I closed the hood on my 40' and now it won't open. The chrome release lever on the hood front will only pull up about 3 inches. The hood has no play in it at all. Is there anyway to release the stock latch? I can see from the bottom in front of the radiator but don't see any kind of a manual release lever. Thanks all....
Whatever you do don,t force that fragile release lever. Have you had someone push down on the hood while you jiggle the lever with utmost care ?
Maybe put the floor Jack under the grille chin with a rag so you don’t mess the paint and put a little pressure on the grille so the latch will release.
I would redo your post opening to say My 1940 Ford Hood won't open to get a few more of the actual 40 Ford guys to open the post. There has to be a trick but I don't know it. We have a few very gifted 40 Ford guys here.
Try pulling down on the lever at the same time as you pull it forward. The top of the lever might be hitting a loose bull nose screw.
My 40 pu does that to me occasionally. In my case it's mediocre hood/fender fitment. I Push down on the hood and in on the hood sides just behind the grill. On my Deluxe, I swopped around rubber hood bumpers, thicker for thinner so to speak.
I took a couple of pics, maybe will help (hood/grille off car-engine transplant underway). There is the immediate hood safety catch, sounds like you're beyond that though. Further down, the large hook is activated by the small catch where my finger is pointing may need a bit of persuasion, or possibly linkage has disengaged? I wonder if from underneath you can persuade that hook to move.
I think 40FORDPU has it right, if you look carefully your latch hook is still fully engaged so you have to move it back from below while someone else carefully pulls the handle up. Looks like it might be an alignment problem. Good luck, Rich
Just do not lift up on the release lever! it will break!!!!, It may be the safety catch but that is easy to see and I think you have eliminated that as a cause
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