Help, Can't Open Hood!

[Paulporsche]

SEE LAST POST FOR RESOLUTION

Well, it finally happened. I've been messing w/ my decel valve and mixtures to try to cure an intake popping on snap throttle closings, and when I opened my hood I noticed the top portion of the catch mechanism (that's the part w/ rod and spring) was loose.

So I tightened it just a little and moved it into what seemed like a likely location and gently closed the hood, trying to "locate" it into the right position.

So now it's partially closed and stuck. It's about 3/4" from closed and holding fast. The pull handle and cable seem to be working but have no effect. I tried pushing, pulling, and twisting while someone else pulled the cable, but to no avail.

A read in a search where someone said Milt (Zeke) had a thread on this but I couldn't find it.

Anybody have any brignt ideas? Try to move it w/ a knife? Slip a wire inside to try to snag it?

I'm going to bed.

[tcar]

Can you get a wrench on the 2 bolts on the female receiver?

[HarryD]

Paul,

Try these things:

1) Park car partially on a curb (one wheel on road and one on curb).

2) Go for a spirited drive on a twisty bumpy road.

An interesting thread: Hood Release

[EarlyPorsche]

Same happened to me, just use any wrench to push on the plunger while lifting on the decklid, should open right up.

[Dueller]

Try this....have soneone pull on the cable handle while you go to the rear and slap the deck lid right above where the latch is. Smack it oretty hard with your open palm. Lid should pop up.

Let me know if this works. Happens all the time on mine.

If this opens it, then clean and lube the latch

[Paulporsche]

Thanks, guys. I'm going to try them all.

Supposing it opens, how do I then locate the plunger to get it to seat correctly? Trial and error?

[Gunter]

This worked for me:
If I remember correctly, the latch comes in from the left meaning that, if someone pulls on the release, try and twist the lid over to the right.
By twisting I mean pushing the lid down on the left and up on the right while at the same time moving the lid sideways to the right.
I adjusted it by looking at the interior latching mechanism first to be sure about which side actually holds the plunger edge.
Then I carefully lowered the lid and used a strong light to see how the plunger meets the hole for centering.

[Dueller]

Sooooo....didja get it open? Which method worked?

[Paulporsche]

Sorry, guys. Spent all day trying to earn a living (LOL) and doing repairs to the woodwork on the exterior of the house. I'm going to try today after painting. I'll get back to you.

[Paulporsche]

So far I've tried pushing, pulling, sliding, twisting, driving onto curbs, driving spiritedly, threading coathangers. screwdrivers and knives, and adding extra syllables to the word "Porsche" all to no avail. The hood remains stuck @ about 3/4" up from being fully closed.

What's next? If I remove the muffler, will be able to access it from underneath? If that's the case, then I think I can probably just push up on the plunger.

Early Porsche,

Can I access the plunger from below by slipping a wrench between the muffler and the bodywork?

[Mo_Gearhead]

QUOTE: "If I remove the muffler, will be able to access it from underneath?"
___________________
No.

Get a good light. Get a piece of wood, pad it with wrapped duct tape. Wedge it in the opening you can get between hood and body. Try to access the two bolts (top) and loosen them till it pops free.

[Paulporsche]

Thanks, Mo. It's Thanksgiving Dinner time here so I'll give that a try tomorrow.

[Dueller]

I think you must have left something on the lip of the trunk opening and have it labor bound. Look at the following pics. You can see the latch on the left of the hole the plunger goes in. It moves to the left to allow the plunger to release. See the plunger...its spring loaded. In the third pic I've pushed the spring back so you can see the exposed part of the plunger and how it catches on the latch.

If you screwed the plunger in, it either wouldn't catch as it didn't go in the whole deep enuff or it would be closed very tightly. If you screwed the plunger out, it would latch but not close all the way and you would be able to press the lid down under the spring compression on the plunger. Thats why I think you left a wrench or something on the shelf of the trunk opening and the thing is labor bound. I'd press down hard on the lid right above the plunger while someone pulls the cable release to see if it would free up.



See the catch on the left side of the whole...that moves to the left as you pull the cable




Plunger with spring extended




Plunger spring pushed up to show what catches in the whole

[Dueller]

Better pic of plunger with spring pushed up

[Dueller]

The final possibility is that you moved the plunger so far to one side that the plunger is caught on the whole lip and not under the latch. But even then the lid would not be firmly stuck 3/4 inch too high.

Once again I think the symptoms suggest something was left on the trunk lip and the whole thing is labor bound not allowing the latch to fully move to the left..

[williecoyote]

I had the same issue on Saturday evening. I remounted the rear decklid, and closed it by mistake before I had it adjusted. Push down , and fully latch the lid. Pull the release, and then with a helper, both of you push the decklid toward the front of the car. (Like you are trying to push the car forward.) You don't have to hold the release while you are pushing the decklid. This worked for me.
If that doesn't work, it is possible that the plunger is bent. Take a flashlight, and look at how the plunger lines up with the hole in the receiver part of the latch. You might have to get a big screwdriver, and bend the plunger to make this work. My plunger was bent, and combined with the decklid not being adjusted created my problem.

[Paulporsche]

Well those were all really good suggestions, except I can't get anything up into the area of the plunger. Wrenches won't fit (too thick). Wire coathanger hook seems too flimsy. Various knives won't make it.

There is nothing in the way, as dueller suggests. The lid is open just enough to more or less mate w/ the steel of the cowl below. I am thinking the spring or the end of the plunger is hung up on the edge of the hole. The pull handle and catch seem to be working fine.

I'm trying to push or pull the plunger or spring out of the way. There just doesn't seem to be anything that can get up into that area.

I'm going to try a hacksaw blade next. Not to try to cut it; just to use as a pusher.

Anybody know of another way to get at this?

[Gunter]

Hacksaw blade is too soft.
Can you post a picture showing the amount of closure?
The intent here would be to try and bend the plunger by moving the lid sideways.
If the latch is caught, moving/forcing the lid to the left would bend the plunger to the right.
Then, hopefully, that extra little bend should give the clearance needed.
I would also get a new can of WD-40 with the little straw fed into the opening to reach the plunger and spray a good amount in there.
Then have someone pull the release with you wiggeling the lid.

[Paulporsche]

Gunter,

We're definitely on the same page w/ this one. Unfortunately it's still not working. As you can see from the photos there really isn't enough room up in there to see anything. The actual hood height above what it should normally be is only about 3/8" max, maybe even just 1/4". I think I need to find a strong enough piece of flat stock, bend it to suit the contour of that area and then use it to push, pull, bend etc as reqd.


My original estimate of 3/4" is off because I didn't account for the normal gap there. I'm sure the plunger shoulder or spring is caught on the hole.

[HarryD]

Pauk,

Can you slip a mirror in there and see where it is hanging up? That may give you a clue which way to tug.