to keep the hood open - chrome oil cap?

coupelady

coupelady

Well-Known Member
Messages
215
Reaction score
34
Hi to all, can't wait until we converge at the Asheville Vintage. That event is such super fun. Scott Sturdy says that the tire kicking sessions at the hotel have become a major portion of the event!

I had a squeak in the hood bar area, wasn't real sure where it was coming from so used a squirt of WD at the top of the hinge where the bar that goes across the hood meets. Now the hood won't stay open well. As many of you know I like to display my car with the hood open at The Vintage and other shows. SO now a slight wind slams it. I did buy one of the hood "pogo sticks" which just so happened to be silver as the car (!) how lucky was that. But it might look at bit like an American car or a race car when using it. Short of putting dirt on the area to create resistance any suggestions will be considered. Yup the squeak is gone....As it is said you can't have everything! And such a problem to have.

Also is there a source for a chrome oil cap (valve cover)?
 
hood support

I actually kind of liked the golf umbrella you used at the AutoLawn Show last weekend;-)...Congratulations on another award! Everyone else needs at least one photo of the show, I didn't have my camera, did you guys take any?...if you win, its not bragging. Car looked great, as did Wayne's French blue beauty. Sorry, cant help you with the torsion bar...
 
Thanks Dave, wasn't fishing for a compliment.............

It WAS a BMW umbrella
 
Not sure about the hood torsion bar issue but I do not think cleaning did that.
Might need an adjustment. Take a close look to ensure the metal did not crack somewhere. These parts have been known to fail.


The oil cap that came on the 3.0 is a bushed metal look. The replacements are black.

 
Not quite sure what you are going for, originality or pure aesthetics. FWIW, you probably know valve cover's black wrinkle finish is not original. But when it looks as pretty as the picture, very few would notice.

Respecting the cap, I believe the original was unpainted and untreated steel. I think you would be best off looking for a used one from an E3, E9 or E10 as they were all the same. The only thing that typically goes wrong with them is the rubber gasket fails. You could easily swap one from another new cap.

Respecting the torsion bar that holds the hood open, I suspect the broke part is hidden and contained within the tube running parallel to the radiator. They are often fixable with a torch, but not without some telltale signs. More often the best fix is simply replacing the assembly. Unfortunately, as with the torch method, it is likely any new replacement will require paint.


DQ's illustrated repair: http://e9coupe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12775


19507.jpg




hqdefault.jpg
 
Last edited:
Funny thing, the hood stayed open very nicely until I tried to get rid of the squeak. It was fine until the WD, I should have left it alone.

As to the cap, my valve cover is polished so the black cap is sorta there but it would be less seen (aesthetic) if it were silver, chrome, brushed.
 
After 40+ years of metal fatigue, hood torsion springs generally "snap" without warning. Fortunately, as you discovered, a broom stick or umbrella can do in a pinch. Not much anyone can do about it - unless you have super powers. :wink:
 
OK I hear what you are saying. (Drat!)

Since I have a major concours at the end of October (Hilton Head) I am sure it will show better with that replaced without the hood prop. I am looking for ideas as to: do i need to replace the complete assembly the bar and hinge as the break might be at the union of the two?

OR is it obvious when taken apart?
 
Amy:

I think I have an extra of the original cap somewhere. Looks painted silver to me, but I bet it would polish up nicely. I was saving it for when I lose mine, but you are welcome to have it if you'd like to try it.

The hood torsion bar on my previous coupe broke at the bracket. I was able to remove it and weld it. Worked well but the paint was fried, of course. Re-installation was a SOB.

Don
 
Slow down with the busted torsion spring ideas and leave the bank account alone for just a moment.

Unless you KNOW the spring is busted, know also that the hood support is adjustable by loosening the bolts that tie the support to the bracket on top the fender. A little for and aft adjustment goes a long way, but beware that you don't set it so that the folding support contacts the top of the fender.

I'd adjust a little, then put a little clay or warm/soft wax on the top of the fender and close the hood so that the folding bars bear on the wax. Then lift up and you'll see how much clearance remains.

If there's any wind, though, you'd better use a prop, whatever you have, b/c the torsion spring won't take much additional force. Gotten whacked in the back of the shoulders/head a time or two, it's a wonder I remember any of this.
 
A new torsion bar is strong and the hood will not fall from a puff of wind. I am sure there is a point where wind would be strong enough to knock it down but it would have enough velocity that you would certainly know the wind could be a problem.

I did the same thing of lubricating the torsion bar, thinking it was a good maintenance step. The hood also got easy to drop down. I did adjust the stops to get better leverage for the arms to hold the hood up. It did work better but a few months after that the torsion bar broke inside with a loud bang.

I took it apart to see if I could weld it to repair. Yes, it was salvageable but I decided it would probably fail again at the weld or in another area that was near the end of it fatigue life. I bought a new one and had some paint made up to match and installed it. It is not much fun to install but it works very well now. I even lubricate it periodically to help reduce wear on the sliding contact parts. That reminds me, it is time to lube it again.
 
Then, logically, one perhaps should not lube the hood support apparatus because friction is part of the intended design...? as long as the torsion bar is intact.
 
I think friction does become a part of the mechanism that holds the hood up as it ages. I don't know if that is its intended design. I am sure the intended design is for the spring action to hold the mechanism in place to hold the hood up, at least when it is new. Proper adjustment of the mechanism is important too.

Just to note, you can adjust it too far and the hood becomes difficult to pull down because it is near cam over. That is bad too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top