hood problems

[19muscletruck69]

hello all......i was wondering if anyone else has had there hood not go on very well..my stock hood is doing something odd....when it is shut the hood is angled odd and there is a big gap along the side between the hood and fender and also it is doing this "cowl induction" thing going on along the back of it...its off the cowl....i tried messing with the bolts and it didn't seem to do anything....anyone else have this probelm?......i have seen it before with other 67-72s just wondering if anyone can help.......what i need and all (new hinges or something).....thanks alot

[Mudder]

try loosening the rear bolts and rotating the hinges backward a bit. The side, the gap is on you may be able to loosen the hood from the hinge and slide back some. They can be adjusted several ways.

[Rabid]

Sh!t. Mine has been all jacked up and crooked since I bought it. I think both the hinges and springs are shot on mine. I've tried loosening bolts here and there shifting it different directions. Mine still sits a little higher towards the cowl and has a 1/8 inch gap on one fender and a 1/4 inch gap on the other. No matter how much I screw with it, it still stays crooked. Most likely its a combination of poorly done panel replacement (minus any needed shimming) and screwed up springs and hinges. I would give you the ol "loosen a few bolts on the hinge and shift it" advice but I doubt it will solve your problem. Poor hood hinges and springs is a gremlin on these ol trucks much like the rusted out cab corners. Eventually it will most likely happen to all our trucks over time. If anything, I would remove the hinges completely and at least see if the hood aligns properly when you place it where it should be. If it sits all pretty minus the hinges and springs then most likely that is your culprit. Otherwise I would suspect a previous undetected fender bender from a prior owner has bent a few necessary frame parts causing a misalignment. (wow, that last sentence was a tounge twister eh? ) Good luck

[6869704X4]

One thing that really helps is to keep the hinges clean and slippery. I used to use motorcycle chain lube. Lately Ive been using this stuff from the NAPA store called chain and cable lube. And by the way this stuff works great on door hinges, squeaky clutch and brake rods, cables, window regulators and tracks, and most any else that moves, because its sticky and stays on for a long time. Its kinda pricey but Ive had this can for a year and its still got quite a bit left.

Anyway this is how I cured my imitation cowl induction. I hosed the hinges with water spray while working it up and down. Then I switched to WD40, still working the hood up and down. Should be feeling better by now. Blew it dry with air then hit it with the lube, still working the hood. Its really smooth and with a little more adjustment it lines up pretty good. And remember to keep em clean and lubed. Use this stuff on the latch too. Opening my hood is a one arm operation.

[chevyman 68 C/10]

Everyone had really good advice, but you can tell by looking if your hindges are shot,simply look down at them from the front. the springs bend over the hindges if you dont keep them clean and lubed. If they are worn also contributes to this folding in to the inside in the direction of the engine. A good set of hindges will be straight inline and not pulled to the inside.
To start your adjustments to get rid of the cowl induction problem loosen the bolts on the fender side of the hindge have someone lift up on the hood and retighten them-(this is a good place to start it lowers the back of the hood)
The problem of the hood to fender can be helped some by loosening the hood bolts and shifting the hood the direction you need. There is not much adjustment here but sometimes it is all you need. If this does not do it you may need to shift the core suport at the frame and core suport junction.
If the core suport doesn't cure it you may have frame damage and you will never get it right till this is fixed!!!

GOOD LUCK Chevyman 68 c/10

[19muscletruck69]

thanks all......its pretty much fixed just need to do a little more adjusting for the fender gap THANK YOU......truck looks so much better

[big.l.a]

Do anybody have any Info as to where you can buy a cowl hood direct from the factory(Cut out the middle man) I was looking
In JC Whitney Catalog and noticed that the hood had to be shipped from the factory $ 399.95 + shipping.

[johnnyp]

Here's some info from a post quite a while back ---

Most people will say hinges/springs are worn out---duahhh---how come they weren't worn out before you replaced the motor?? In reality, even well worn hinges can be adjusted if you know the secret~~~and the secret is~~~~
1- open hood and back off the three bolts that hold the hinge to the fender on each side.
2- have friend put a little additional upward pressure on the hood while you tighten the bolts.
By putting the additional upward pressure on the hood, you reposition the hinges and put a slight bit of spring push on the hinge springs. When you bring the hood down, it should bottom out on the rear of the hood. Keep in mind that you may need to reposition the hood on it's hinge bolt position for proper left/right alignment. It is also important to have the hood alignment rubbers mounted in the fenders for the edges. Good luck and let us know how this works out. Huck