Last night's fun with the Par

kwm · 06-28-2006, 05:32 AM

I started my 83SC up last night to check the oil level. When I did she backfired which was a first. Thank God for the pop off valve. The backfire did blown the air box cover off thought and the old straps snapped in half. I have them rigged up until I can get some new ones. Is timing the only thing that can cause a backfire? Any time I ever had a car backfire on me before it was a domestic with carbs or my bike that has carbs. I have never known anything w/o carbs to backfire. I drove the car all this past fri,sat,sun everything working fine. Also, I decided to replace my hood struts last night b/c I am sick of my front trunk cover whacking me in the head. Got the brand new struts on and the damn thing still slams shut even quicker than before. With the old worn out struts sometimes if you pumped the hood up and down it would stay. How can brand new hood struts not hold it up? These struts are stiff as hell too. If you try to compress them by hand it is not even doable. Anyone else replaced their struts only to have the hood slam shut like before. My latest idea is to get a long hood prop rod from some other car at a junk yard and fab up a way to mount it in the front of the trunk and set up a prop point on the hood. Any other ideas? Thanks

Wil Ferch · 06-28-2006, 06:22 AM

Never had a new one not hold up a hood...but.... it may just do that if you only replaced one side......

- Wil

kwm · 06-28-2006, 06:34 AM

I put two new struts on?????? I have no idea why it would not have held and I mean held at all. Maybe I should try to get my money back on the struts. The place I got them from has a 30 day return policy but I might be past the 30 days.....

widgeon13 · 06-28-2006, 06:36 AM

For the hood, I use a standard length driver (old golf club) with the headcover left on, the rubber grip holds well in the hood end. I still maintain carpeting in the front so not so concerned about hitting the terminals on the battery with the shaft and don't think that could happen anyway. Not the most attractive support but it does the job and is definitely cheap. I have more drivers than Pcars so I am set for many years as well as being set for any road rage incidents. and don't need CCW for it!

wheatdog · 06-28-2006, 06:41 AM

If someone ever comes up with a hood cylinder that actually works, they could sell millions. Everyone I know of uses some sort of prop rod.

kwm · 06-28-2006, 06:42 AM

widgeon..LOL I was useing a field hockey stick that belonged to my wife in college so between the two of us we have at least a couple of sports covered (I guess I am actually still useing the field hockey stick too)

kwm · 06-28-2006, 06:44 AM

Everyone I know uses a prop rod too....Hey does anyone know if these hood struts actually worked on new cars? I did see where Weltmiester makes a heavy duty set maybe that is the ticket!

widgeon13 · 06-28-2006, 07:05 AM

I actually came up with the driver idea when replacing my hood shocks some time ago, I did put new ones in that day but never again, PITA project, cut hands and waste of f------- time.

Putting that $$ towards a new M&K 1 in 2 out

paulgtr · paulgtr's Garage

I have one in there and it works.
maybe something is a miss from when you put them in?
photographic proof that I am not full of ****.

kwm · 06-28-2006, 07:16 AM

paul it looks so much better w/o the prop rod too. Man I just dont see how the issue could be with the install? I put the new ones in just as the old ones where in the only one that was even hard to get in was the driver's side one due to the fuel filler neck..... Honestly I have no luck whatsoever and this strut install was actually delayed a month due to one of my prime examples of having no luck (got ran over by a SUV on my motorcycle) but could I have gotten 2 bad struts? Will one good one hold it up? As I was putting them in when the 1 new one really did nothing to hold it up I was wondering if the 2nd one was going to help matters.............GGGGGRRRR

paulgtr · paulgtr's Garage

that's a bummer.
tough luick getting run over too.
it must be something with the struts, because only one holding up the hood in that shot is the passenger side strut.
how long it will work is the mystery, but so far so good.
maybe try removing the struts and putting them in again?
something might not be right.

kwm · 06-28-2006, 07:34 AM

I think I am going to try to return them. I got them at DC Motors just up the road from me but like I said they have a 30 day return policy and I think I am right at 30 days. Maybe I will get the Weltmiester heavy duty lifetime struts but they do cost a lot more.....

paulgtr · paulgtr's Garage

I only put in that one because a friend of mine had it lying around.
using something to hold open the hood was how i did it before that.
it could be something with the hinges on your car and no matter what you try it won't work....
somethings aren't worth the frustration.

kwm · 06-28-2006, 07:37 AM

Not that I see how it would matter too much but maybe the PO changed mine and put the ones I removed in upside down and therefore I put mine in upside down. Would that even matter? Does anyone know if the shiny polished retractable bar portion points down or up?

kwm · 06-28-2006, 07:39 AM

You are right paul but the somethings arent worth the frustration theory is what lead me to try to correct the problem if the thing hitting me in the head and now I can leave it unfixed plus i have about a $24 investment in it now too.

paulgtr · paulgtr's Garage

not sure if inverting them would make a difference.
understand about the frustrating part of being hit in the head too.
but those hood struts are such a universal problem it almost seems like I was just really really lucky to get one that actually works...
knock on wood

JP911 · JP911's Garage

Perhaps you have the short-lived and ill-conceived lead hood option.

djdsc · 06-28-2006, 08:53 AM

I also tired of the ongoing front hood strut issue and installed the Weltmeister heavy duty lifetime struts on the front hood of the '82.

They definitely work, but, they are under so much pressure they totally over spring the hinges when the hood is closed and completely screwed up the alignment. The hood, at the hinges, now stands proud of the cowl and fenders. Way over kill.

Also trying to do good I replaced the one on the rear hood too. Given that I still run the A/C and the condenser is still mounted I thought that the Weltmeister heavy duty lifetimes were the way to go. Worse problem. The only way that I could get the strut to mount was to grind down the casting, in the shock, for the mounting hole. After a search here I found many posts on this problem. Additionally the rear hood is so over extended that I had to rap the A/C hosed with pieces from a cut up bicycle tube to insulate from where the hose now rubs on the body from the over extension.

I'm pissed at spending all that money for what is not a good fit for the product. Just go stock.

kwm · 06-28-2006, 09:02 AM

I talked to the shop that sent me the first set of struts and he is sending another set. He said that if I can put the strut agaisnt the floor and compress it then it is bad. djdsc glad to hear I am not the only one with strut problems seems like such a easy fix too. I got all frustrated last night and was like if I can't even get struts replaced how to I plan to do all these complicated jobs on my car that I have planned. I am not happy in the thought that I jsut got 2 bad struts which like never happends.

RaceProEngineer · 06-28-2006, 09:10 AM

So those tubular things you folks are calling "struts" are actually supposed to DO SOMETHING? And all along we thought they were just decorative, similar to the heater controls and headlight washers!

Ed LoPresti