Hood doesn't line up

[Dne']

Sorry I don't have photos for this, batteries are dead.
A while back I had put my hood on, but didn't have the springs, so the hood would be held up by a squeegy handle when I needed it up.  Without the springs, the hood was lined up pretty well.  Today I put the springs back on to hold the hood up. Now the hood is about 1/2" higher than the cowl.  I've adjusted the hood hinges all the way down.  I can push down on the hood and get it to go down a little.  The hood I bought used, it is an aftermarket.  When I had prepped the hood, sanding, etc.  it required a lot of filler around the left and right sides, about 3/4" inward.  What are your thoughts please?  Time to get a hood?one with hood scoop :pep?
dne'
This photos is without the springs, so it sits flush with the cowl.

[Sluggo]

You reused the old hinges?

[Dne']

Well, why not?  I media blasted them, and they look just fine, and they seem to work ok.  Are ya thinkin the hinges are the culprit?  I personally think the hood is at fault, but I don't know how to Prove it.  I do have another hood, not in the greatest shape.  I think I'll sit it on the hinges and see if it lines up.  It'll be a week before I can get to it.  I have work to do up at the lake home all week! bummer!

[AzPete]

If it the hood lays on the car good, I would say the hinges are bad. That is the only thing that changes between laying it on the car and mounting it. You did say that they were all the way down on the inner fender didn't you?

[Midlife]

You said you adjusted the hood hinges all the way down.  You do know that to lower the rear of the hood, you have to raise the hood all the way up, loosen the bolts of the hinge to the aprons, and push up on the hood as high as it goes, then tighten the bolts.  Believe it or not, you have to raise the hood hinges to lower them.

[Dne']

I think I did that, cause the one bolt you have to have the hood all the way up just to get to the bolt(the access hole in the hinge).  I will try it again~ next week.  Thanks for ya'll help!!!

[daveSanborn]

Dne,

Once you remove the hood hinges.... as you did..... there will be problems getting the hood to line back up perfectly.  It's doubtful that your new/used hood is the problem.  If it lines up well w/o the hinges installed, it's definitely a hinge adjustment.

This is a very common problem.  I won't remove a hood hinge unless it's absolutely necessary.... and even then I will scribe into the inner fender it's exact location before I'll remove it.  Getting it in the exact right position again is a royal pain, but if you play aound with it long enough, you'll get it.

You have a BIG advantage in that your engine is still removed!  Close the hood.  Crawl into the vacant engine compartment and loosen the bolts holding the hinge to the inner fender.  Crawl back out.  Align the hood.  Crawl back in.  Tighten the three bolts.  Crawl back out.  Open and close the hood to check where you're at.

Repeat this process until you get the hinges in the correct position.  A lot of the work is trial and error.  The hinge can be rotated slightly on the three bolts to "pull" the rear of the hood down.

And yeah, what Midlife said also!

Good Luck!

[Dne']

Thanks Dave, I knew you would chime in :pep! I can definitely see how it would be a pain to line up with the motor in! OMG!  I did what you said about crawling in the motor area but that's when I didn't have the springs on. I'll play with it some later in the week.  If it can be done, I'll get it done! :danc

[68EFIvert]

I took my hinges off as well and sand blasted them.  I had to put some lubrication on the pivot points and move it up and down A LOT.  It finally started to get the normal movement and then I was able to get it adjusted.  After I got it to my satisfaction the body guy told me the hinges were pretty much shot and I had to get new ones.  :cry  I decided not to try with used 40 year old hinges or repos so I took the expensive route and now have Ring Brothers hinges.     Way over kill but I tend to do stupid things when I have a few extra "Mustang Bucks" in my pocket.  I sure could use that money now.

[tarafied1]

If I understood your concern, it was that when you put the springs themselves back on the hinges (which were already bolted up and aligned okay) you had the problem? Without the springs it sat okay at the cowl. The hinges are designed to stretch the spring when the hood is closed which means when the springs are installed, they are putting tension on the hinges that wasn't there without them. It sounds like the hinges might have some play(slop) in them. I'm not sure I understand the "raise them to lower them" thing but readjusting them now that the springs are on is the key (maybe), unless you did that already...  :conf then maybe Darreld will sell you some Ring Brothers hinges!

[Dne']

I am not spending 584.oo dollars on hinges!:hide2  That's ridiculous! If this was a show car, maybe, but it's not.  I'd be the only one that would ever see them! Surely there are some more reasonably priced hinges!  I'll laurelmountain Monday and see if they sell repros.
thanks everyone!
dne'

[tarafied1]

I am not spending 584.oo dollars on hinges

I hear that! they would really look outta place on my car too. My hinges are still kinda sloppy but I have low tension springs for the glass hood and I just push the back of the hood down every time I close it... :crazy

[68EFIvert]

Try to lube the heck out of them and move the hood up and down before ordering new ones.  If I were to do it over again I wouldn't buy Ring Bros hinges either. 

[tarafied1]

but your car deserves them, it is so SWWWEEEEEEEET

[Sluggo]

Look at the pivot points on the hinges and see if they have slop in them when you push up on the hood while it is open.
Both Chucks 67 and my 69 had the same problem you described and repop hinges fixed them both.

[Dne']

Ok Sluggo, I'll look at that this morning.
I'm doing what I can before I have to leave for the lake this afternoon.
Yesterday, I installed the left front suspension, disc brakes, etc., this morning I'll try to install the other side before leaving.  I want this car on the ground so I can move it out of the garage to clean and organize the garage! It's a mess!
dne'

[Dne']

Ok, did what ya'll said, and pushed up a little more than I did before! Pretty much lines up except on the passenger side.  I just have to push down a little on it and it's ok. I think I may go ahead and buy new hinges though~ rather do it now while easier to access!  Have to keep in mind, don't have the rubber things that the hood rests on when closed. At least it's much much better than before!  Again, Thanks everyone! :bow 

dne'

[Fast68back]

The "rubber things" will push it up some.

[Dne']

If I had known hood hinges were so cheap(money wise and perhaps cheaply made), I would have bought them long ago.  Plus it's nice that they are black already! I also bought this pressurized lifting system.  I'm sorry I don't have actual photos, my camera is not here at my home.  I do like it in comparison to the springs! I hate the springs! My only gripe would be at the highest point to where the cylinder attaches, there's about a .5" gap making it springy/not solid.  I thought perhaps I could glue a rubber spacer between that gap firming it up.  It can't be bolted or screwed because the hood may require adjusting. Maybe when I'm all finished lining up the hood, then I could put a permanent spacer and screw.  Oh, I also bought the same lift for the trunk and it's excellent!  I'll post photos in a day or so when I get my camera back.
Again, thank you for all your input!
dne'
Note: this is not my Mustang!

[Dne']

Ok, got my camera back, and here's a couple photos of my hood and trunk lift kits.  I bought these from www.Aeroform.com.  I like these much better than the springs and torsion springs.



I didn't want to have to deal with the torsion supports for the trunk, so I installed these and they work great! 

[Fast68back]

How does the hood line up?

[Dne']

oh, I'm sorry, the hood lines up very well now! I just wish the new hinges weren't so tight. I had to put one in a vice at a time and work it to loosen it.  I'm sure in time it will be ok!
dne'

[tarafied1]

those are cool, how do you think they would work with fiberglass hood and trunk?

[Dne']

Hey Tarafied! (BtW~ I like the way you came up with your screen name~cute!)  As for using the hood lift things with a fiberglass hood, IIRC it can be used on either hood(metal/fiberglass), but check the site out.  I like them vs. the old springs.  I'll take a better closeup of what I'm having to deal with on these hinges, maybe I can get an idea of what to do from ya'll.

those are cool, how do you think they would work with fiberglass hood and trunk?

[68EFIvert]

I have actually had both the front and rear lift kit on my car.  I scrapped the front setup and gave it to Ken Schall over on the other site to see how he liked the system on his car.  I did not like the flex of the bracket that extends forward and my original hinges were in pretty bad shape.  I was thinking of adding another barrel nut (or what ever those things are called) to the hood so that I could bolt the front of the bracket down yet retain the ability to adjust the hood.

I got rid of the trunk lift system at the advice of Maier Racing.  They felt that the hydraulic cylinders would warp my new fiberglass trunk over time.  I did not want to risk it so I now use a clear plastic 3/4" dowel rod with rubber ends to hold the trunk open.  What I did not like about it is there was only one pressure cylinder they used for both steel and fiberglass.