Hood wont close

[Datsun-Fever]

Have any of you guys had the problem where your hood wont fully close? First of all, i need to hold the little catch thing open so it will lock in place, and then it wont go any further. I cant push it down any farther, so the hood is open about 1" all the time. I have tryed holding the release and shutting it, but it wont work. Do you guys have any solutions?

[EScanlon]

Your Hood Latch Pin is either mis-aligned with the Receiver OR it has been shortened too much and will not allow the secondary latch work.

All you are latching to is to the SAFETY latch. Granted, if it's working properly at this point, you won't have the hood suddenly want to open, but it isn't as secure, safe or aerodynamic, and it doesn't look worth a damn.

Compare how deep the pin has to enter the mechanism, with how far it raises from the hood to see if it is a short pin that is the problem.

If it's an alignment problem, easy fast fix: Loosen the receiver plate, push the hood down so it will move it to where it needs to be, open hood carefully so as not to move the plate, tighten.

Last item it could be: The hood release cable, is it free from binding, kinks and has NOT been shortened in a jury-rigged repair? If yes to any of these, then fix, or replace.

2¢

Enrique

[TraeZ]

Have you tried cranking the hood stopper down a little? I'm refering to the little nut with a big rubber bumber on it that is located right below where the hooe release is in the engine compartment.

Just my first thought! Good Luck!

:stupid:

[moyest]

Another possibility -

If you can PUSH the bonnet all the way closed but it simply won't *catch*, you should have a look at the bracket on your firewall where the latch is supposed to catch - sometimes there are cables or tubes (e.g. battery, wiring etc) running THROUGH the back of that bracket and it's those WIRES which prevent the catch working.

My bonnet jammed shut for that reason, and the pull-release wouldn't work. Then I noticed the bonnet would not stay closed, and would pop up onto the safety catch (about 1") when I was driving.

Worth a look!?

[Datsun-Fever]

After it hooks on the safety latch i push down and it feels like somthing is blocking the hole...ill try all of you advice guys, thanks a lot.

[toddolie]

I just recently purchased my 1973 240Z and the first time I could not for the life of me get the hood to close all of the way just as you described. It wasn't like that before I opened it so I was even more baffled and upset. It turns out that the cable from the handle inside the car was hanging up and not releasing to allow the hood to close all of the way. Once I tracked it back to that and pushed the arm back in I went back out around and walla, it shut all of the way.

Todd

[Fun_in_my_z]

Make sure your release lever is pushed back in. Mine will not close until it is.

Is it a hood from the right generation z car. Not like from a 260 or a 280. These hoods look the same but are different. It might be out of alinement.

[texasz]

I have a problem with my hood also but a different one. I can close it all the way quite easily but almost every time I get out onto the highway (sometimes not even 40MPH) it will pop open to the safte latch.

I have checked the catch pin on the hood and tried adjusting it a couple times with no luck. I have also made sure that the hood release pull handle is pushed all the way back in and this does not make any difference.

Any thoughts on this problem?

[Zrush]

Can you make some type of adjustment to the tension rods on the front. Those criss-cross bars.

Vicky

[EScanlon]

TexZ:

Have you checked the latch mechanism on the firewall for smooth operation? It could be that the gate that latches around the pin is not sliding smoothly back into place and capturing the whole head of the pin. Additionally, check your pin for wear on the topside of the cone. If it's too rounded that could cause a problem.

Enrique