Hood center armor attach at front

[8683jb]

Is there a trick to getting a wrench on the three nuts at the front center hood armor where it bolts to the top of the louver assembly? It looks like even if I take off the top louver and the top of the frame there's no room for a wobble socket or end wrench because of the top of the radiator. I can start the nuts with a couple of fingers but then I'd have to tighten them with a screw driver and I don't think that'd get it tight enough. Thanks!

[steve1973]

I had the same problem when I removed my front armor. What I did is removed the front as one assembly. I unbolted the center hood section at the cowling, two lower side armor I think I was able to remove up front and then unbolted the radiator armor to frame bolts and removed as one piece with my overhead crane.



After seeing this photo I did the opposite, I removed the center section completely then removed the lower sides at the cowling. I still think you can do what I said. It will be a heavy and unbalanced lift though.

Steve A.

[8683jb]

I'm sorry Steve - I should've clarified that I'm installing the hood, not removing. I've got it aligned pretty well and want to cinch it down while it's fitting good.

[Outsider]

Chinese wrench (one you don't care about) and a grinder to grind it thin enough to fit in between. Then a torch to heat and bend it to fit around the top of the radiator.

Steve

[8683jb]

I removed the top louver and the armor at the top of the louver assembly and that allowed a little more access to the three nuts for the center hood panel. A 9/16” wobble socket is still too big to fit in the gap but I think Outsider’s suggestion to modify a wrench might get it done (thanks Steve). There’s about a ¼” gap between the bottom of the center hood panel and the angle that lives under it and going by the rivets going across each side of that angle, and none across the middle, it looks like the hood wings close on a ¼” welt and that the non-moving center panel is supposed to have about  a ¼” shim under it. There is no illustration to show it but it makes sense that something would need to keep all three hood sections on the same plane. Looks easy enough to make if that’s the case. Is that the “Filler, hood plate, center, top, frond end” part called for in the parts manual?
I tried to attach pictures but couldn’t get them to go.

[yd328]

You are correct on the spacer, it is either 1/8" or 3/16".  Thats what is in mine.

Chinese wrench (one you don't care about) and a grinder to grind it thin enough to fit in between. Then a torch to heat and bend it to fit around the top of the radiator.

I like that, a special wrench 

Gary

[8683jb]

Thanks Gary. I think that even with my limited fabrication talent I can make one of those. Might even get the holes in the right places!

[yd328]

The piece in mine is 1/8". Sounds like we have about the same skills for fab .

Gary

[8683jb]

Well I finally got time to get back on this hood. I made the filler out of 12” of 1.25” x 0.125” mild steel for between the center hood armor and its mounting angle . With the top louver and armor strip at the top of the louvers out of the way and the angle temporarily bolted up, I was able to wiggle an open-end wrench onto the three nuts at the front of the center hood armor and get them fairly tight. Then I removed the three bolts at the windshield-end of the center hood panel, lifted the hood panel/angle assembly at the front high enough to get a socket and long ratchet on the three front bolts and tightened them properly (if they’re like the rest of the nuts I’ve removed so far, seems like they should be about 600 lb/ft.!). Set the front back down and replaced the armor strip at the top of the louvers, tightened the rear three bolts and everything fits good again! Thank you guys for all your help!

[Smadge]

I connected the center hood to the top radiator louver yesterday with both pieces off the vehicle first then lifted them into place. Worked like a charm.

[coreyelliott]

I connected the center hood to the top radiator louver yesterday with both pieces off the vehicle first then lifted them into place. Worked like a charm.

I think this is the way it's supposed to be done if going by the book.  Who does that though? 

Corey