MY HOOD HINGE SPRING BOLT BROKE,I GOT THE SPRING IN HAND ,NOTHING BROKE BUT THE SHOULDER BOLT,IGOT ANOTHER BOLT IS THERE ANY EASY WAY OF PUTTING THIS BACK TOGETHER OR TRICKS TO PUTTING SPRING BACK ON.?HELP PLEASE
Jam a bunch of screwdrivers in the spring until it gets long enough to put back on, position the spring and start pulling the screwdrivers out.
"Jam a bunch of screwdrivers in the spring until it gets long enough to put back on, position the spring and start pulling the screwdrivers out. " Listen to this guy.
Bend the spring to separate the coils. Insert as many washer in the open coils as posible. bend the spring the other way and repeat. repeat until the spring is long enough to install. then remove the washers.
I do similar to the screwdriver trick but with pieces of strap steel. I have also been known to do it with a ratchet strap as well, but I'm not responsible for any lost facial pieces if you attempt.
take a piece of pipe about3/4 inch and cut a notch in the end of it , put one end of the spring on the bolt and slip the pipe thru the other end and gently raise the end of the pipe up and on the hinge and the gently lift up on the end of the pipe and it will fall right in place/ pie needs to be about 20 inchs long.
I slightly bent a piece of 3/4" pipe and cut a slot in one end. Place the slot over the hook and place the spring over the pipe. As you lift up on the pipe to stretch the spring, it will slide down the pipe onto the hook. The pipe needs to be slightly bent to fit in the engine compartment. OH COME ON, I typed that and was disrupted at work. By the time I posted it, it is about word for word. Ha.
I hooked mine to the lift pad and front axle of my floor jack, pumped untill spread apart, then used paint sticks cut done to 3 or so inches to fill the gaps. However you do it, be carefull!
Take a piece of strong 1/4 inch rope and tie a knot in it to make a circle about 20 inches long,put a hunk of broom handle through the circle. put spring on the point closest to firewall ,and loop rope through the top loop in spring,pull back on the broomstick and put it on the bolt and slip the rope out. Hard to describe but simple to do.
I made a tool out of some square tubing. Welded each end closed and cut out one side. Stretched the spring and then slide the tubing onto the spring. It keeds the center stretched and easily allows you to put the spring on. National Chevy sells a similar tool.
bend spring back and forth inserting pieces of wooden shims until legthened enough to fit wood wont scratch or dent fenders or slip out as easily as steel joe mac
Lots of ways to do this one. The major point of interest, Safety!! I've used a piece of threaded rod 3/8" and put a piece of flat stock on each end with a notch in it to hold the spring hooks and then held the rod in a vise and move the flat stock up the rod with a double nut set-up. One on each side of the flat stock. So you have a spring spreader. I've also used wedges of Hardwood in the spring to spread it. Another trick is to hook one end on the hinge and put a length of chain on the other end and pull it up into place. The Hood must be off!! The heavier the hood spring the more care to take. I've seen some guys just use a long screwdriver and pry the spring up into place against the cowl. I'm not big on that one. I like my fingers and Eyeballs!! The Old Tinbasher
A piece of pipe with a notch cut in the end is similar to using a brake spring tool to reinstall springs when doing a brake job. Same theory just using a larger bar to install a larger spring.
I don't know about a '53 Chevy, but the easy way to install a spring on a '57 Chevy hood hinge is to remove the hinge from the vehicle (or at least, unbolt the hinge from the hood. You can now move the hinge further "open" and it can be hooked in place without any special tools. Hopefully, this will work for you.
go to www.chevytalk.com the 49-54' forum and do a search. their is video and simple tool to do it i believe made made from a piece of rebar, pretty slick tool!
thanks fellows,all methods sound good but CONCEPT VEHICLE DESIGN,THAT IS BADASS! AND IF 49 RATFINK LIVED NEXT DOOR HE COULD DO IT THE EASY WAY ,THANKS
I'm glad you asked this question, brad chevy...some good ideas. 49ratfink, remind me never to piss you off. Ha! You know, fink...I tried your "by hand" method once. I had always used the pipe method before, but decided, "I can do this." What I didn't realize until too late, is that if you don't get 'er hooked the first time...you can end up like me...with tha palms of both hands pinched between a bunch of spring-coils. OMG! For a couple of seconds, I had no idea how to get free, and it wasn't feelin' nice. I did finally extend the spring enough to free my hands. Whew.
I love you guys. The best is just pull it on with your hands weakling- then somebody actually tried it-YIKES. I have only had my 50 Fleetline for 60 years and have always done the notched pipe and jack method:either lift car and pipe or just pipe. The SPECTRUM of answers is great ! Guess that's why I signed up.
Want do install hood spring in a 48 chevy sedan, none now, will installing the springs causing hood miss alignment
exhaust tubing cut to about 6-7 inches. Cut in half long ways. weld a large washer in either end. stretch spring with the floor jack. axle to lift pad. insert the tubing. release the jack. install spring and raise hood higher. remove the tube. old street rod mag. how to. met the author in Linclon Neb. one year. he was driving the 54 how to car. I used this on my 54 and it will work safely. Note be sure you have the hood held in place with a broom handle are like tool.
i am trying to rember how i did this in 1963 proabbly had a broomstick seem to rember scraping the hood on the fender paint, got to do it again and still dont want to deal with it, may make the exhaust tube
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