successful by lifting on the drivers corner and reaching in and pulling on the cable which runs between the two latches and this should release the passenger side if the cable is still attatched to the passenger side latch.