External Hood Release DIY (For Hood Pin Setups Only)
Notice: This is strictly and FYI. Owner and implementer of this modification assume full liability.
Well, I had a little thing bugging me about my hood pins. Whenever I was in the car and wanted to pop the hood, I would have to get out, pull the stop pins for the hood pins, then go back into the car and pull the release handle. I know, sounds petty, stop bitching, yatta yatta. It was still a hassle, i.e. at the gas station to check the oil, PS fluid, etc. or after test rides during installs under the hood and so on.
Well I decided to install an external hood latch release system. My first try to do this had some problems. It was somewhat obvious something was going on and at a minimum, having a cable hanging out of the grill looked funny. So, I made the release system a part of my hood pins.
This DIY guide should show you what I did and help you on your way to achieving an inexpensive and unique “old school” mod.
Supplies used:
Two 24” coated stainless steel hood pin lanyards
One 24”L x 1/16” D Stainless steel cable (no coating)
Two cable end terminators (1/16” ID)
One cable coupler (side by side, 1/16” ID p/side)
1.) Remove all radiator cover and extensions (if applicable).
2.) Remove the push pin and bolt from both headlight fixtures and the upper bumper cover brackets.
3.) To make room for your hands and the hood latch removal, unhook the top of bumper cover from the brackets.
4.) Mark the location of the hood latch for accurate reinstall, and then remove the two bolts holding the hood latch. There is one on each side. Use a deep reach socket, passing the socket through the openings in the upper support, to remove the bolts.
5.) Disconnect the cable support loop from the frame so you have slack in the stock hood release cable and pull the hood latch out between the grill and upper support.
6.) Remove the release spring to allow easy management of the release lever and the factory release cable end.
7.) We are going to use a medium cable tie to hold the stock cable end in place on the release lever. This will allow the end of the cable to stay in place as the lever is moved with our new release cable. If we do not, the end may get hung on moving parts and cause a latch malfunction.
*** This cable tie is non-load bearing, but must be snug.
8.) Take your 2 foot steel cable and terminate one end.
9.) Pass the non-terminated end of the cable all the way through the top-side of the release lever return spring loop, and then reintall the release lever return spring. This is your new exterior hood release cable.
10.) Reinstall the hood latch and adjust as needed for correct factory functionality. Allow the newly added exterior release cable to free hang behind the grill.
11.) On the right hand side of the vehicle, remove the front horn mount nut from the bolt.
12.) Slide the loop of one lanyard over the bolt and reinstall the horn mount nut.
13.) Pass the lanyard through the highest far right grill opening and allow it to hang.
14.) Pass the new exterior hood release cable through the highest left hand grill opening.
15.) Push the grill and front bumper skin back into place, but do not bolt in.
16.) Close the hood and insert stop-pins into place, and then slide the left hand lanyard into the same opening the new release cable is protruding out of.
17.) Once you have the desired amount of cable showing, pull the slack out of the release cable and use a sharpie to mark both cables at the same point close to the grill. This is simply an alignment step.
18.) Remove the lanyard from the grill. Remove the stop pins and open the hood, and then pull the bumper skin forward to access the bottom of the hood latch.
19.) Fish the exterior release cable through the latch opening to maximize access to the cable.
20.) Thread the new release cable through the loop of the lanyard and align the two alignment marks which were made during step 17.
21.) While holding the two cables with the marks aligned, make a sharpie mark in the new release cable just in front of the lanyard loop. This will be the top of the joining loop on the new release cable.
22.) Without removing the release cable from the lanyard, use the proper hardware to make a loop and terminate the release cable. Cut excess cable after the termination.
23.) Reroute the release cable and lanyard assembly back down through the latch opening and pass it through the highest left hand grill opening.
24.) Use a medium cable tie to support the release cable as shown in the picture below. This will help stop the weight of the release cable from pulling the lanyard back into the grill while driving. Do not snug the wire tie. We want a large loop so the cable tie does not interfere with the release cable operation. This is a non-load bearing guide only.
25.) Push the grill back into place an move the left lanyard off to the left of the opening. Use a medium round file at an angle to cut a smooth rounded guide into the back of the opening. We want to eliminate the V shape on the back of the grill to avoid having the cable get stuck or wearing out prematurely. File as needed until you get a smooth operation.
***Note: The release cable is designed for pulling to the left side of the car only. Pulling in any direction other than in a level left direction may damage your vehicle or cause improper operation of the release cable.
26.) Reinstall the hardware required to hold the bumper skin and head lights in place.
27.) Reinstall your radiator cover and extensions (if applicable).
28.) Close the hood and secure your hood pins.
Congrats! You are done!!!
Spaz
Notice: This is strictly and FYI. Owner and implementer of this modification assume full liability.
Well, I had a little thing bugging me about my hood pins. Whenever I was in the car and wanted to pop the hood, I would have to get out, pull the stop pins for the hood pins, then go back into the car and pull the release handle. I know, sounds petty, stop bitching, yatta yatta. It was still a hassle, i.e. at the gas station to check the oil, PS fluid, etc. or after test rides during installs under the hood and so on.
Well I decided to install an external hood latch release system. My first try to do this had some problems. It was somewhat obvious something was going on and at a minimum, having a cable hanging out of the grill looked funny. So, I made the release system a part of my hood pins.
This DIY guide should show you what I did and help you on your way to achieving an inexpensive and unique “old school” mod.
Supplies used:
Two 24” coated stainless steel hood pin lanyards
One 24”L x 1/16” D Stainless steel cable (no coating)
Two cable end terminators (1/16” ID)
One cable coupler (side by side, 1/16” ID p/side)
1.) Remove all radiator cover and extensions (if applicable).
2.) Remove the push pin and bolt from both headlight fixtures and the upper bumper cover brackets.
3.) To make room for your hands and the hood latch removal, unhook the top of bumper cover from the brackets.
4.) Mark the location of the hood latch for accurate reinstall, and then remove the two bolts holding the hood latch. There is one on each side. Use a deep reach socket, passing the socket through the openings in the upper support, to remove the bolts.
5.) Disconnect the cable support loop from the frame so you have slack in the stock hood release cable and pull the hood latch out between the grill and upper support.
6.) Remove the release spring to allow easy management of the release lever and the factory release cable end.
7.) We are going to use a medium cable tie to hold the stock cable end in place on the release lever. This will allow the end of the cable to stay in place as the lever is moved with our new release cable. If we do not, the end may get hung on moving parts and cause a latch malfunction.
*** This cable tie is non-load bearing, but must be snug.
8.) Take your 2 foot steel cable and terminate one end.
9.) Pass the non-terminated end of the cable all the way through the top-side of the release lever return spring loop, and then reintall the release lever return spring. This is your new exterior hood release cable.
10.) Reinstall the hood latch and adjust as needed for correct factory functionality. Allow the newly added exterior release cable to free hang behind the grill.
11.) On the right hand side of the vehicle, remove the front horn mount nut from the bolt.
12.) Slide the loop of one lanyard over the bolt and reinstall the horn mount nut.
13.) Pass the lanyard through the highest far right grill opening and allow it to hang.
14.) Pass the new exterior hood release cable through the highest left hand grill opening.
15.) Push the grill and front bumper skin back into place, but do not bolt in.
16.) Close the hood and insert stop-pins into place, and then slide the left hand lanyard into the same opening the new release cable is protruding out of.
17.) Once you have the desired amount of cable showing, pull the slack out of the release cable and use a sharpie to mark both cables at the same point close to the grill. This is simply an alignment step.
18.) Remove the lanyard from the grill. Remove the stop pins and open the hood, and then pull the bumper skin forward to access the bottom of the hood latch.
19.) Fish the exterior release cable through the latch opening to maximize access to the cable.
20.) Thread the new release cable through the loop of the lanyard and align the two alignment marks which were made during step 17.
21.) While holding the two cables with the marks aligned, make a sharpie mark in the new release cable just in front of the lanyard loop. This will be the top of the joining loop on the new release cable.
22.) Without removing the release cable from the lanyard, use the proper hardware to make a loop and terminate the release cable. Cut excess cable after the termination.
23.) Reroute the release cable and lanyard assembly back down through the latch opening and pass it through the highest left hand grill opening.
24.) Use a medium cable tie to support the release cable as shown in the picture below. This will help stop the weight of the release cable from pulling the lanyard back into the grill while driving. Do not snug the wire tie. We want a large loop so the cable tie does not interfere with the release cable operation. This is a non-load bearing guide only.
25.) Push the grill back into place an move the left lanyard off to the left of the opening. Use a medium round file at an angle to cut a smooth rounded guide into the back of the opening. We want to eliminate the V shape on the back of the grill to avoid having the cable get stuck or wearing out prematurely. File as needed until you get a smooth operation.
***Note: The release cable is designed for pulling to the left side of the car only. Pulling in any direction other than in a level left direction may damage your vehicle or cause improper operation of the release cable.
26.) Reinstall the hardware required to hold the bumper skin and head lights in place.
27.) Reinstall your radiator cover and extensions (if applicable).
28.) Close the hood and secure your hood pins.
Congrats! You are done!!!
Spaz
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I hope someone else has some fun too...
