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Technical 53-56 f-100 hood woes

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by olskool34, Sep 29, 2016.

  1. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,597

    olskool34
    Member

    Looking for any help to get my f-100 hood to shut properly. I have been on the ford truck enthusiasts site and I am just not satisfied with everybody's answers.

    The hood will not go down on it's own in the back. The hinges look like new aftermarket and have zero rust. New springs. Hood stays up nicely but will not close in the back, you have to push it down by hand.

    Everyone says they were like this when new, no way do I agree to that at all. Some say it is one specific pivot that is too tight. Anybody have any real hands on experience? No I am not putting a tilt hood on it. There has to be a way to get these to close correctly.
     
  2. F-head
    Joined: Oct 20, 2007
    Posts: 1,171

    F-head
    Member

    Back in the late 70's, I worked in a body shop that specialized in 53 to 56 F-100 pickups[my boss was the pres. of the local pickup club called the Henry's Haulers] and its a fact that the things never worked correctly
    I had NOS factory hinges on my 56 panel and it still wouldn't work correctly
    its a process to shut the hood,close the front,then push the back corners down
    I have a 53 now built out of mostly original stuff and its the same way
    sorry
    if you figure it out let me know
    cheers
    B
     
  3. i remember the 1956 Ford F-350 my father bought new...the hood never worked right

    sorry , no help
     
  4. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,597

    olskool34
    Member

    So hard for me to imagine ford releasing a product to the public like that. I am going to take the hood off again and see what causes this. Maybe a second spring added to pull it down??

    Has anybody ever had a hood that closed on here? One guy on the fordbarn says his does but he has no pics or video showing it happen.
     

  5. The hood on our 54 f100 would never shut right either, it's been taken apart for a few years while it being built, but it only had 45,000 miles on it from day one and had always been inside. very well preserved. But man that hood set up just blows.
     
  6. Those trucks were sold as work horses, not show pieces. I don't think I've ever seen one that doesn't need the three handed closure. Accept it and move on...once they are closed rhey look great!
     
  7. eberhama
    Joined: Dec 19, 2003
    Posts: 673

    eberhama
    Member

    I had a 60k original mile F600 that I moved the cab on to a short box frame. The hood shut perfectly every time. Never seen another that closed that well. My current '56 I have new hinges and bolts, and it closes almost all the way without help. The pass rear corner is still up a little. I think theres a walk through in the midfifty catalog of how to adjust it(think i saw it in there) You kind of have to rotate the hinge clock wise on the drivers side, and counter on the pass side to get the hinges to pull the back down, and you have to do it without throwing the hood to cowl gap. It was a many hours/days process to get it to even fit that good.
     
  8. FrozenMerc
    Joined: Sep 4, 2009
    Posts: 3,092

    FrozenMerc
    Member

    Really??? Have you ever driven a Pinto, or just about any compact car made by the Big 3 during the 80's and early 90's

    That said, The hood hinge seems to be a common problem. My '51 was the same way for the first couple years after the restoration. New hinges caused the back of the hood to stand proud after each opening. A couple of years later, the hinge and spring joints loosened up and it now shuts perfectly.
     
  9. I've owned half a dozen of these trucks and most had the same problem. If the pivot points are good, try some lubrication. Works wonders.
     
  10. BLUECOLLARKUSTOMS
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 184

    BLUECOLLARKUSTOMS
    Member

    I remember seeing a hood on a '56 with a cable attached to each rear corner going down through the inner wheel well to a spring that would keep downward tension on the rear of the hood. The guy said it worked real good. You had to look to see it was even there. Scott
     
  11. I've had about 15 53-56 F-100's through my shop plus the ones I owned, and out of those Not ONE had a really good, properly closing hood. Some were decent, but None were perfect! The hinge system is a piss poor design.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2016
    Fedman likes this.
  12. Larry T
    Joined: Nov 24, 2004
    Posts: 7,875

    Larry T
    Member

    Ready for a cantilevered hood yet? :D
     
  13. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,597

    olskool34
    Member

    Not going to do a tilt hood. Yes I see that there is going to be a great deal of time involved to get it right but I know it can be done. Was just wondering if anybody on here tackled the issue with success. I am going to take it all apart and start with my hinges first.
     
    Larry T likes this.
  14. Gearhead Graphics
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 3,890

    Gearhead Graphics
    Member
    from Denver Co

    On the 60s fords the rear of the hood doesn't usually go down. Shimming the front of the hinge with washers usually fixes this. I don't like that look, so I close mine and push the sides down when done
     
  15. dorf
    Joined: Dec 5, 2008
    Posts: 1,087

    dorf
    Member
    from ohio

    do u mean u have one that the right door fits properly? i put the reverse hood kit on mine ,still doesnt fit properly. good luck
     
  16. walt j
    Joined: Apr 7, 2010
    Posts: 16

    walt j
    Member

    Are you using the right bolts for hood, they have a shoulder on them so when you tighten doesn't bind hinge. You can buy for 6-7 bucks for a set.
     
  17. Wow ! I've been a F-100 guy since 1964. I've heard this story way to many times. I'm always surprised at how many so called body guys call it quits. Would you do that to a door or deck lid that had issues? Yes you can make them close correctly, or at least I can. You first need to determine what the issue is. Those hoods were very heavy on the hinges when in the Open position and tended to adjust them self. Hense the Bad Rap. Also, who ever lubed there hood hinges? Reproduction hinges are to soft and tend to re shape them selves even in the closed position. Another big issue is fender fit. Get that right after the Hood closes correct, kind of like any 1940 Ford hood. The little serated washer to hold hood adjustment in place never worked very long. A real good pair of stock hinges are near impossible to find any more. That's where I start. They have to move freely and No flex. The 2 sides must be timed together. Last the arms must go over center together to reverse the spring load from holding it Open to forcing it Closed. Once that is accomplished you can adjust fenders and last the hood latch. Also you should know Left and Right fenders are seldom exactly the same in the front. This adds to fit and close issues. Most want the space between top of Frame rail and fender relief to be the same. Big mistake. Another issue is the center mount core support and Firewall support rods to top of fenders. Boy did Ford blow it there. So all this can be fixed if you can think past the books and how everyone else has been doing it. The way they do it clearly don't work. The only real Hood Issue I've ever had is how long it takes to get it all right. Then the Hood closes like Butter and stays shut. One thing I've added once everything is right helps Keep it there, A prop rod to to relieve the Hang weight on the hinges.
    The Wizzard
     
  18. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,597

    olskool34
    Member

    Nice job on that info Wizard! Glad somebody has got it right. I got home after work and had to do something despite the heavy rain we have here. Got the hood off and the hinges and brought them into the garage to see what was up, if I noticed anything.

    The front of the hood hinge brace that is spot welded inside the hood at the back had come free. I welded those back up and that really helped stiffen the mount area.

    Next I looked at the hinges. They appear to be new but nice quality compared to a stock worn out hinge I have. They moved nicely for about the first three inches then they stopped. I had to push them down the rest of the way by hand. This was without the spring on.

    Two rivets or (pivot fasterns) on each one were just set way too tight. After working the rivets a little with a drift and hammer in the back, they loosened up and no binding anywhere. I am anxious to put everything back together tomorrow and see how it goes.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2016
  19. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,597

    olskool34
    Member


    Yes I have the correct 53-55 shoulder bolts.
     
  20. My best advice is remove the front fenders completely. Just get them out of your way. Now you can actually see how they actually work and your not letting the hood latch support stop the movement. Find a helper to handle the front of the hood and do what you tell them to do. Also watch for what I call the Rocking Horse point. That's where the back edge of the Hood stops coming down and rocks over and begins to Lift.
    The Wizzard
     
  21. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,597

    olskool34
    Member

    That is going to happen as I am going to be putting in a 302 but the hood when shut before lined up quite well. I will test fit things and if I am happy I am going to take the front end off completely. It has never been apart that I can tell. I just wanted the hood to fit well before I took things apart.
     
  22. 1956 hood hinges are one year only - if y'all didn't know.....Ford hinges on cars were the shits....52/53 and then they got better in 1954 on the cars....thinking trucks might be the same....think I have 53 and 56 Ford trucks in stock...will have to look.....shop move since I last saw them....
     
  23. Over the years I've asked every 53-56 Truck owner that have come for help to show me how to open there Hood. Very very few have been able to do it Correctly. If you understand how the hinges work knowing why you must do this first is second nature. What is it?
    The Wizzard
     
  24. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,597

    olskool34
    Member

    I am so happy to report that my hood shuts!! After going over the hinges making sure every part moved with little effort I lubed them up with some white lithium grease and put them on. After I bolted on the hood I could tell things were drastically improved as it raised equally up and down. Put the springs on and the first test with the hinges not even tight yet yielded a closed hood all the way around. It is all snugged up now and greased and I could not be happier.

    Whoever said these hoods always opened crappy has just not spent the time and effort to figure out what is causing it. This truck was last on the road in 1971 and got put away wet but her hood opens like brand new.?Thanks Wizard for your help.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  25. Wick Humble
    Joined: Jan 3, 2012
    Posts: 28

    Wick Humble
    Member
    from Chico, CA

    Our second-owner (since about 1970) almost stock '56 F-100 used to have a fairly good fitting hood; a few times removed for engine work, repaints, etc. and now it barely will close -- very frustrating! The original hinges are nice, springs good, tightened up readily, and all components are the ones originally with the truck.
    Look, there is no way we're going to modify the thing but still need to get back to decent -- if not perfect -- fit!
    After some frustrations, we opened up the mounting holes to about 3/4" with a grinder burr, and got the rear to meet the sealer strip at last, but the front gaps are non-existant on the passengers side, and way to big on the drivers side; this without having moved the fender mounts at all. Interestingly, the shop book says not to mess with the radiator stay rod adjustment (nor hood tensioners I guess) to get the gaps right, but most F100 guys do it. This six-cylinder pickup had had the radiator rods tightened so much by the original owner that he'd pulled both mounts free from the firewall welds -- and tossed them out! So I guess he'd given up on getting it perfect, huh? We replaced them back in the '70s, and just gave them a neutral setting, tho I'm thinking messing with the fender bolts, radiator support center bold, and etc. are my next move. We don't expect perfection but... This truck always had chips at the front hood to fender interface, and even a few rubs in the original paint where the hood rubbed at the rear.
    I reinforced the rear 'bend' of the hood when I took all the waves out of it this time, and it came out straight. Now to get a reasonable fit!?! Wish us luck.
    Thanks!!
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  26. klawockvet
    Joined: May 1, 2012
    Posts: 580

    klawockvet
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I have had a 53-56 F100 for the great majority of my life. The ones I had in the fifties had better closing hoods. Not so much with the older ones with worn out hinges and POS reproduction hinges. Like some have found out they can be made to shut correctly but there is an important step after achieving a perfect closure and fit: NEVER, EVER let anyone other than yourself get near your hood. By adhering to that simple rule they will stay in good shape for a long long time.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2019
    chryslerfan55 likes this.

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