1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Now that I have my hood looking a little better after putting shims under the cowl....my hood latches won't extend enough to grab the hood. They actually sort of hold the hood if I turn them around and use the finger pull side. Any ideas? It looks like I could shim up the mountings and use longer machine screws, but just the thought of having to lift up the hood shelves to get to the one screw closer to the engine gives me heartburn.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Start by telling us if the side hinge is in direct alignment where the gas tank connects with the cowl. If both of those are in alignment, then you likely have a hood shelf problem, or a front body block issue. Pictures would help us diagnose this.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

I can see that the hood lits a little high in relation to the line at the gas tank.
But the latches don't reach there or at the radiator. I raised the cowl about 1/4" to close the gap between it and the hood a bit. But the latches didn't reach even before I did that.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Is this a Fordor?

Also, can we see a picture of the cowl lacing? If the lacing is too thick, it will cause the hood to set higher than it should be.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Hood seems to line up with the cowl ok....maybe slightly lower, so I don't think the lacing is the problem. The latches did not reach properly before I replaced the lacing!



Now I have to run 13 miles into town to see if I can get a couple of 20 amp fuses. I forgot to disconnect my battery while working on the horn. *spark*

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Almost forgot. It is a 1929 Special Coupe.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Sounds like the original problem for this is a sagging frame at the rear motor mount area.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

I agree with Tom frame sag, a lot of A's have a sagging frame.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Are you using reproduction hood hooks?

Pluck

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Yes, Repro hooks.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Here is a picture of my 29 pickup latch

The hook of the latch just slips over the hood latch clip.

I think if the hood were up just a little it would be difficult to latch.

I usually extend the latch push it up to the clip and sort of rotate the hook part towards the lower part of the hood clip, then slip it into position, if that makes any sense....:)

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

What about adding some type of spacer to the latches, washers maybe? Maybe thicker rubber?? If frame has sagged or new wood was put under the body everything can be lined up but still too high for the latches to reach????

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

I could add extra rubber or spacers to the latches, but I don't want to have to lift up the hood shelves to reach the nut holding the engine side bolt. The other two bolts go through the frame and could be replaced with longer ones easily. It might be possible to take the engine-side bolt out and replace it with a longer one without having to lift the shelf. I will look at it again tomorrow.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

I can not tell for sure but in your second picture it looks like the cowl lacing is going under the hood hinge. If so, that is your problem. There should be a gap of about 1 inch and the wire that goes thru the center of the lacing is pulled down and tight by the special bolt that is under the hinge.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

Just a fix. I would shim up the hood shelf by making the wood blocks thicker where you need it. Measuring the distance thats short will tell you what you need.

The real problem maybe a sag at the rear engine mount as others have mentioned.
Putting a straightedge along the top of the frame at the mount will quickly tell you.

As a friend of mine would say "Many cars are repaired. Few are restored" JP

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

There is no wire in the cowl lacing (reproduction version). The rear hood retainer is bolted solidly to the cowl and the hood is even or even slightly below the cowl at that point. Tomorrow I will investigate the frame sag at the rear engine mounts, although that should not have changed since I took the car apart ten years ago. Funny, I never paid attention to so many things before I had to put everything back together.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

For the Alaskans on this board, there is termination dust on top of Mt. Grant behind the town of Walker Lake, NV.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

I still stand by my original statement #14. If you have the cowl lacing going under the hood hinge that is your problem. The lacing should be cut so you have about a 1 inch gap in the middle on either side of the hood hinge and you thread a wire thru the lacing, then the wire ends are attached to the holes that line up with the lacing at the bottom of the gas tank on both sides, pull the wire as tight as you can then further tighten it with the special bolt that will pull the wire down under the hood hinge.


See the attached factory photo.


Upon further review it appears that you are using the same lacing that goes on the radiator shell and the bottom edges of the cowl. This is wrong, there is a flatter lacing that goes there. This also may be compounding the problem.


Check Bratton's online catalog for a description and closeup pictures of the 28/29 hood lacing part number 22410.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

this is not completely on point nor contradictory of the many fine comments that have been made. But I found personally that there is not much room for deviation from original specs in the '29 cowl/hood/radiator/radiator shell. Like you I had more chain reactions than the atom bomb trying to get things aligned.
The Vintique hood shelves I have required lots of trimming to make them useable, the originals are thinner, fit better, are more flexible and infinitely easier to install.


If I were you I would remove the hood shelves and hooks and try to achieve hood alignment first.

Re: 1929 Hood Latches won't reach
 

It is a fact that the cowl welting material does not go all the way under the top hinge rod. The wire goes all the way but only bare and clamped down with a special hooked bolt. Please read this thread. :https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=243272